Part of the problem, I suppose, is envisioning Jessye Norman singing the role on stage - and Norman, while a terrifically gifted singer, doesn't capture my imagination as Carmen.
On the other hand, I saw her sing Strauss' Vier Letzte Lieder at the Kennedy Center in the 1980s and Mahler's Kindertotenlieder in London (Barbican Center) around the same time, and was totally blown away. Grace, style, effortless - you name it, the whole package.
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