Opéra-Comique's Carmen brings high musical qualities to Edinburgh

Aliénor Feix (Mercédès), Gaëlle Arquez (Carmen) and Norma Nahoun (Frasquita)

Saimir Pirgu (Don José) and Gaëlle Arquez (Carmen)

Maîtrise Populaire de l'Opéra-Comique and accentus

Gaëlle Arquez (Carmen) and accentus

Jean-Fernand Setti (Escamillo)

Elbenita Kajtazi (Micaëla)

By Roy Westbrook, 09 August 2024

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“French mezzo-soprano Gaëlle Arquez is close to being the complete Carmen”

Reviewed at Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on 8 August 2024

Bizet, Carmen

Opéra-Comique

Louis Langrée, Conductor

Andreas Homoki, Director

Paul Zoller, Set Designer

Gideon Davey, Costume Designer

Franck Evin, Lighting Designer

Scottish Chamber Orchestra

Maîtrise Populaire de l'Opéra-Comique

Arturo Gama, Director

Gaëlle Arquez, Carmen

Saimir Pirgu, Don José

Jean-Fernand Setti, Escamillo

Elbenita Kajtazi, Micaëla

François Lis, Zuniga

Jean-Christophe Lanièce, Moralès

Norma Nahoun, Frasquita

Aliénor Feix, Mercédès

Matthieu Walendzik, Le Dancaïre

Abel Zamora, Le Remendado

Ludmilla Bouakkaz, Choirmaster / chorus director

Sylvia Bergé, Soprano

Hugo Collin

Wadih Cormier

Côme Fanton d’Andon

Yvon-Gérard Lesieur

accentus

Implacable Werther at Opéra-Comique from Pichon and Huffman

Romain Daroles, 19th January

Tight orchestral playing, minimalist stage design: the conductor and director are perfectly in tune with each other, transforming Massenet's work into an intimate and timeless drama.

****1

Deliciously not Disney: Zémire et Azor at Opéra Comique

David Karlin, 29th June

Grétry's mash-up of Beauty and the Beast and The Arabian Nights provides an evening of proper enchantment in Paris.

****1

Unhappy ever after: Gluck's Armide returns to Paris

David Karlin, 11th November

Excellent performances and stage direction make a good case for an opera that's on the slow side dramatically.

****1

Titon et l'Aurore: flying sheep at the Opéra Comique

Philippe Ramin, 21st January

In Basil Twist's staging of Titon et l'Aurore, William Christie shows the breadth of his talent in 18th century French repertoire, conducting an cast which excels in both main and supporting roles.

*****

Operatic magic: Ercole Amante at the Opéra Comique

Jean-Marc Piriou, 6th November

Voices, orchestra staging: everything in this Ercole Amante is light and magic, to the great delight of the Salle Favart audience.

*****

Degout and Devieilhe star in Hamlet revival

Mark Pullinger, 17th December

Hamlet lives! Ambroise Thomas' operatic take on The Bard has a particularly French ending but that doesn't spoil this terrific revival in Paris.

****1

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.