12 Habaneras from Bizet's "Carmen" 

Agnes Baltsa has the brightness and volume I prefer in singers. She doesn't swallow the sound. Then again, it's almost a theater voice in some places.

Agnes Baltsa's use of chest voice is so satisfying to the ear. It adds such an edge and clarity to the whole performance.

7. Agnes Baltsa, she's amazing❤❤❤

The way Balsta performs Carmen is absolutely stunning love her voice the way she acts sings and looks is wonderful 👏 the costume she wears too looks so authentic. 😁

I love all of them,but Agnes Baltsa is my favourite!

Agnes Baltsa, no doubt.

Agnes Baltsa!!!!! Unbedingt! It's just.. a simple fact. I have two ears, and that's why i go for her. Others are also good, though. Somehow in this video, most of them are younger than Frau Baltsa, but if u see Carmen of Frau Baltsa in her younger age, it would be much easier to be enchanted by the character. definitely meet another world of Carmen. Still i love her in any age. My one and only Carmen.

ELINA, HANDS DOWN. Had the opportunity to see all of the opera Carmen with her as lead, not knowing who she was. I was simply, simply blown away with her voice and especially her acting. For me ELINA, HANDS DOWN.

1st Elina Garanca - wonderful performance 2nd Agnes Baltsa 3rd Anna Caterina Antonacci 4th Rinat Shaham

Agnes Baltsa, no doubt I agree in all voice, technique, interpretation, physique du rôle, absolutely authentic and perfect Carmen in this recording

Agnes Baltsa

7. Agnes Baltsa, she's just perfect !!

Baltsa,siempre Baltsa!!!! ❤️

Baltsa and Obraztsová undoubtedly

Agnes Baltsa is the best !! 🤩

Without doubt, in terms of singing, expression & acting my top 3 by far are 1 - Agnes Baltsa, 2 - Elena Garanca (very close sesond) and 3 - Ana Caterina Antonacci (although I find her voice a bit too bright for Carmen). My favourite Carmen - who, alas, never sang the part on stage - is Maria Callas!

My humble opinion: the best singer is Agnes Baltsa. Others have other qualities in addition to good singing (acting, humor, looks) that make them very nice to watch, such as Anna Caterina Antonacci, Maria Ewing, Anne Sofie von Otter, Elina Garanca.

Obraztsova is my favorite

I adore Rinat Shaham's voice. It's so rich and powerful.

OMG no one can top Elena Garança. She wins in my personal opinion. Wow!

Agnes Baltsa is even better as Carmen herself ! ;-)

I love Maria Ewing, because she really becmes Carmen: she sings and acts beautifully. I also like Antonacci

Mi preferida es Elina Garanca. Es el tono de voz q más se ajusta al personaje. También me gustaron la 3, la 5 y la 8.

Para mim,as melhores Carmen:Agnes Baltsa e Elina Garanca.

Voice, Agnes Baltsa. Acting, Elina Garranca.

What a great idea for a video. Thank you for having put this togther.

AGNES BALTSA the best.

Elina Caranza best and EO 2

Voice: almost all of them 👍🏼 Act: Maria Ewing / Elina Garanca 👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Agnes Baltsa, para mi la mejor ella canta con el alma y el corazón

Agnes baltsa is fantastic

Agnes Baltsa is a natural choice. But my heart screams Maria Ewing.

Agnes Baltsa...the best...❤️💖

I love AGNES BALTSA.

Elina Garanca e Anna Caterina Antonacci , difícil, todas são divas arrasadoras

Anna Caterina by far. Her timing, enunciation of words, and voice are perfect for this song.

Maria Ewing is the easiest to understand- she really articulates. And I love that she takes her time.

Oksana Volkova is great. I'm trying to sort them out and darn... They're each so unique! I love her brightness and consistency. She's one of the top contenders IMHO.

8 Oksana and 11 Elina are absolutely amazing!

BEST Carmen ever...Elina Garanca. Her voice, her tempo, her intonation is incredibly perfect!!!

Agnes Baltsa, and with Jose Carreras as Don Jose, a heartbreaking performance!

0:08 Elena Obraztsova 2:05 Maria Ewing 4:11 Anita Rachvelishvili 6:38 Anne Sofie von Otter 8:52 Waltraud Meier 10:54 Rinat Shaham 13:14 Agnes Baltsa 15:32 Oksana Volkova 17:46 Rita-Lucia Schneider 19:58 Anna Caterina Antonacci 22:02 Elina Garanca 24:20 Nancy Fabiola Herrera

Agnes wins this. She has good vocal and physical acting, and good technique.

Maria Ewing. Period.

#11 Elina Garanca is the best Carmen. Her singing is spectacular AND she is incarnation of the sultry, provocative, cheeky Carmen. #7 Agnes Baltsa is amazing as well.

Baltsa is the perfect personification of Carmen - and her performance is outstanding in every respect. There's only one Carmen who I'd say is Baltsa's equal - and I cannot remember her name right now! Sorry. The overall directional quality of this performance was superb and no doubt contributes.

Garanca by far

Elina Garanca. ÚNICA en ese rol. También me encanta la interpretación de Julia Migenes, llena de fuerza...

Fantastic Voices, Elina ist the greatest.

