Carmen

If there is an equation to be drawn with Mikado and Gilbert &  Sullivan,  South Pacific and Rogers & Hammerstein musicals, then, surely, one must equate Carmen and Opera.  Here in Fife Opera’s production, this was very much the case. 

This year, Fife opera have upped the stakes in the world of Grand Opera – and this in no small measure.  Be it the new Director / Musical Director team of Easson and Digges, be it the choice of a “popular”  opera or be it by a new found enthusiasm for singing opera, Fife Opera has managed to expand their membership substantially – and the quality is still there. Combine this with better audience numbers, and Fife Opera looks like they have returned to their roots!

As well as the title role, the parts of Michaela, Frasquita, Mercedes and Don Jose were double cast. On the evening of this revue, I had the pleasure of listening to Barbara Scott (Carmen) and Luke Sinclair (Don Jose), both of whom gave first-class performances – emanating passion and fieriness throughout.   Carmen along with Frasquita (Victoria Atkinson) and Mercedes (Margaret Sharp) brought real life in to The Card Trio in Act 3.  Together with the other minor principals, both the male and female choruses acquitted themselves well – especially when competing against an orchestra of twenty-seven.  As if this were not enough, Fife Opera has also taken a quantum leap forward in terms of their sets. A decision to have only one interval between the four acts meant that acts one and two were run together as were acts three and four. The necessary scene changes had therefore to be handled carefully (and swiftly!). This was happily accomplished with very workable sets by designer John Urquhart.  All in all, a very successful show for one of the few Grand Opera companies left in Scotland, and we look forward to their 2015 presentation.

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