The Carmen duel - Baltsa vs Berganza

It used to be so easy. I just loved Agnes Baltsa as Carmen, but now I am starting to really listening to Teresa Berganza... I love her, I mean both...

Then it was Don José who was always Carreras for me. But with Teresa Berganza Plácido Domingo is just wonderful as Don José.

GEORGES BIZET

Carmen

Berganza · Domingo · Milnes
Cotrubas · Kenny · Nafé · Lloyd
Ambrosian Singers
George Watson's College
Boys' Chorus
London Symphony Orchestra
Claudio Abbado

Int. Release 01 Feb. 2005

2 CDs / Download

GEORGES BIZET

Carmen

Baltsa · Carreras
Ricciarelli · van Dam
Choeurs de l'Opéra de Paris
Berliner Philharmoniker
Herbert von Karajan

Int. Release 05 Sep. 1983

3 CDs / Download

It is Deutsche Grammophon against itself. Carmen with Baltsa, Carreras, Ricciarelli and van Dam, or Carmen with Berganza, Domingo, Contrubas and Milnes.

In the edition with Teresa Berganza and Plácido Domingo you got two singers in excellent form and the singers are doing their own dialogue which is a plus. Especially since the dialogue does tell so much about who this Carmen is.

Unfortunately Karajan never trusted Agnes Baltsa and José Carreras (etc.) to do their own dialogue so the dialogue Carmen is a vulgar woman but Baltsa's Carmen is nothing like that. The dialogue Don José has no backbone which Carreras' Don José certainly has.

My dream Carmen would be Baltsa, Carreras, Ricciarelli and Ruggero Raimondi. Or Berganza, Domingo, Ricciarelli and Ruggero Raimondi. Or Berganza, Carreras, Ricciarelli and Ruggero Raimondi. Or  Baltsa, Domingo, Ricciarelli and Ruggero Raimondi. (with the singers doing their own dialogue)




For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com