Maria Ewing performs it in pure French. She acts just as a simple gypsy girl. Her emotions, the manner of singing and speaking are the most natural. I easily empathize with her from the first sound. Thus I count she's the best.

Elina Garanca and A.Caterina ❤

The "BEST" carmen is the one you actual attended and enjoy,

Elina Caranca Brilliant

1)Agnes Baltsa, 2)Ana Caterina Antonacci, 3)Elina Garanca, 4)Waltraud Meier.

#10. Anna Caterina Antonacci is the best.

For sheer vocal strength, Elena Obraztsova. For lynx-like femininity, Maria Ewing. For athletic sexiness, Anne Sofie von Otter. For subtlety and sleekness, Waltraud Meier. For a combination of fiery passion and secure technique, Agnes Baltsa. If I also had it my way, I would have loved to hear Emma Calvé, Emmy Destinn, Aurora Buades, Armida Parsi Pettinella, Bruna Castagna, Gabriella Besanzoni, Gianna Pederzini, Friedel Beckmann, Anny Konetzni, Helena Braun, Ebe Stignani, Elena Nicolai, Giulietta Simionato, Martha Mödl, Blanche Thebom, Jean Madeira, Suzanne Juyol, Nell Rankin, Irene Dalis, Irina Arkhipova, Rita Gorr, Gisela Schröter, Shirley Verrett, Viorica Cortez, Grace Bumbry, Isolde Elchlépp, Nadine Denize, Marilyn Schmiege, Kathryn Harries, Ildiko Komlosi, and Michaela Schuster.

Elina Garanca.

Agnes obio!

11 Elina Garanca

Ana Caterina Antonacci es la mejor voz, con porte, presencia y encanto en el escenario.

I like the brightness and acting of #1 Elena Obratzova. Weird that it's in different keys! I thought key was absolutely defined by the composer.

Antonacci, it's sounds clear, and articulated.

For me Agnes Baltsa is the best!

Magnifiques

Dzięki za taką pieśń i wspaniale wykonanie thank You danke spasiba wielkie dzięki Ryszard Kulesza

Garanca, Baltsa, Antonacci

Лучшее исполнение - 10!!

Grace Bumbry was the best carmen ever! No one can top her metallic voice ❤

Best interpretation 2 - Maria Erwing. Best Chorus from 6 - Rinat Shaham

Great video,i love all

Anna Caterina is best 🥰🥰🥰she's active on the stage

Anita Rachvelishvili does it more slowly so you can take in the singing and words better. Others seem rushed in comparison. I love her interpretation. Each singer is so different, and their direction is so different that they're hard to compare.

Top 3: Waltraud Meier, Agnes Baltsa, Elina Garanca.

Grace Bumbry and Elina Garanca are the best Carmens

I love anita,she is something new in opera history! Brava Anita!

Elina Garanča veličanstvena(magnificent)

Mi favorita Elina Garanca el cabello castaño le sienta muy bien me gusta más así que rubia

I notice a little mistake, it is Elina Garanca, not Caranca and for me is the best Carmen I ever seen.

Oksana is also so fresh! Brava! #8

Elina Caranca 💕

Elena Obraztsova gets my vote She 's more gypsyesque

The best is Baltsa. No competition. Obraztsova looks and sounds like a drag Queen, Ewing plays the role like a spoilt brat, a charming Cherubino but Carmen? No. Von Otter, Carmen? Joke. She should have stuck to Handel. Volkova is new to me but I really liked her performance, wonky sets and all.

ANNA CATERINA, por su hermosa manera de pronunciar e interpretar la obra, además, siempre he pensado que las artistas cuya lengua natal es el francés son quienes mejor se desenvuelven en esta hermosa obra maestra.

Out of all of these - I'm voting for Agnes Baltsa

7 para mim é a melhor

Agnes Baltsa the best by far of all these, but Victoria de los Angeles is Carmen for the eternity.

Ecxelentes interpretes de la obra maestra de Bizet ,CARMEN la habanera mas conocida ,mi predilecta despue de Maria Callas es Anna Caterina.

maria ewing period

1. Elina Garanca 2.Anna Caterina Antonacci. 3.Oksana Volkova.

Just as long as the role is sung by a mezzo , as they all are here , I’m quite easy to please.l must add that Regina Resnik is my very favourite Carmen ; her Decca recording with Mario Del Monaco and Joan Sutherland is truly exciting and others pale in comparison.

Спасибо за подборку. Жаль не было Татьяны Троянос, самый красивый голос.

Agnes Baltsa (1) Elina Garanca (2) ..

Maria Ewing (2) - the best Carmen 2:06 😎👏🌹💖

Elina Garanca najbolja.

Agnes Baltsa all the way

Baltsa, Elena, Ewing, Meier, schneider... well most of them do it great

Waltraud Meier posee una voz potente, impostada, su fraseo es claro, una mezzo ideal para Carmen. Falta incluir a Berganza, Kiri Ke Tanawa y Elina Garanca.

La piu grande e senza dubbio nr.13 FIORENZA COSSOTTO. Tutte le mezzosoprano sono lei stesse.Fiorenza e Carmen, come l'ha vista Prosper Merrimee

3. Elina. 2. Antonacci, Agnes. 1. Anita.

good