Clémentine Margaine will make her Met debut in the title role of Bizet’s Carmen this Thursday, January 19, and will sing the role in all performances of the opera at the Met this season. The French mezzo-soprano, who was to make her company debut in the role later this season, replaces the originally announced Sophie Koch, who has withdrawn from her scheduled performances due to illness.Koch hasn't got much presence in the US; friends who've seen her in Europe have written positively about her. I saw Clémentine Margaine in Chicago, as Dulcinée in Don Quichotte, and liked her a lot. I hope you do too, and I hope Sophie Koch recovers well from her illness.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
She'll Swivel Her Hips
From the Met, Sophie Koch withdraws from her upcoming Carmen performances (title role), owing to illness:
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I've been anticipating this cancellation since she cancelled the Chicago Troyens, but I didn't expect it to come so late -- first performance is in two days. Koch has been in town, doing rehearsals, taking press photos, etc. I hope it's nothing too serious.
I bought tickets to see this specifically for Koch, but Margaine seems a luxury replacement, so I'm still excited. Even if it means sitting through Carmen.
Margaine should be good, based on what I saw in Chicago.
Koch withdrew from Troyens for "personal reasons" about two weeks before the first performance, so I don't think it was because of illness, unless she has some kind of ongoing health issue and Troyens proved to be too draining. This is a very late cancelation, so likely she has a cold or flue or something like that....
I've seen Koch a number of times--as Charlotte, Fricka, Venus, the Composer, probably other roles. The description that comes to mind is dutiful. She's a decent singer but not terribly exciting; I can't imagine her radiating fire and sensuality so hard to imagine her as Carmen. Margaine should be very good.
I caught acts 3 and 4 over the radio last night. Margaine sounded superb. Excellent French (no shock there) and a gorgeous, sultry tone. She was particularly effective in the cards scene. Alvarez called out and was replaced by a debuting tenor (didn't catch name), who sounded underprepared. I don't envy him as it seemed he jumped in at the very last minute. Agresta sounded a lot more worn than I would have expected. Perhaps she is also ill. She got polite applause after "Je dis que rien." Aside from Margaine, I thought Fisch's conducting was the best part of the night. I'm definitely excited to hear it in-house next week, hopefully with Alvarez back in and Agresta sounding fresher.
I have had my fill of Carmen for the next few years, but she's an interesting enough singer that I might go if I were in NYC....
The tenor really was a very last minute debut; there was no cast change announcement.
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