Carmen

For other uses, see Carmen (disambiguation).

Poster from the 1875 premiere of Carmen

Carmen is a French opera by Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Meilhac and Halévy, based on the story of the same title by Prosper Mérimée.

The opera was premiered at the Opéra Comique of Paris on March 3, 1875. For a year after its premiere, it was considered a failure, denounced by critics as "immoral" and "superficial".

The story concerns the eponymous Carmen, a beautiful gypsy with a fiery temper. Not careful with her love, she is responsible for the downfall of many men. She woos the corporal Don José, leading him to mutiny against his superior. His infatuation causes him to join a band of smugglers, of which Carmen is a member. He is happy with Carmen for a brief period, but is driven to madness when she turns from him to the bullfighter Escamillo.

Several well-known pieces from this opera have taken on a life separate to the work: the Prélude (overture), the Toréador Song, and the Habanera.

Today, it is one of the world's most popular operas and a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. Carmen appears as number four on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America.

History

File:Galli-Marie Carmen Photo.PNG

Galli-Marié was the original Carmen

Du Locle, the artistic director of the Opéra-Comique commissioned Bizet to write an opera based on Mérimée's novel in early 1873 to be premiered at the end of the year. However, difficulty in finding a leading lady caused rehearsals not to begin until August 1874. Bizet bought a house at Bougival on the Seine, where he finished the piano score in the summer of 1874, and took a further two months to complete a full orchestration.

The difficulty in casting the title role arose from the scandal that erupted when the libretto was published. The artistic community almost universally condemned the story, denouncing it as "immoral". The scandal led at least one famous (unnamed) singer to refuse the role. However, the famous mezzo-soprano Galli-Marié accepted it in December without having seen the score.

During rehearsals, Du Locle's assistant De Leuven voiced his discontent about the opera's plot, and pressured Bizet and the librettists to alter the tragic ending. De Leuven felt that families would not dare to go to see such a "debauched" opera. The Comique had a reputation as a family-friendly theatre, with many boxes used by parents to interview prospective sons-in-law. The librettists agreed to change the ending, but Bizet refused, which led directly to De Leuven's resignation from the production in early 1874.

Full rehearsals finally began in October, and continued for an unexpected five months. The Comique's orchestra declared the score unplayable, and the cast were having difficulty following Bizet's directions. However, the greatest opposition came from Du Locle, who liked Bizet personally, but hated the opera. At this stage, the Comique was in dire financial straits, leading Du Locle to believe the opera would topple the ailing company, which had failed to produce a true success since Gounod's Faust.

The librettists, for whom Carmen was merely a sideshow, secretly tried to induce the singers to over-dramatise in order to lessen the impact of the work. However, much to Bizet's delight, the final rehearsals seemed to convince the majority of the company of the genius of the opera.

The first performance took place on March 3, 1875, the same day Bizet was presented with the Légion d'honneur. The four principals were:

• Galli-Marié as Carmen
• Lhérie as Don José
• Bouhy as Escamillo
• Mlle. Chapay as Micaëla

According to Halévy's diary, the premiere did not go well. Act I was fairly well received and the entr'acte to Act II was applauded. However, with the exception of Micaëla's aria in Act III, the Acts II, III and IV were greeted with deafening silence. The critics were scathing, claiming that the libretto was inappropriate for the Comique. Bizet was also condemned by the musical community for following Wagner in making the orchestra more important than the human voices.

However, a few critics, such as the poet Théodore de Banville, praised the work for its innovation. Banville lauded the librettists for writing characters that were more realistic than those normally acted at the Comique.

Nevertheless, the negative reviews caused the opera to only have 48 performances in its first year. Towards the end of its run at the Comique, the management was selling tickets wholesale in a vain attempt to make a profit. Afterwards, the principals, particularly Galli-Marié, became unemployable.

Bizet did not live to see the success of his opera: he died on June 3, just after the thirtieth performance. Over the following century, it has become a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. Although the title role was written for a mezzo-soprano, many famous sopranos have performed and recorded the role, causing much debate over the best vocal type for the role. Not only must the singer have a great range, capable of frequently going to the bottom of her voice range, but also exhibit superior dramatic skills in order to portray Carmen's complex character, and beyond all that be an extremely good dancer.

