This 1977 recording of Carmen was based on a production from the Edinburgh Festival, and includes most of the cast from that production with the exception of
Ileana Cotrubas as Micaëla and
Sherrill Milnes as Escamillo.
Claudio Abbado conducts the
London Symphony Orchestra, which plays with crisp precision and vitality. His tempos are frequently eccentrically slow or fast, without any apparent rationale, and he doesn't convey a convincing dramatic through-line or the sense of inevitable musical momentum that drives the opera. There are many effective moments, some lovely and some thrilling, but they don't add up to a convincing whole. That being said, the performances of the principals are often exceptional.
Teresa Berganza's sultry, believably natural Carmen is beautifully nuanced, dramatically riveting, and musically ravishing.
Plácido Domingo is a troubled, powerful Don José (pronounced here the Spanish rather than the French way) and his singing is lyrically intense.
Cotrubas gives Micaëla exceptional warmth, even sensuality, and makes her a more interesting character than is usual. As Escamillo,
Milnes is the least effective of the principals, sounding somewhat boomy and stiff. The sound alternates between the cavernous and the distant sides of an ideal ambience, and there is sometimes intentional but distracting crowd chatter under the spoken dialogue. This generous disc of highlights lasts almost 70 minutes and includes the opera's most famous solos and ensembles. In spite of the album's drawbacks,
Berganza's vivid performance makes this a recording that should interest fans of the opera.