Isabel Leonard on Interpreting the Iconic Role of Carmen

Isabel Leonard on Interpreting the Iconic Role of Carmen

Author: The Santa Fe Opera June 18, 2022 Duration: 33:27

Is there a more provocative or iconic character in all of opera than Carmen? This free-spirited, defiant factory worker reigns supreme as the original difficult woman––in the best possible way.

Host Jane Trembley chats with Isabel Leonard as she gets set to play the titular diva in Bizet's Carmen to open Santa Fe Opera's 2022 season. The mezzo-soprano discusses her physical and emotional preparations for the role, how her Argentine-American heritage has informed her musical intuition, and her love for challenging the misconceptions that surround this charismatic, complicated heroine. 

Isabel is no stranger to Carmen's illustrious (or is it infamous?) appeal nor the long line of talents that have taken on this unjustly-labeled femme fatale. "Even if the concept is a good one, it can be a challenge to break out of it simply because humans are adverse to change in some ways," says the three-time Grammy Award-winning performer.

Concepts don't come any better than Carmen. When viewed through our modern lens, this character created in the 19th century is afforded more empathy for having to endure the limitations imposed on her.

"The psychology behind her and what fascinates me in her character has everything to do with not only who she is in her time period, as a woman, but who everybody seems to think she is and how that affects their perception of the piece when they watch it, regardless of how you play it."

For her interpretation of Carmen, Isabel has reacquainted herself with the castanets, literally tapping into her Argentinian heritage and, even further back, to southern Spain. "I can only imagine the ghosts of Isabels past," she laughs. "If I were not to fully embrace the character of Carmen, it would be somewhat sacrilegious."

FEATURING

Isabel Leonard - Mezzo-Soprano

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CREDITS

Destination Santa Fe Opera is a Santa Fe Opera podcast, produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios.

Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. Ruiz

Hosted by: Jane Trembley

Show Notes by: Lisa Widder

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Behind every curtain call at The Santa Fe Opera is a world of craft, history, and human effort. Destination Santa Fe Opera pulls back that curtain, offering a rare backstage pass to the artists, technicians, designers, and visionaries who bring the spectacle to life. This podcast is a series of intimate, revealing conversations that go far beyond the performance notes. You’ll hear from a costume designer about the weight and meaning of a single garment, from a singer unraveling the emotional core of a challenging role, or from a stage director mapping the journey from concept to opening night. It’s about the problem-solving, the collaboration, and the occasional happy accident that defines a season. Each episode connects you to the living, breathing process of opera, focusing on the people whose dedicated work transforms a New Mexico evening into something unforgettable. Listen for stories about musical discovery, artistic risk, and the sheer logistical marvel of mounting world-class productions against a backdrop of southwestern skies. Produced by The Santa Fe Opera, this series is an essential companion for anyone curious about the alchemy that happens when countless disciplines converge to create a single, powerful story in song.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 31

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