Carmen

banjobongo

I have recently started getting into opera. I live in Limerick and have seen a few productions in the UL concert hall, they were great (Madame Butterfly, Magic Flute). My favourite opera is Carmen and if I ever had a "bucket list" one of the items on it would be to travel to a city and see a fantastic produciton of Carmen.
If I won the lotto and wanted to travel to I dont know Paris Rome etc, where is the best city to go for operas (in Europe) in general and where/who for Carmen opera?
Thanks,
Opera newbie/BB

nompere

There's still, just about, time to get to Verona:

http://www.arena.it/en-US/arena/programme-2012.html

garancafan

DVD can be a great way of enjoying opera. The most recent Metropolitan Opera production of Carmen is available on an excellent DVD recording and features Elina Garanca as the eponymous gypsy with Roberto Alagna as don Jose. To buy try www.elinagaranca.com or www.crotchet.co.uk.

cailinoBAC

If you can wait until next year you can go to Vienna
http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node/home/werke/opern/repertoireliste.de.php?prodid=16316

I love the opera in Vienna but the version I saw in 2002 was not my favourite, maybe it's different...I mean the singing was fantastic, but I saw it a few weeks later in Budapest, it was much more traditional I suppose, I enjoyed it more...probably helped by the fact I'd paid €2 for a standing place in Vienna and a little bit more for a seat in Budapest (you'll get the standing place still in Vienna, but I doubt you'd get such cheap seats in Budapest any more)