Dramatic elements

Carmen was extremely innovative in its drama: no longer was French Opera confined to one-dimensional comic characters. The two lead characters in the work are some of the most profound in all operatic literature. The descent of Don José from a faithful lover and soldier to an obsessed lunatic is wonderfully portrayed through both music and libretto. The music also ensures that Carmen does not become a destructive figure like Elektra or Lulu: she does not chase men; they run after her. Because Bizet shied away from the traditional image of an operatic femme-fatale, Carmen became a difficult character to understand (or portray on stage). She is fatalistic and hedonistic, living entirely in the present moment. Her beauty unintentionally entraps men, who are then led to their downfall by their own misguided ideas of love. Carmen's character is best illustrated in the card-playing scene, in which she accepts the premonition of death as unavoidable. José is ill-suited to Carmen's whims, desiring constancy in the form of fidelity: upon hearing that Carmen danced for the men in Act II, he becomes greatly distressed. The inconstancy of her character is anarchy to José, and being a soldier, he removes it.

Carmen and José have three duets, which represent three stages of their relationship. The first in Act I is the seduction, the second in Act II is the conflict, and the last in Act IV is the tragic resolution. Musically, the duets are not in the style of the traditional French or Italian duets, where two voices become one. They show the incompatibility of Carmen and José, as they almost never sing together.

The supporting characters, Micaëla and Escamillo, are not as developed as the two protagonists, and are used to reflect upon the leads. Micaëla represents José’s naïve past, whereas Escamillo represents Carmen's exciting future. Micaëla is from Gounod's lyric operas, whereas Escamillo is from the traditional opera buffa. Micaëla has a slight aria in Act III which shows her significance in the story is not great: she was created to be Carmen's opposite, but she also represents José's mother. Escamillo has the most well-known song in the score. Bizet knew that the song would be popular, but he secretly despised it, saying “They want their trash, and will get it”.

Musical elements

When asked if he would visit Spain to research his score, Bizet replied "No, that would only confuse me." Bizet worked elements of Spanish music into the score; keeping the music obviously French. Several pieces, especially the Seguidilla and the Gypsy Song make great use of the elements of flamenco music. Also, the Act IV entr'acte seems to be influenced by a Spanish song by Manuel García, incorporating elements of gypsy music.

Bizet worked several popular Spanish songs directly into the score. These include El arreglito which became the habanera, and the folk-song Carmen impudently sings when interrogated by Zuniga; both written by Yradier. The habanera was written to replace an aria that Galli-Marié disliked, and Bizet supposedly wrote over ten revisions.

Bizet uses a very slight leitmotif system, preferring to use new material for each scene. There are two motifs associated with Carmen. The first is the Carmen Fate motif, and owes its augmented 2nds to Spanish music. It is ominously heard directly after the Prelude, and prefigures the ending of the opera. It is heard in this form when Carmen chooses José as her lover, at the beginning of the Flower Song, and during the opera’s final moments. It is also heard, in a speeded up form, at the entrance of Carmen. This theme is more often heard in the strings, and is used when the slower version would stop the flow of the music. It is notably heard during the card playing scene (No.20).

The other theme associated with Carmen represents her influence over José. It is heard after José is chosen as Carmen’s lover, and when Carmen is taken away by the police to José and Zuniga. This soaring theme is, like Carmen, both beautiful and tragic. In a sequence cut from the original edition, placed in the frenzied chorus of women in Act I, the two themes are played contrapuntally.

Revisions

Bizet’s original design of Carmen had dialogue in place of recitative. After Bizet's death, the musical community felt it would be more appreciated in the form of Grand Opera rather than opéra comique. Bizet’s friend Ernest Guiraud wrote recitatives for the Vienna premiere performance in 1875, that were used up until the 1960s. (Except at the Opéra-Comique, where the dialogue Carmen remained in repertory into the 1950s.) They are today seen as damaging to the work as a whole. The recitatives destroyed Bizet’s careful pacing, and disrupted the process of characterization significantly. The recitatives do seem to be coming back into fashion in large theaters, such as the Metropolitan, where spoken dialogue is difficult to project.

