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With two outstanding Carmens already available on DVD, this one had to do something unusual to attract attention. It managed the trick with unconventional staging and some extra music. Earls Court in London, where it was performed, has an enormous, circular performing space, surrounded by the audience and accessible to performers by a long ramp from the back of the auditorium. There is also a ramp going down below the stage from a large trap door that can be kept open or closed as the action requires. Scenery is nonexistent; the ambiance is established by costumes, props, and the body language of the performers--including quite a few dancers as well as the singers. Choreography, often with a strong flamenco flavor, is used lavishly. Most Carmens have dancing in the Gypsy song that opens Act II. This one also has it in the overture and entr'actes, the toreador song, and the beginning of Act IV. Added to the traditional score at one point is a lengthy flamenco segment by the Paco Peña Fiesta Flamenca Company with a cantor and dancers. Many fans will consider this the high point of the production. Maria Ewing now has two video recordings of the title role. This one is different from her more polished 1991 Covent Garden performance, which projected an aristocratic air, emphasizing the Spanish element in Carmen's character. This time she is more earthy and street-smart, more of a Gypsy. The supporting cast is capable but not dazzling. Technically, there are a few moments of roughness in the sound, and the camera work on Carmen's Act I escape lacks clarity, but these are not serious problems. The appeal of this Carmen lies essentially in its choreography and unconventional staging. --Joe McLellan
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