# Such a frustrating recording



## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

For reasons which are not relevant here, last night I started to listen to a relatively recent recording of Carmen and am finding it to be the most frustrating recording I can remember having ever heard. Frustrating how? A mix of excellent, bland and bizarre choices, but with enough of the excellent to make me keep listening and wishing ... if only...!

The great:
- The orchestra is superb and the conductor nails it, time after time.
- An excellent chorus.
- One of the best Don Joses I have heard. He can even have me interested in the Flower Song!
- A very good Micaela, I would like to hear more of her.
- Terrific recording/sound done from a live, concert performance.
- Good minor roles.

The bland:
- A Carmen who can definitely sing the role but who has so little characterization that one wonders what she really thinks about the character.
- A distinctly average Escamillo.

The bizarre choice:
- Using the Oeser edition, hasn't that been put to rest yet? Someone should read Winton Dean on the subject.

And then there is the spoken dialog - this is a personal feeling but it annoys me.

So what is it that did it to me?

Carmen - Magdalena Kožená
Don José - Jonas Kaufmann
Micaëla - Genia Kühmeier
Escamillo - Kostas Smoriginas
Chorus and Children’s Choir of the State Opera Unter den Linden
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Time to pull out the Callas recording to hear what can really be made of Carmen ... but ...while I like Gedda (and Pretre), Kaufmann and Rattle do it better (at least where Oeser doesn't rear his head.)


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

I'm surprized to see Kozena as Carmen. I'm familiar with her only in Baroque music, where she can be quite vivid - but then I don't keep up. What else does she do?


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Woodduck said:


> I'm surprized to see Kozena as Carmen. I'm familiar with her only in Baroque music, where she can be quite vivid - but then I don't keep up. What else does she do?


Anything that Simon wants her to do  Melisande, Cherubino, Das Lied von der Erde. No Wagner that I can see!


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The recording was made to showcase Kauffmann's Jose and Magdalena Kožená was presumably chosen as Carmen as she is Rattle's wife.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/12/carmen-rattle-berlin-philharmonic-review

Kaufmann can be heard better in a DVD recordings of a performance at ROH with the really fine Anna Caterina Antonacci as Carmen, conducted by Pappano. Superb!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Ah... Nepotism. 

Shameful.


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## Star (May 27, 2017)

Frankly this adds up to a pretty unsatisfactory Carmen. Kozena is out of her depth withCarmen, The Escamillo sounds most unattractive and Rattle's beat us too rigid in places. Kauffmann as recorded has done it better


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I heard some excerpts from that, mainly Kaufman but also the Habanera, on the radio on a preview show when I was driving home.Koozena has a nice sounding instrument but when Troyanos sings I feel like going to the cigarette factory to ask her for a date


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

That Escamillo is THE Escamillo of choice right now so it's too bad he's not up to snuff. In his defense, that aria is not easy!


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## Becca (Feb 5, 2015)

Star said:


> Rattle's beat us too rigid in places.


That is a matter of personal opinion with which I disagree. The main reason I have continued listening to it is primarily Kaufmann and Rattle/Berlin Phil.


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## Guest (Feb 22, 2018)

Becca said:


> For reasons which are not relevant here, last night I started to listen to a relatively recent recording of Carmen and am finding it to be the most frustrating recording I can remember having ever heard. Frustrating how? A mix of excellent, bland and bizarre choices, but with enough of the excellent to make me keep listening and wishing ... if only...!
> 
> And then there is the spoken dialog - this is a personal feeling but it annoys me.
> 
> Time to pull out the Callas recording to hear what can really be made of Carmen ... but ...while I like Gedda (and Pretre), Kaufmann and Rattle do it better (at least where Oeser doesn't rear his head.)


My apologies for using your unhappiness, frustration, and exasperation for my own selfish amusement by providing me with an idea for a thread... my only excuse is that I find "selfish amusement" to be absolutely irresistible...

I decided to take a pass on casting my own version of "Carmen"... As soon as I typed "Posh Spice" in the role of "Carmen" I started to laugh and that cracked rib hurts like hell when I laugh...

A 14 year old French-Canadian _girl _ elbowed me in the ribcage during an on-ice demonstration... It never occurred to me that saying "This is a no contact drill" in English to someone who only speaks French may not have been the brightest idea that I ever had... but keep it to yourself, eh? I'll never hear the end of it otherwise...


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

About a third into your review I had a feeling I knew which recording you were writing about and I was right!

I'm really impressed how you summed up the recording.

N.


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## Guest (Feb 23, 2018)

The Conte said:


> About a third into your review I had a feeling I knew which recording you were writing about and I was right!
> 
> I'm really impressed how you summed up the recording.
> 
> N.


She really did a first-rate job and I just wanted to second your endorsement... well-executed review - nicely laid out...


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