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Bizet: Carmen

Georges Bizet, Maria Callas, Georges Prêtre Audio CD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Performer: Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Andréa Guiot, Robert Massard
  • Orchestra: Duclos Choir, Pesneaud Children's Choir
  • Conductor: Georges Prêtre
  • Composer: Georges Bizet
  • Audio CD (10 Mar 1997)
  • SPARS Code: ADD
  • Number of Discs: 2
  • Label: Callas Edition
  • ASIN: B000002RXS
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 148,209 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Disc: 1
1. Prelude
2. Sur La Place
3. Avec La Garde Montante
4. C'est bnien la, n'est-ce pas
5. La cloche a sonne... Dans l'air, nous suivons des yeux la fumee
6. Quand Je Vous Aimerai?... L'amour Est Un Oiseau Rebelle
7. Carmen! Sur Tes Pas, Nous Nous Pressons Tous!
8. Quels Regards! Quelle Effronterie!
9. Parle - moi de ma mere!
10. Reste La, Maintenant, Pendant Que Je Lirai
See all 21 tracks on this disc
Disc: 2
1. Mais Qui Donc Attends - Tu?
2. Halte Là!
3. Enfin, c'est toi!... Tout doux, Monsieur, tout doux
4. La fleur que tu m'avais jetee... Non, tu ne m'aimes pas
5. Hola Carmen! Hola! Hola!
6. Entr'acte
7. Ecoute, ecoute, compagnon, ecoute
8. Reposons - nous une heure ici, mes camarades
9. Melons! Coupons!
10. Eh Bien?
See all 18 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 53 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Callas is still great despite poor voice 15 Feb 2003
By V. Chau
Format:Audio CD
"Carmen" is a great opera to start one's introduction to the magical world that is opera. Georges Bizet wrote an opera with cohesive dramatic tension, finely-delineated characters, wonderful music, and pulsing energy. "Carmen" is truly a masterpiece. No wonder it is one of the most performed operas in the world's opera houses.

Maria Callas is one of the greatest sopranos of the past century. On this recording, we can see why. She is Carmen. There is none of the annoying bitchiness or overdone sexual flirtatiousness in her portrayal of the fiery, independent Gypsy that one gets so often with other interpreters of the role. Her phrasing is marvellous. Her French is surprisingly good. Not every "r" is rolled but that can be forgiven due to the fact that Callas was not a native French speaker. I wish there had been spoken dialogue included in this recording. It would have been a joy to hear Callas speaking French.

Callas does a great job with Carmen's ear-pleasing melodies. The "Habañera" is done at a faster pace than most other versions. It seems more appropriate with fast tempo than with the slow, ponderous tempo that one finds so often on other recordings. Callas' voice had deteriorated greatly by 1964, the year this recording was made. However, this opera's music rarely strains her voice. Carmen's mezzo-soprano tessitura is negotiated comfortably by Callas. Her dark voice and its strong chest register lend a haunting quality to the "Habañera" that seems perfectly appropriate. Her toying with Don José's emotions is totally convincing. Her rendition of the "Bohemian Dance" is very well done....Carmen is not a coloratura role. Callas' control of emotions is amazing. She never overacts in this role, which is a role that is too often acted in an overly melodramatic way. Her anger and defiance in the last scene are examples of her great mastery of vocal acting.

Gedda is an excellent Don José. He sings with honeyed tone and superb French diction. When he sings in French, he can do no wrong, unlike when he sings in Italian. He makes some very beautiful sounds. His sincere, dedicated singing makes his portrayal of the love-struck Don José totally convincing. His high notes in his big aria are very beautiful and well done.

The other singers do a fine job singing in their native tongue. Prêtre does a wonderful job conducting. He uses faster tempo than is normally heard in recordings of this opera, but he is totally correct in his decision to do so. Bizet's music sounds better and much more exciting when it is played fast than when it is played slow.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Great 20 Oct 2004
Format:Audio CD
This Carmen is magic. Callas is really exciting as Carmen, perhaps the best on record despite her voice being worn, Gedda is a great Don Jose, and the rest of the cast is acceptable. Overall the Claudio Abbado set with Domingo and Berganza is a better recording, generally the cast is stronger, but that does not stop me loving this set.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Great Acting - Poor Voice 22 May 2009
Format:Audio CD
Callas certainly creates an interesting character as Carmen - whether it is Bizet's is a matter of opinion. This is a malicious, spiteful Carmen, who swallows Don Jose whole. Sadly, it is quite painful to listen to as by this time Callas' voice had deteriorated badly. Gedda is a fair Jose but Massard a humourless toreadore who sings his famous song as though he's reading the evening news. Pretre, conducting as though he has a train to catch, rattles through Bizet's miraculous score in a somewhat insensitive fashion. Pity Callas never recorded this with Karajan.
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