Carmen

An undeniable classic of the repertoire, Bizet’s charged masterpiece Carmen received a modern-day reimagining during the 2023–24 season, when director Carrie Cracknell made her Met debut with a bold new staging that updated the action to the present day. In this performance recorded as part of the Live in HD series of cinema transmissions, rising mezzo-soprano Aigul Akhmetshina gives a fearless performance of the title role, combining vocal power with dynamic physicality. Opposite her, tenor Piotr Beczała is Don José, the wayward soldier whose obsession spells doom for them both, with soprano Angel Blue as the steadfast Micaëla and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the swaggering Escamillo. Maestro Daniele Rustioni conducts one of the opera world’s most popular scores, which includes one instantly recognizable melody after another.