![]() ![]() Even if this is your first time seeing it in the opera house, you probably are familiar with many of the songs and the tragic ending. Based on the novella by Prosper Mérimée and set to music by Georges Bizet on a libretto by the celebrated Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Carmen remains one of the most performed operas in the repertoire: the Metropolitan Opera performed it for the one-thousandth time in 2015. StudentĬarmen has seeped into the public imagination through its riveting melodies, dynamic storytelling, and sensational ending. Don José murders Carmen, while the crowd inside the bullring cheers Escamillo.īy Bret McCandless Musicology Ph.D. As Don José’s demands become more desperate, Carmen throws the ring he once gave her at him. She insists that their affair is over, that she does not love him anymore, and that she now loves Escamillo. He approaches and begs her to leave with him. Carmen, unafraid, waits alone for Don José. Mercedes and Frasquita warn Carmen that Don José is lurking about. Despite his violent jealousy, Don José leaves with Micaela.Īt the bullfight, a crowd gathers to watch the procession of toreadors. Her hiding place discovered, Micaela begs Don José to return home to his mother, who is dying. But the smugglers return in time to stop Don José from wounding Escamillo, who invites them all to the bullfight in Seville. He and Don José exchange words and begin to fight. Escamillo approaches the camp looking for Carmen. Micaela arrives at the mountain hideout searching for Don José and hides among the rocks. ![]() The gypsies set off to smuggle contraband, leaving Don José behind to guard the camp. When Carmen takes her turn, the cards foretell death for her and Don José. Frasquita and Mercedes tell their fortunes with a deck of cards. Carmen taunts him and urges him to leave, but he refuses. As the smugglers pounce on Zuniga and escort him out of the inn, Don José has no choice but to remain with the gypsies.Īt the mountain hideout of the smugglers, Don José longs for his mother, who still believes him an honest man. In a jealous rage, Don José defies his officer’s orders to leave. Don José remains unconvinced until Zuniga returns to the inn seeking Carmen. ![]() CARMEN OPERA CINCINNATI FREECarmen mocks his obedience and encourages him to run away with her and lead the free gypsy life. But distant bugles signal him to return to his quarters, and he prepares to leave. Don José arrives, and Carmen dances for him. Mercedes and Frasquita agree to help them smuggle contraband, but Carmen, expecting Don José, wants to stay at the inn. When the crowd disperses, the smugglers Remendado and Dancairo try to enlist the aid of Carmen, Frasquita, and Mercedes. Zuniga, also smitten, tells Carmen that he plans to return to the inn later to visit her. He notices Carmen, but she remains indifferent. The crowd cheers as Escamillo boasts of his victories. A group of revelers arrives, celebrating Escamillo, the illustrious bullfighter. He agrees to a rendezvous and lets Carmen escape.Īt Lillas Pastia’s inn, Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercedes consort with Zuniga and other soldiers. Carmen has injured another woman, and the officer Zuniga commands Don José to escort Carmen to prison.But Don José succumbs to her charms. A ruckus erupts from the cigarette factory. Don José promises his love and fidelity to Micaela, despite the temptations of Carmen. Micaela finds him and delivers both a letter and a kiss from his mother, who asks her son to marry Micaela. Alone, Don José recovers the flower and reflects on Carmen’s charms. Before leaving, she seductively tosses a flower at him. She focuses her attention on Don José, who pretends not to notice. Factory bells ring, and a group of cigarette girls arrives to return to work, including the popular gypsy beauty Carmen. The relief soldiers, including Don José, arrive. Telling her he’ll be back soon, they try to persuade her to stay with them, but she declines. A young peasant girl, Micaela, asks the soldiers if they have seen Don José. Soldiers and townspeople mill around in a square in Seville. ![]()
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