[Met Performance] CID:11770



Carmen
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, December 25, 1893




Carmen (20)
Georges Bizet | Henri Meilhac/Ludovic Halévy
Carmen
Emma Calvé

Don José
Jean de Reszke

Micaela
Sigrid Arnoldson

Escamillo
Jean Lassalle

Frasquita
Mathilde Bauermeister

Mercédès
Anita Ibles

Remendado
Antonio Rinaldini

Dancaïre
Agostino Carbone

Zuniga
Lodovico Viviani

Moralès
Victor De Gromzeski

Dance
Miss Santori


Conductor
Luigi Mancinelli







Review 1:

Review in The New York Times

"Carmen" Repeated at the Opera.

The second performance of "Carmen" made Christmas night at the opera a merry one for the management. It is evidently not unfashionable to go to such entertainments on Christmas for the auditorium of the Metropolitan Opera House was filled to its capacity with one of the most brilliant audiences of the season. The artistic success of the first performance this season of Bizet's beautiful work was such that it set the town talking and as a result we may expect several repetitions of the work. Fortunately the opera will bear repetitions, for it has not to depend on mere tunefulness. It is splendidly dramatic, and when tunefulness is performed those who go to talk remain to hear.

Last night Emma Eames was suffering from the remarkable weather, and her place had to be taken by Mme. Sigrid Arnoldson. She sang the part at very short notice and without rehearsal, but with evident familiarity. She sang it tastefully, but her voice is hardly large enough to be heard to advantage in company with those of last night's singers.

Mine. Calvé's Carmen loses none of its effectiveness on a second hearing. She toned down some of her most picturesque stage business in the second act last night but she was happier in some of the neat comedy of the first act and more tragic in some of the serious scenes. Her interpretation of the rôle is on the whole a very striking one, and will undoubtedly prove one of the principal attractions of the season.

M. Jean de Reszke's forcible and intelligent treatment of the role of Don José was fully up to the level of the first night. M. Lassalle was not in the best voice, but his art was equal to all the demands of the part of Escamillo, and he achieved the usual success with the cheapest music of the opera - the toreador song. The secondary singers again did themselves credit, and the chorus, ballet, and orchestra were satisfactory.



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