Leonard has all the makings of a classic Carmen, a bold and smoky low range with armor-like technique and the physical beauty and stage charisma of a temptress. “Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sang her first Carmen this May, in a Washington National Opera production directed by Francesca Zambello. Wearing modest modern clothing, she captivated the men with a full-bodied mezzo, smoldering down low, blazing up high.” “Isabel Leonard was an assured and strong-willed Carmen. It’s impossible to imagine a better match between director and performer.” The reviews ranged from disappointed to horrified. But with its unrestrained sexuality, immoral characters and onstage murder, Carmen shocked the Parisian audience, who met the world premiere not with boos or jeers, but with deadly silence. We have been patrons of the Santa Fe Opera for years and have been both.
She’s a superior singing actor, and her vocalism was at an equally high level. Carmen was written for the Opra-Comique and premiered in 1875. Carmens weak voice and lack of stage presence were awful. “Leonard is a deeply thoughtful performer, as well as a dynamic one in this staging, she is asked to “be” much more than to “act,” and she is completely engaged in every moment. Always an engaging artist, her success in the role of Carmen is a major accomplishment in an important career.”
That self-assurance translated into an effective vocal performance, especially Leonard’s singing of Carmen’s major arias – the Habanera, the Seguidilla and the chanson bohemienne at Lillas Pastia’s tavern. “In her second “Carmen” production since her pandemic-delayed role debut, New York mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, dressed in contemporary fashion, projected a sophisticated, self-assured woman.
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