The Arena di Verona, where this performance took place, must be a big building indeed, because the chorus and townspeople fit easily onto that big stage. I can't recall seeing a production that has that much bustle and vigour going on around the principal singers. When Marina Domashenko makes her Act One entrance, it's really gorgeous how she comes down into the crowd--and she reminds me of Gloria Swanson in Sadie Thompson, an added pleasure. She sings well, as does Maya Dashuk as Micaela.
Raymond Aceto as Escamillo handles his part pretty well, but is not very charismatic. The real weak link is Marco Berti, who looks like an accountant and sings, well, ineffectually. This would have been a much better show with a Don Jose like Jonas Kaufmann.
Addendum: I see that I failed to compare the two Zeffirelli productions. The Carmen film from 1984 is superior to this production in almost every way. If the female leads are comparable, the earlier film has Placido Domingo in excellent voice, and the charismatic Ruggiero Raimondi has never been better. It's a clear first choice.
