Carmen: The Passing Of The Torch (SIZZLE)

I was disappointed when I found out that Angela Gheorghiu whom I greatly admire had pulled out of singing the New Years Eve presentation of Bizet's Carmen at the Met. I had seen her with her husband, Roberto Alagna, last New years Eve in the performance of La Rondine at the Met. I imagined that Gheorghiu's usual passion and lovely voice would make her appearance this year as Carmen quite stunning as would a reprise of the marital passion displayed last year between Gheorghiu and Alagna in La Rondine. I was already beginning to imagine Gheorghiu in the role. This was not to be as I learned that Gheorghiu had withdrawn from almost all of the Carmen performances and that the marital duo was no more. This is a tale of how my disappointment turned to joy as the New Years Eve performance of Carmen unfolded.