When Bizet’s opera Carmen was first performed, the genre-defying work was seen as scandalous; when CarmenCo performed for Bute Arts Society last Friday, an equally genre-defying version was greeted with admiration and delight by the island audience.
Not only was there the exemplary musicianship we’ve come to expect from Bute Arts’ choice of fare, but we were enthralled with acting, dancing, singing and a gripping narrative entwined with a fabulous selection of works passionately interpreted by two guitars, flute and voice.
Setting the scene with Bizet’s L’Aragonaise from Carmen, played by David Massey and Francisco Correa on guitar, and Emily Andrews on flute, we were then introduced to our bold Carmen.
She came out of the shadows of a novella by Prosper Mérimée and the opera by Georges Bizet to tell us her own story.
She entertained with her talent of mind reading and card divination before conjuring up the guitar-enabled vision of Spain with a piece by Albéniz entitled Cordoba.
Returning to the Habanera from Carmen, her playful vocals partnered her flirting with the audience.
Having enchanted her Don José guitarist as well as the audience, they danced through pieces by Ravel and Bizet, with enough breath left to play the flute as well, then with a flourish they left the entranced audience for the interval.
They recommenced with authentic surround-sound as the artistes took full advantage of the church’s acoustics to travel round the auditorium playing Bizet’s Entr’acte from Carmen.
Carmen is full of instantly recognisable tunes, the most famous being the oft-parodied Toreador.
This brought on stage her guitarist husband, leading to a musical duel between the two men in the form of De Falla’s Fire Dance.
Tragedy struck as Carmen’s jealous lover stabbed both Carmen and then, remorsefully, himself, leaving a solitary guitar to mourn them with the lamenting sound of Recuerdos de l’Alhambra by Albéniz.
Fortunately, the ensemble was restored to full vigour, reminding us that this was just a story and that Carmen will live forever through music, as they finished with Fantasy on Themes from Carmen by Borne.
This most novel production left the audience in awe at the multi-faceted entertainment that CarmenCo have dubbed a pocket opera.
Everyone left humming the familiar tunes, returning to the squall they had braved to attend the event, no doubt most pleased that they had ventured out in the storm.
By Janet Bradley
