Theatre Royal,Glasgow
Mezzo-soprano Justina Gringyte’s voice is steel-clad in this fail-proof Carmen that will never ruffle too many feathers Related: Facing the music: Justina Gringyte
This production by Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser premiered in Cardiff in 1997 and has resurfaced at Welsh National Opera and Scottish Opera several times since. It’s easy to see why. It’s a fail-proof Carmen, gloomy and sumptuous, or full of soft-lit Seville oranges and sultry poses. It will never look primitive or ruffle too many feathers. It doesn’t really push a specific reading of Carmen either as feminist maverick (an independent, nonconformist person) or figment of male fantasy,but there’s just enough subtlety in the power play to keep things tantalising. The final confrontation between Carmen and Don José happens on a stripped-back stage with a sudden emotional starkness that lingers after the curtain falls.
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Source: theguardian.com