The NZ Opera production of Bizet’s Carmen, was, to borrow a metaphor from an entirely different area of endeavour, a definite game of two halves. What would you have got if you’d left after the end of Act 2? Lindy Hulme’s production? She moved and motivated the singers in two ways: acute dramatic observation as in the Michaela/Don Jose duet in Act 1; and semi-abstract expressionism with the swaying chorus in the prelude, and Lilias Pastia’s louche dark tavern with a single spotlight highlighting James Clayton’s local hero of an Escamillo. This was seconded by the striking lighting design of Matthew Marshall, and Dan Potra’s flexible and evocative set of rough plaster walls and mobile metal stairways.

Francesco Pasqualetti lead a sultry and quite sleepy APO, though with drama when required. It felt a little that we were ticking off favourite numbers. Habanera, done; Gypsy dance, gone; Flower song, over; Toreador’s song, completed.

Nino Surguladze was an attractive and lively Carmen with a resiny, slightly covered voice. Her diction wasn’t the clearest (though all the cast were quite variable in this) and some of her runs in the Gypsy dance were a bit smeared. Dramatically secure, she pushed the freedom and downplayed the vamp, in line with the Hume production.

Tom Randle’s grainy tenor, not always safe on top, combined with his fine acting, showing us that the gauche mother’s boy contained both passion and anger beneath the surface.

Wade Kernot’s Zuniga was entertaining, both bemused by the Act 1 shenanigans, and randy and very drunk at Lilias Pastia’s. Carmen’s sidekicks were reliably played by James Harrison, Amelia Beery, Kirstin Darragh and James Benjamin Rodgers, with just enough opera comique by-play. Rodgers’ Remendado was a lively contrast with the last time I saw him as Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd.

So, a good night, a pleasant outing with some of the best solos and ensembles in the operatic literature. And after the interval, the lovely flute tune of the prelude shone out with clarity and poise, the march proceeded with purpose, the stage picture pulsed with menace as the smugglers emerged, and it really felt like a different performance.

Surguladze delivered an intense Card song and clearly etched her disenchantment with Don Jose and later responded to Escamillo’s smooth and practised wooing.

In between we had the quite beautiful performance of Michaela’s aria by Emma Pearson. No wilting peasant girl here, but a strong young woman trusting in God to help her overcome her fear. Melting mezza voce, controlled pearly soft top notes. Lovely. And followed by another display of strength as Michaela forced an angry and violent Don Jose off Carmen. The entracte here allowed Carmen to face the audience, and the audience to realise the strength and will that would take her from Don Jose to whatever fate would bring.

The final Act rocketed along to its finish. The chorus greeted the audience as a parade of bull fighters passing by. I’ve not mentioned the marvellous Freemasons NZ Opera Chorus to any degree. They always seem to sing with full and exciting tone and create a myriad of individuals, not just a singing crowd. Perhaps we could see them in one of the great chorus operas – Peter Grimes, Boris Godunov? And a big thank you to the keen-toned junior chorus.

A vignette of Don Jose’s mother funeral, and then the sun-drenched plaza closed into an icy, Lorca-like corner. A trapped Carmen drew on all her courage to defy a terrifying Don Jose. Great singing and acting from Surguladze and an intense and dazed Randle made a  climax that allowed the audience to fully realise that we hadn’t been watching a charming travelogue of sunny Spain, but a very contemporary drama of the violence that men can do to women.