Metropolitan Opera Archives

Judging from the first two acts of the "Carmen" revival (Oct 20), newcomer William Johns, an American with extensive European experience, supplied a sturdy Don José, sensitively sung (including the soft ending for the flower song), but without much individuality or brilliance, his acting of the hang-dog variety. The performance on the whole was either serviceable or dull, beginning with James Conlon's well prepared, but unpoetic, unbuoyant reading. Viorica Cortez' gypsy girl was a compendium of vocal uncertainties - pitch, knitting the registers, edginess and so much tone that a simple French "a" was out of the question - and she played the role as a lively sexpot caricature, relying on chesty sounds and hands-on-hips sultriness. Teresa Kubiak sounded flavorless as Micaela, and Lenus Carlson rasped the bottom third of his baritone, lacking the grand line for Escamillo.

Search by season: 1979-80

Search by title: Carmen,

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