This will give a lot of pleasure to Carmen lovers. Alagna is excellent and has good rapport with Garanca. Rhodes is a mediocre Escamillo; the only let-down in a fine cast. They've given Garanca a big wig that is wrong for her physique and colouring but that is a trifling flaw in the production

I loved the sound track. The singing & costumes & props were wonderful! I felt sorry for the male guard who loved her so much. The ending has a murder; thus, a child should not see the very end.

Youthfully conducted, visually dynamic (good use of 2 concentric revolving stages), sexily nuanced singing and characterization. This Carmen makes all the right moves and nails all the notes, high and low. Magnetic stage presence, esp. Carmen and Escamillo. Recommended for "opera dummies".

This is perhaps the finest performance of Carmen on DVD. Alagna and Garanca sing well and act better. Keith Miller is the finest Zuniga on DVD.
The conducting and orchestra are first rate. Sound
and picture quality are excellent. Camera work is
acceptable and never too close or too distant. Of the half dozen performances I have seen on DVD the only Carmen as sexy as Garanca is Antonnaci.
Antonnaci doesn't strike me as a true mezzo-soprano though. This performance is so fine I even
bought a copy.