The latest W.N.O. production of 'Carmen' was certainly an excellent advert for the electrical cigarette . As the gypsy Carmen and her fellow workers at the tobacco factory appeared and sang their opening chorus, cigarettes poised, through thick plumes of smoke (or should that be vapour).

Alessandra Volpe, in the title role, led the cast through Bizet’s tragic masterpiece, with her wonderfully focused singing - a voice made for the role. Similar plaudits go to baritone Kostas Smoriginas (Escamillo) and Peter Wedd (Don José). It was , however, Jessica Muirhead who most impressed overall with her affecting performance as Micaëla, including a heart rending 'Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante' in Act 3 (the marvellous horn section also deserve praise here).

However, high vocal quality alone does not an opera make and the overall effect was rather disappointing - Escamillo lacked the requisite charisma and Carmen was strangely one-dimensional and failed to move. Don José was better as he moved from being putty in Carmen’s hands in Act 1 to the tragic figure at the close.

Maybe this was all the result of the basic insecurities which sadly peppered the performance - these included some disagreement between conductor (Eric Nielsen, making his W.N.O. debut and having a difficult night) and stage regarding tempi, much poor ensemble, and a seeming lack of attention to detail in several facets of the production.