Since the January 16th, HD Telecast of Carmen was sold out here in Tucson, (livingattheopera.com will attend the Encore performance) it afforded the opportunity to listen to and tape the radio broadcast and to compare it to the upcoming telecast on February 3rd. .

The standout event in the broadcast was not a happy one. It sounded quite uncomfortable to hear how Roberto Alagna botched the ending of Don Jose’s aria La fleur que tu m’avais jetée in Act Two. From the beginning of the opera, Alagna used only a mezzo-forte to forte dynamic level. Unfortunately, there were no vocal shadings of the text that would have allowed listeners to appreciate the tenor’s native French. So when the aria arrived, which he delivered in the same fashion, he opted to sing the final B flat piano instead of forte as it is written. The tenor not only failed to hit the note, but caused the dramatic intensity to flatten out for the remainder of the act.

The role, however, is a great emotional match for Alagna’s personality, so the Act Four duet with Elina Garanca’s Carmen proved to be a searing vocal and dramatic experience for the listener. Their passion and talent vividly captured the duo’s last tragic moments.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Escamillo was a last minute replacement for Mariusz Kwiecien. With only the vocals to consider, the baritone sounded as if he used all his vocal resources to get through the performance. The bull fighter’s nonchalant personality masks the role’s demands for a voice with a more solid frame.

Garanca’s Carmen sounded full-voiced and committed, even if some Gallic flavor in the voice was missing. Barbara Frittoli’s Micaela came across with a steady pleasing tone. .

There has been talk about the fast tempi in Vannick Nézet-Séguin’s conducting style. It carried over into an intermission feature where the conductor gave his reasons why he used them. The speed of his opening bars in Act One sounded as if he wanted to make everyone remember his name.

After the second act, Rene Fleming met up with Garanca and Alagna as they came off stage. On the radio, all three sounded somewhat nervous and anxious about having to do one of these “required” intermission chats after Alagna’s vocal mishap. It will be interesting to match the voices with the body language at the Encore performance on February 3rd.