On Sat, 2 Sep 2000, Jennifer Fretwell wrote:
>
>
> I have recently started working on the "Habanera" from Carmen. I usually try
> to learn the diction of a piece that is not English by listening to a native
> speaker of the language singing the role. My voice teacher and I put our
> heads together and could not come up with any women who have recorded Carmen
> AND are native French speakers. The only singers we came up with are from
> the
> United States or elsewhere (Denyce Graves, Maria Callas, Tatiana Troyanos,
> Marilyn Horne, etc.). Can anyone think of a native French speaker who at
> least recorded the Habanera (they need not have recorded the entire role)?
There are at least three French recordings featuring French mezzos as
Carmen - the first was the first complete recording of the opera in
French, and features French mezzo Merentie as the gypsy. It's a very
interesting recording, a transfer from acoustic 78s.
The second is the much lauded Cluytens recording with Solange Michel as
Carmen and Raoul Jobin as Don Jose. I don't happen to like this recording
much - I think the tempi are too fast, and I dislike Jobin's voice - but
other people I know think this is the sine qua non Carmen recording, esp.
those who are sticklers for pure French style.
The third is a more recent, not terribly good recording featuring Beatrice
Uria-Monzon, who sings Carmen a lot in European houses.
There is a live recording featuring French soprano Regine Crespin, a very
young Placido Domingo, and Jose van Dam. This is the one I would go for,
were I you. It's only highlights, but it includes all three of Carmen's
"dance" arias, (but, alas, not the Card trio). Crespin is a wonder.
Karen Mercedes
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