CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 03/23/1996
Levine; Graves, Margison, Vallarroel, Leiferkus
SID.19330422
While Levine had done the fall series of performances (which includes Graves’ debut), Fiore did the whole spring series culminating in this broadcast. I double checked against the Archives. Graves was an especially attractive Carmen visually, but musically I felt she played too many of her trumps in the early acts. This is not the cast I would create were I the casting director despite Graves’ considerable physical appeal. I don’t understand the appeal of this performance. Levine is not my favorite Carmen conductor, and this cast does not have much to recommend it.
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