If you happen to be squeamish, you may wish to avoid the Deutsche Oper’s new production of Carmen. Ole Anders Tandberg’s staging, set in the demi-demi-monde of human organ trafficking, often seemed to have no qualms about crossing the line from merely grotesque to outright gratuitous, and on opening night the director and his team were greeted with unsurprising levels of audience hostility. Yet the production’s ample visual imagination and its assured handling of characters made for a consistently engaging, darkly exuberant drama that often succeeded despite its confrontational frame. Those who remained unconvinced, troubled, or just faintly nauseated by Mr Tandberg’s conception could at least take consolation in the elegant, often majestic performances of the lead roles from Clémentine Margaine and Charles Castronovo.
Mr Tandberg’s last…
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