Grace Bumbry, Georges Bizet, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Paris Opera Orchestra & Chorus - Bizet: Carmen (Complete Opera); Mirella Freni; Jon Vickers; Grace Bumbry

BUMBRY GETS 5 STARS, OTHERS GET 3 STARS

I bought this CD based on the wonderful CARMEN film made by Herbert von Karajan with Bumbry, Vickers, Freni, and Diaz. Unfortunately, this CD reprise conducted by Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos has some major flaws.
The biggest problem is that the conductor takes everything too fast! The Prelude is too fast, the Habanera is too fast, the Seguidilla is too fast, the quintet at Lillias Pasta's is unbelievably fast. Was the conductor trying to set a speed record? He ended up just about ruining everything.
Grace Bumbry sings like a goddess, but with all the tempos being too fast, it was not so enjoyable. As for the rest of the cast, Jon Vickers sounds OK in the film, but in the three years between the film and the CD, his voice aged noticeably and is no longer that pleasant to listen to. Mirella Freni sounds wonderful, but the new Escamillo, Kostas Paskalis, is not all that great and is inferior to Justino Diaz from the film.
This recording also has spoken dialogue rather than sung, and the speakers are not the same people as the singers, which is rather noticeable.
So, even though this recording boasts a first-rate Carmen, I think that other recordings do an all around better job. Personally, I can recommend the one with Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. June 14, 2008

Classic Bizet

This recording, though not as reputable as say... Claudio Abbado's London Symphony recording starring Terresa Berganza and Placido Dominog... is perhaps one of the most sincere Carmen recordings I have had the pleasure to enjoy. Grace Bumbry immortalizes Carmen with her delicate yet imposing, coquette voice. John Vickers delivers an amazing performance as Don Jose. I would not recommend this recording if intended as a first Carmen purchase. After listening to a couple of recordings, however, one can come to appreciate the simplicity, but at the same time the splendor of Grace Bumbry's Carmen. July 3, 2007

Carmen: complete opera

Mirella Fireni was very good. I still prefer someone who has a huskier voice like Rise Stevens or Gladys Swarthout but the disc was good. This is my favorite opera. Jon Vickers was perfect.
I made a good choice. January 11, 2007

Bumbry et les dialogues

Carmen dans une voix de mezzo a toujours un grand attrait et si cette version de 1970 peut se targuer ne pas avoir sombré, c'est grâce à Grace Bumbry. Cette dernière l'a beaucoup joué à la scène et elle y apporte toutes les qualités que nous lui connaissons. Un bémol cependant : comme d'habitude, les extrêmes sont chargés dans une forme d'outrance qui se retrouve dans le chant et la diction («Les tringles des sistres tintaient» sont par exemple particulièrement ratés). Il est vrai que l'on a connu bien pire -y compris dans le français- et que finalement seule Crespin retrouvera pour le disque la pureté de Carmen en 1975. Le reste de l'affiche est alléchant mais franchement seule Mirella Freni s'en sort honorablement, et pourtant Micaëla n'est pas un rôle bien passionnant. Jon Vickers est insupportable comme d'habitude. Le baryton grec Kostas Paskalis mâchonne le français avec entrain dans le rôle d'Escamillo qui n'a jamais été aussi macho. Sa diction très mauvaise, ses graves non-contrôlés et la ligne sinueuse d'à peu près tout ce qu'il chante font qu'on souffre en l'écoutant («Votre toast» est à cet égard un morceau d'anthologie du pire). Par contre, la direction d'orchestre de l'Espagnol Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos correspond tout à fait à ce que l'on attend. En fait, cette version ne serait dans l'ensemble pas si mauvaise si elle n'était pas entachée d'un très gros défaut : il s'agit d'une version avec une partie des dialogues parlés, ce qui en soit ne serait pas une mauvaise idée. Cependant, ces derniers ne sont pas dits par les chanteurs mais par des acteurs (au français parfait), ce qui détruit tout : la rupture de ton est telle que l'on n'est absolument plus pris par l'histoire. Ceci est finalement le défaut le plus rédhibitoire de cette version. December 13, 2006

Meticulous restoration

There are a fair number of early scores extant, and considerable scholarship has gone into subsequent editions. But for me, nothing trumps the composer's final thoughts. Those appear to be reflected most directly in the Choudens vocal score, where Bizet's imprimatur was probably affixed for the last time. While we have to rely on an earlier score, also authoritative, for the full partitur, it is in the Choudens where we can view Bizet's final editorial decisions as to structure, keys and so much else. And in all the scores preceding the composer's untimely death, the structure of this opera is "opera-comique", meaning that the set pieces are separated by spoken dialogue, not sung recitatives, which came along after Bizet's death and were composed by Ernest Guiraud.

To my knowledge, only one recording follows the Choudens version meticulously: this Bumbry/Vickers/Freni/Paskalis CD version. I'm grateful to have this for that reason. At the same time, the set that compares most directly with this one is the celebrated Cluytens set, the first LP set to base its performing edition on the original opera-comique version, more or less. The Cluytens set is an older recording than this Bumbry one, made in mono in 1950. And in addition to its mono sound, the Cluytens also opts for a few relatively negligible cuts here or there. Yet this Bumbry recording uses special "imported" speakers for the dialogue without a scintilla of similarity to their singing counterparts. The result is a fragmentary reading of the work from a dramatic point of view with not enough continuity to compensate for the faithful performing edition being used (IMO). Also, wonderfully effective as some of the individual singers are in the Bumbry, there is not that spontaneous give-and-take, even in the musical sequences, of the Cluytens set; and finally, one must contend with the felt absence of idiomatic French artists in the principal roles.

I would not regret having this Bumbry CD set. It is an invaluable reference set for the scholar. But to appreciate the full genius of this work as an inspired flow of music and drama, I feel that the Cluytens stands alone (featuring Michel and Jobin in the leading roles). Hence my awarding 4 stars rather than 5 to the Bumbry recording. October 10, 2006

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