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Bizet: Carmen

Leonard Bernstein & Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

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Customer Reviews

Bizet: Carmen Berstein Horne McCracken

This is the best recording of Carmen by far. Berstein’s rendition is sharp and dynamic. Marilyn Horne and James McCracken soar in their stunning performances. Other cast members and the chorus are equally magnificent. Search no more for THE Carmen recording.

Flawed but exciting

There are many things to admire about this recording but it has some major flaws. It was recorded simultaneous to a major new production at the Metropolitan Opera so these singers had worked together on stage in this work. Bernstein is nothing if not exciting as a conductor, but very idiosyncratic. Some of his choices here are less than idiomatic.

The cast has some great strengths. Marilyn Horne is wonderful singer and Tom Krause was an exceptional Escamillo (one of the few who could really encompass the role). Adriana Maliponte is quite good as Micaela and it is a wonderful luxury to have Donald Gramm as Zuniga. James McCracken is more of an acquired taste. With an odd vocal color and production he was a very dramatic and committed singer and actor.

The edition is based on the very corrupt Oeser edition which means there are some odd additions to the score. Happily Bernstein has jettisoned the most egregious faults of the edition and has simplified the ending. For a more "authentic" edition hear the superior Solti recording.

Still this is in wonderful sound and a real "performance" of the work and if you can adjust to McCracken and Bernstein's idiosyncracies, it is definitely worth hearing.

Carmen as Bizet Intended It

I may be biased about this recording for several reasons. First Marilyn Horne and Leonard Bernstein happen to be two of my favorite classical artists. Second is that I had the great fortune to see this production at the Met when it was first presented in the early 70s. (Only difference is that Henry Lewis was the conductor at that performance. Lenny only conducted the first few performances.) Even so, I can say that the magic of that live performance is very much present on this recording. I also have the original vinyl release and can say that the transition to CD is very good. Finally, it’s because this production was based on the original version Bizet created, with spoken dialog and an expanded score. While I understand why some artists (including Ms Horne) rather perform the more common version, I miss some of the cuts made in the text and music. If you do purchase this album, (and I strongly recommend you do so), I would also look for a copy of the libretto to this version. (I’m fortunate that the original release has a fantastic booklet included with it, which shows photos of the production, as well as the full libretto.) I warn you, that you will be seduced by Ms Horne as Carmen, as I was when I first saw this production and later when I would listen to it. This is truly one of the best recordings of the opera out there.

Biography

Born: August 25, 1918 in Lawrence, MA

Genre: Classical

Years Active: '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s

No figure in 20th century American classical music had as prominent or controversial a career — or did more to sell classical music to the general public as something genuinely exciting, and worth getting into a sweat over — than Leonard Bernstein. For more than 30 years, from his assumption of the post of Music Director of the New York Philharmonic in 1958 until the final concerts that he conducted in obviously failing health near the end of his life in 1990, he was the most prominent...
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Bizet: Carmen, Leonard Bernstein
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  • $19.99
  • Genres: Classical, Music
  • Released: 1973
  • ℗ 1973 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Hamburg

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