ELLEN KENT OPERA: CARMEN

The announcement that Ellen Kent’s company was making a farewell tour was sad news. For decades now this tireless champion of taking opera to the masses has produced great work, reached corners of the UK that other companies failed to do and done so in a way that has made it comparatively affordable. I have been an admirer of Ellen for around 30 years, of her energy, her dedication and her fierce attitude. I will miss her productions and miss meeting her and chatting, she is a force to be reckoned with. Of course at 77 maybe she deserves a rest but, no, not Ellen who revealed to me last night that this is not retirement, she will carry on touring ballet and at the same time is setting up an agency. I only hope that I will have the energy and drive to keep on carrying on like Ellen Kent.

Last night I saw, once again, her production of Carmen. Bizet’s masterpiece requires some fine singing from both the soloists and from the chorus, and as always this was what we got. Carmen was played with class and sass by Mariia Davydova and the voice was soaringly impressive. Micaela was delightfully sung by Viktoriia Melnyk, precision and purity both but delivered with power. Escamillo, Iurie Giska, was delivered with vocal conviction but perhaps not the physical presence of a toreador. Hovhannes Nerseysan’s Zuniga’s bluster and buffoonery worked well, especially when commanding his guard who had a comic dad’s army presence. Carmen’s friends Mercédès, Liuciia Dun, and Frasquita, Anastasiia Blokha, were excellent both as were the gypsy smugglers Le Dancaïre, Vitalii Ceborati and Le Remendado, Rutland Pacatovici, and when all five sang together in that fast paced quintet it was the highlight of the evening, precision, power and confidence, a real delight.

Don José, Hovhannes Andreasyan, is the conflicted victim, torn between loyalty to his regiment, his love of his elderly mother and the passion of seductress Carmen. There was genuine chemistry at play between these two principals and like the entire company the quality of the singing was deserving of our applause but also deserving of something more important, and that was an orchestra displaying the same energy and finesse. Sadly this was not there. They were underpowered, lacking in passion and drive and sadly at times precision in both timing and tuning. The clarion calls of trumpet faltered and the strings too. Ellen Kent and her fine ensemble of singer deserved better and so did we.

But let that not detract from the legacy of touring opera that she has created and that will be much missed. For her and for her singers there has always been a firmament of stars.

Andrew Kay

Theatre Royal Brighton

27 January

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