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by Georges Bizet, directed by Flavio Trevisan

Royal Opera Canada, Toronto Centre for the Arts, Toronto

October 16-25, 2003

Opera Mississauga, under the name Royal Opera Canada, made its Toronto début on October 16 with Georges Bizet's Carmen.  The ROC's mission is to present "traditional" stagings of "Top 10" operas.  We can only hope this Carmen is not an example of things to come,

"Traditional" need not mean "stodgy", but Flavio Trevisan's frequently inept direction is concerned solely with moving people decoratively from A to B with no thought to psychology or even the text.  Carmen pleads, "Let me go" to a Don José, who is not holding her.  Villagers face forward into the square to see the toreadors.  Yet, the toreadors march past behind them.  Throughout, the chorus, as if hypnotized, stands stock still and expressionless no matter what violence or passion it witnesses.            

Trevisan also leaves the principals on their own.  As a result, there's not a volt of electricity between Carmen (Sylvie Brunet), opera's most famous temptress, and Don José (Franck Asparte), her lover of the moment, or Escamillo (Massimiliano Valleggi), his replacement.  They are each in a vacuum with Brunet trying to act for all three. 

Brunet, with a rich, beautiful voice, is vocally more fiery and seductive than her all-purpose shimmy and coy smile can suggest.  Valleggi's bearing and deep, creamy baritone well captures the hauteur of a toreador.  Asparte, however, sings gracelessly and uses a single pained expression to signify all emotions.  Rosella Di Genova as Micaela, the opera's good girl, has a fragile voice that under the slightest pressure becomes harsh and metallic.   

Gary Eckhart's wobbly sets look cramped when the stage is full and require far too much time to change.  Jane Greenwood's costumes don't seem to fit properly.  Conductor Dwight Bennett leads a workmanlike account of the score.  If this is "traditional," no wonder the opera world has moved on.

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2003-10-23.

Photo: Franck Asparte and Sylvie Brunet. ©2003 Royal Opera Canada.