Carmen minus charisma: a limp revival of Kosky's production

By Mark Pullinger, 25 June 2019

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Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 24 June 2019

Bizet, Carmen

The Royal Opera

Julia Jones, Conductor

Barrie Kosky, Director

Katrin Lea Tag, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Anaïk Morel, Carmen

Bryan Hymel, Don José

Luca Pisaroni, Escamillo

Ailyn Pérez, Micaëla

Michael Mofidian, Zuniga

Germán Enrique Alcántara, Moralès

Jacquelyn Stucker, Frasquita

Hongni Wu, Mercédès

Dominic Sedgwick, Le Dancaïre

Stuart Patterson, Le Remendado

Otto Pichler, Choreography

Joachim Klein, Lighting Designer

Royal Opera Chorus

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Julia Burbach, Revival Director

Siegfried at the RBO: Kosky and Pappano surprise and delight

David Karlin, 17th March

A revelatory orchestral performance and a cast led by Andreas Schager, Christopher Maltman and Elisabeth Strid make this a Siegfried for the record books.

*****

Terfel’s craggy Boris Godunov returns to Covent Garden

Mark Pullinger, 29th January

The second revival of Richard Jones' staging of Mussorgsky's original 1869 version of Boris Godunov once again stars the Welsh knight.

****1

Ermonela Jaho returns in triumph to The Royal Opera’s Traviata

Mark Valencia, 8th January

Richard Eyre’s 32-year-old production is rarely out of The Royal Opera’s repertoire for more than a few months at a time, but this particular revival proves very special.

*****

Turandot drowned in an orchestral tsunami at The Royal Opera

David Karlin, 15th December

Andrei Șerban’s 40 year old take on Puccini's tale of the ice princess largely stands the test of time, but Netrebko and Eyvazov are short of their best form.

***11

Handel’s Ariodante returns home to Covent Garden

Roy Westbrook, 9th December

Jetske Mijnssen’s house debut sees Handel’s opera transposed to a modern-day palace, with Emily D'Angelo angelic in the title role.

****1

The Royal Opera stages its first Makropulos Case

Mark Valencia, 4th November

Katie Mitchell wheels out her tired old tropes in The Makropulos Case, redeemed by its musical performances.

***11

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

Carmen minus charisma: a limp revival of Kosky's production at Covent Garden