2024.11.06 Elīna Garanča Concert in Taipei

Many years ago, when there was no online streaming for operas, as an opera fan, I couldn’t stop looking for video clips on Youtube to watch those famous performances. For example, I loved Vittorio Grigolo as the Duke Mantua in Rigoletto, Marcelo ALvarez as Gustavo in Un Ballo in Maschera. And among all of these Youtube videos, my favorite was Elīna Garanča as Carmen performed in the Met Opera.

It is said that Carmen is dissolute, however, tonight, Elīna Garanča made the entire audience salute to this figure. In her red gown, it seemed that Carmen was created for Elīna Garanča.

Coming to Taipei with her husband, the conductor Maestro Karel Mark Chichon, Elīna Garanča gave us a breathtaking performance, and the second half of the concert fulfilled my dream of watching Elīna Garanča as Carmen.

From the first aria “L’amour est un enfant de Bohême”, Elīna Garanča was Carmen herself. From her beautiful voice, charming smile, in her red gown, every scene of her was perfect visually and auditorily.

Then the famous “Habanera”, the aria which took me back to my memory when I was watching Elīna Garanča online singing this aria on stage. It not only awakened my constant love for Carmen since I was younger, but also reignited the passion for opera from the bottom of my heart.

When Elīna Garanča sang “Séguedille”, to recreate the scene of seducing Don José with hands tied at the back due to the fight with other people in the tobacco factory, Elīna Garanča put her hands at the back, and looked over the audience with provoking and seducing eye contacts. Adding on her enchanting and attractive voice, I could not take my eyes away from her.

The last aria was “Chanson bohème” . When Carmen was seducing Don José in an inn, she danced with other women and their men. This dance was extremely sensual and fascinating. When I first watched the video clip at the Met Opera, I was totally drawn into the Spanish flamenco and music performed in this song.

When Elīna Garanča was singing this aria, though there was only her singing on stage, she recreated the scene for us. She performed with her arms and shoulders while singing. Her voice made us obsessive, and we were suddenly in the Spanish inn, watching her perform for her Don José. In the end, she danced the rhythmic steps with music on heels, she raised her arms like a flamenco dancer. The entire audience was clapping and cheering.

Besides singing, when the orchestra was playing the Entr’acte or the Prélude, Elīna Garanča was always the Carmen on stage. Sometimes she gave us a charming face like she was enjoying the music too. Sometimes she had an irritated look, showing her disdain of being followed by the crowd. Sometimes she sat on the chair with legs crossed, she looked over the audience like Carmen’s carelessness. When Elīna Garanča walked on the stage. It was the natural attractiveness of Carmen.

Watching Youtube for many years, and watching Carmen in New York when I was studying, I had never watched Carmen played by Elīna Garanča. This time in Taipei, watching Elīna Garanča playing Carmen so perfectly, I felt that it was a great happiness to fall in love with opera.