Baltsa's Carmen is maddening, proud, foolish, yet with a fire you have to respect. Carreras' Don Jose is heartbreaking as he tries everything to bring Carmen back to him, tenderly professing love, achingly begging on his knees, proudly demanding her capitulation. We know they are both doomed, but the beauty of the music keeps us with an irrational glimmer of hope, even as they combust before our eyes. These two artists manage, in the final moment, a piteous sensuality that leaves us dazed and bereft.
BRAVI to both great singers! Love the Carrreras voice! Baltsa of course was a great voice but I love to watch her reactions to Don Jose. A true Carmen! She is hard to beat!
Baltsa and Carreras are the perfect Carmen and Don Jose. And the Met version is every bit as dramatic as this version is. And it has more closeups so that you can see the expressions on their faces and the emotions expressed much better. The Met version is the best version on dvd.
Fabulous! I’m actually shaking with the dramatic tension! Jose’s tattered Don Jose is so heart-rending. Magnificent. Their voices blend amazingly. A tour de force by them both! Thank you for posting this!
Legendary indeed... I have the Met version on DVD, and the last act is so stiff. This one must have been rather long time ago, because Jose looks very young, even more than the Met version. And the chemistry between Jose and Agnes is incredible. These two are truly worth watching.
Beautiful...Hope to see the complete performance of this version. It's much more dramatic than Met stage..This is one of the most precious treasures in the world. And personally it's the best present to me..Frau Baltsa was deeply absorbed in Carmen when she was on the stage with Carreras. Domingo and Schicoff were good partner too, but it always had to be Baltsa & Carreras. Between them, something indescribable did exist. Wituh those unusual spark and mutual strong attraction, no other Carmen and Don Jose can beat this heavenly couple.
This is my ultimate Carmen/Jose combination. Singing, acting. How the heck can they get the notes so right and maintain that fantastic acting? Carreres/Jose is an utter maniac, but his voice is lovely and he still sounds maniacal, not pretty.
You're so right. There are operas that one might think were written for a given tenor or soprano. ´Josep Carreras IS Don Jose, as he IS Andrea Chenier... Check it out and you'll see/hear what I mean.
I was lucky enough to see this combination in this production and it remains one of the most astonishing documents of truly astonishing singing acting I have ever witnessed. It marks the peak of Carreras’s vocal peak, the voice still firm and fresh allowing him to throw himself into the role with unparalleled abandon and a generosity which was unique. Those who find Baltsa wooden simply have no concept of the characterisation she and Ponnelle were intent on achieving. Today one listens to this in awe.
Finally, this appears on RU-vid. Agnes in her best Carmen, surpassing her performances in Salzburg and the Met. How I wish the Wiener Staastoper will issue it on DVD. Thanks so much Elisabetta. Please post more excerpts from this Carmen if you can. thanks once again.
Oh, thank you for uploading this!! I have always been a fan of Jose Carreras, and this explains why. His voice, his acting skills! Watching this gave me chills! I lived in France, I could understand every word that Don Jose gave said, how desperate he was. He was near being insane. How a man could love a would, to the point of killing her rather then than seeing her run off with another man. And Jose Carreras completely nails it. Yes, JC was BORN to play Don Jose!
Its about well trained technique and good orchestra working:-) wo things that seems not possible today if the audience like fakesingers and bad conductors...
*_This opera is Magnificent !_* *_Bizet was so gifted ! The opera doesn't have to be_* *_" performed " to be moved by human sorrow . The Music & The Voices fully-fire people's imaginations ._* *_BUT THE " RIGHT " VOICES as THIS OPERA OPENS THE DOOR to SINGERS' EXAGGERATIONS ._* *_I think Leontyne Price & Franco Corelli proved that it is possible to " act " the roles w / just the voices ! AND fire that imagination NO ONE has been able to drown-out !_* 🌕 *_Her Greatest Vocal Performance !_* 🔴 *_AND what can be said about Corelli or ANY man who makes other men cry -- Uncontrollably / Unashamed ?!_* *_( NO ONE ! NO ONE ! Can Vocally touch them in these roles ! )_* *_[ Herbert von Karajan lucked-out :: Price & Corelli added to his Great Career . ]_*
JE DECOUVRE AGNES BALSTA,QUELLE VOIX ET QUEL JEU. J AI HONTE DE DIRE QUE JE LA CONNAISSAIS QUE PAR LE NOM. MILLE EXCUSES AGNES.A PRESENT JE VAIS REPRENDRE TOUT CE TEMPS PERDU
Carreras , as always , a great and touching Don josé , baltsa is vocally a great carmen , but there is no director able to take her out of her " scenic stiffness ", at the met , here , her acting is terrible.
