When Denyce Graves finished her glorious cause to deviate last fall as Bizet's fiery brunette heroine.

When Denyce Graves finished her glorious cause to deviate last fall as Bizet's fiery brunette heroine, ticketholders for Lyric Opera's secondary cast in March might have felt cheated.

Fear not -- there's a fresh Carmen in town, and she's each bit as thrilling as her predecessor. Hungarian mezzo-soprano Viktoria Vizin, called "a major star in the making" through the San Francisco Chronicle, made her house first attempt Thursday in Lyric's remounting of "Carmen," and it will pass down as a debut to remember.

From the impetus that Vizin entered singing Act 1's famous Habanera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"), she made it clear, as the aria declares, "Love is a wild bird that cannot be tamed." Her seductively filled with smoke voice curled around the aria's phrases to stunning tenor

Tall, lithe and graceful, Vizin equal looks the part of the young cigarette factory worker and manages to mingle into the role. In last fall's staging, we were constantly reminded of the larger-than-life nearness of Denyce Graves playing Carmen, not Carmen as played by the agency of Denyce Graves. There's a deep and important difference.

In an interesting twist, Vizin resides in our allow backyard; after coming to the United States in 2001 she mov to Aurora in 2004 Since she's a local, let's room for expectation that Lyric soon will invite her back.

further Vizin is not the solitary news of Lyric's second cast; she's environed by excellence, with Italian tenor Vincenzo La Scola as the lovelorn Don Jose and American bass-baritone Mark s Doss as the toreador Escamillo. Plus, Lyricgoers can savor the epicurism casting of American soprano Patricia Racette in the small unless vital role of the region girl Micaela.

blooming from the world premiere of "An American Tragedy" at the Met Racette continues to verify her versatility, excelling in of the like kind contemporary works but also in the standard (Gounod's "Faust") and exotic repertory (Janacek's "Jenufa"). Her Act 3 aria where she prays for God's guidance is common of many standout moments in this production.

As Escamillo, Doss skillfully alienates the toreador's swagger and is more convincing than his fall predecessor was in the part. La Scola, whose voice strike one as beinged a bit grainy early forward has the more difficult assignment. however his Act 2 Flower canzonet sounded a little choppy, according to the time of his final cri de coeur of "Ma Carmen adoree!," La Scola had decisively captured the anguished torment of the murderous Don Jose

level better the second time around, Sir Andrew Davis exacted orchestral fireworks from Bizet's lush score. Last fall, conducting his first "Carmen," he was hindered occasionally by means of Graves' slower tempo preferences.

Also returning in supporting parts, Quinn Kelsey Christian Van Horn, Susanna Phillips and David Cangelosi help make this a stellar, outstanding "Carmen."

lemerick@suntimes.com

OPERA REVIEW

'CARMEN'

Highly attract favor toed

When: [i]or[/i] part of to the other March 25

Where: Civic Opera House,

20 N Wacker

Tickets: Limited availability, call for turnbacks

Phone: (312) 332-2244

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