Carmen

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Georges Bizet's music for Carmen is so astonishingly melodic that when it's conducted and sung well, nothing can be done to dim its lustrous beauty. Fortunately, that degree of care runs through Richard Eyre's new production at the Metropolitan Opera, even though the result is surprisingly bloodless.

Under the guidance of conductor Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca as Carmen and Roberto Alagna as Don Jose made the sort of sounds (including notable diction) that audiences hope to hear and are often willing to settle for.

However, seasoned operagoers who expect the kind of torrid connection between the work's lovers that threatens to set the stage on fire came away af[...]