R E V I E W S

"The best thing about this Carmen is Marina Domashenko’s portrayal of the title role. In the first act she seems a bit short-breathed at moments, but it is already clear that she has a genuine command of the role both musically and dramatically. As the performance goes on, she just gets stronger and stronger. Domashenko is a Siberian mezzo-soprano still not yet 30 years old, and with a top fit for a dramatic soprano (indeed I note that Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco is in her repertoire). She can sing softly and with enormous power, and also uses the dynamics in between. What can occasionally appear on this DVD as visual over-acting was probably extremely effective in the Arena of Verona. I’m not sure of the validity of the concept of a video with many close-ups of a performance meant for that huge audience, but once you adjust to it, Domashenko’s Carmen is so strong and compelling that, just like Don José, we are hooked by her. Franco Zeffirelli’s production is, as all of his productions are, out-sized. But from the distance shots it is clear that perhaps Zeffirelli’s strength is played to in a large outside arena. He fills the stage with large crowds, real horses, lots of children, and whatever else he can—and it all works. The colorful sets and costumes, traditional but richly done, work well with Zeffirelli’s staging to make a genuine theatrical event out of this Carmen." - Henry Fogel, FANFARE