It is some time since I’ve seen a traditionally staged Carmen and I enjoyed the Chisinau National Opera production at the Bristol Hippodrome with its sparkling Spanish sets and costumes. The story of the bewitching gypsy girl whose tantalising beauty lures a soldier to desertion and leads her to her own death is probably one of the best known. One melody after the other delights the ear – the Habanera ,the Sequidillia , the Flower Song , the Chanson Boheme and the best known baritone aria of all the Toreadors Song so it is difficult not to leave the theatre humming a tune and feeling exhilarated.

Having said that the Act 1 was somewhat wooden but from the moment Act 2 opened and the Chinisau National Ballet made one of its’ two brief appearances the pace quickened and the show came alive with passion. The singing of the mezzo soprano Tatiani Busnioc who played and looked the part of Carmen and tenor Dominic Natoli who played Don Jose took the production to new heights and their singing in the last act was particularly enthralling.  Petro Racovita played the toreador Escamillo perfectly and the audience were struck also by the excellent singing of Rosa Lee Thomas as Micaela.

Criticisms…….I found the crowd scenes too statuesque and lacking in fluidity and fight scene in Act III and Carmen’s murder in Act IV was amateurishly staged but this did not detract from an excellent evenings entertainment enhanced further by the orchestral accompaniment of the Chisinau National Opera Orchestra under their conductor Nicolae Dohotaru

A show with some problems but on the whole a perfect evenings Opera.

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 Ticket Prices:

£6 to £42.50 with concessions available

 Performance Times:

7.15PM

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