REVIEW: ‘Carmen’ effective at Sarasota Opera despite misfortunes

One of the characteristics of great art is its durability in the face of bad luck.

Georges Bizet’s iconic “Carmen” launched Sarasota Opera’s 2012 Winter Season with considerable impact despite some glitches. For starters, it was announced that the singer scheduled to sing the role of the bullfighter, Escamillo, was indisposed and would be replaced by Studio Artist Kevin Wetzel, who handled the challenge of his crucial part in the death of Carmen with impressive aplomb.

Fredrika Brillembourg plays the title role in Georges Bizet's "Carmen" at Sarasota Opera. ROD MILLINGTON/SARASOTA OPERA

With more effect on the working out of the complex plot of this powerful story, the object of Carmen’s scorching attention, Antonio Nagore as Don Jose, had problems with the higher notes of this famous tenor role, prompting another announcement prior to the final act that he was suffering from laryngitis but would sing anyway.

While these unforeseen problems had considerable impact on the effectiveness of the performance, the opera’s fate is centered on the singer charged with the job of conveying the obsessive personality of Carmen. Fredrika Brillembourg possesses a large voice, strong at the top and powerful in the lower range.

She is also a good actress, able to handle the abrupt changes in Carmen’s affections, at times so sudden as to elicit startled laughter from the audience during the spoken dialogue.

However, her tendency to sing sharp, slightly above the true pitch, at times diminished the impact of her arias, a problem which may have been due to the stress of an unusually eventful opening night.

Seemingly unaffected by that stress was Danielle Walker, who sang the role of Micaela, Don Jose’s intended wife, with lustrous tone and solid musicality, bringing the role to life with touching effect.

The Sarasota Opera Orchestra played with what has become its customary transparency and accuracy in the memorable introductions to each act of the drama and accompanying the familiar vocal elements. The chorus of apprentice musicians sang brilliantly and the Youth Opera chorus was simply wonderful.

Stage direction by Martha Collins was variable, partly due to the difficulty of placing such a large production on the Opera House stage. Scenic design by David P. Gordon was competent; lighting by Ken Yunker was superb.