A new edition in 1964 edited by Fritz Oeser claimed to have restored Bizet’s original vision by including material previously cut from the premiere as well as restoring the dialogue. Unfortunately, Oeser did not realise that a great deal was cut by Bizet himself, and subsequently included several sections that were not required. He also made great changes to the stage directions and rewrote some of the libretto. Today, the only adequate score is a vocal score by Bizet himself, published in 1875. There is still no accurate full score, and each production is judged on the skills of the conductor in choosing a score.

Most recordings since the publication of Oeser edition juggle the Opéra-Comique, Oeser and Guiraud versions. Fruhbeck's 1970 version (pure Opéra-Comique) contains a pantomime scene with Moralés and chorus that was cut from the original production but remained in the score.

In 2003, a recording was made by Michel Plasson that features an earlier variant of Carmen's Habanera ("L'amour est un enfant bohème"), as well as the familiar one.

Roles

File:Placido Domingo Don Jose.jpg

Plácido Domingo, one of the 20th century's most popular Don Josés

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, March 3, 1875 (Conductor: - )
Carmen, a gypsy	mezzo-soprano	Galli-Marié
Don José, a corporal	tenor	Lhérie
Escamillo, a bullfighter	bass-baritone	Bouhy
Micaëla, a country girl	soprano	Mlle. Chapay
Zuniga, a lieutenant	bass
Moralés, a corporal	baritone
Frasquita and Mercedes, Gypsies	sopranos
Lillas Pastia, an inkeeper	spoken
Andrés, a lieutenant	tenor
Le Dancaïro and Le Remendado, smugglers	baritone tenor
A Gypsy	tenor
A Guide	spoken
An Orange Seller	soprano
A Soldier	spoken
The Alcade	silent
Soldiers, young men, cigarette factory girls, Escamillo's supporters, Gypsies, merchants and orange sellers, police, bullfighters, peoples, urchins.

Synopsis

File:Act IV from Carmen.png

"A deux cuartos!" A production at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by James Levine, the grand production reminiscent of Franco Zeffirelli's in the 1970s and 1980s.

Setting: Seville, Spain c. 1830

Note: in the Oeser version, Acts III and IV are played as Act III scene i and Act III scene ii respectively

Act I

A beautiful square in Seville with a cigarette factory, a guard house, and a bridge. Morales and the soldiers are on guard, very bored ("Sur la place, Chacun passe"). Micaëla appears seeking José, her fiancé, but is accosted by the impudent soldiers who desire her company, causing her to run away. As José approaches with the new guard, he and the soldiers are imitated by the street-children ("Avec la garde montante"). The cigarette girls emerge from the factory, greeted by their men ("La cloche a sonné"). Carmen appears, and all the men ask her when she will love them ("Quand je vous aimerai?"). She replies that she loves the man that does not love her in the famous Habanera. ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"). When asked to choose a lover, she throws a flower in front of José ("Carmen! sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous!"). José is temporarily transfixed until Micaëla brings him a letter and kiss from his mother ("Parle-moi de ma mère!"). José longingly thinks of his home. As soon as she leaves, screams are heard from the factory and the women run out, singing chaotically ("Au secours! Au secours!"). Don José and his superior, Zuniga find that Carmen has been fighting with another woman, and slashed her face with a knife. Zuniga attempts to interrogate Carmen who impudently sings a folk song, ignoring him ("Tra la la"). Zuniga instructs José to arrest her, and escort her to the gaol. Carmen seduces José with a Seguidilla ("Près des remparts de Séville"), and convinces José to let her escape. José is arrested for letting Carmen escape.

Act II

Evening at Lillas Pastia's inn, frequented by smugglers. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès sing and dance ("Les tringles des sist–res tintaient" Gypsy Song). Zuniga attempts to woo Carmen, but she can only think of José, who has been in jail for a month and is due to be released that day. The Matador Escamillo is greeted with great enthusiasm by the patrons ("Vivat, vivat le Toréro"). He sings the Toreador song ("Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre") and also attempts to woo Carmen. Carmen refuses him as well. The smugglers Dancaïro and Remendado discuss plans with Carmen and her gypsy friends ("Nous avons en tête une affaire" – Quintet). Carmen refuses to accompany them, for she only can think of José. José arrives singing a folk song ("Halte là! Qui va là! Dragon d'Alcala!"), and he and Carmen are left alone. Carmen vexes him with stories of her dancing. She then dances for him alone ("Je vais danser en votre honneur...Lalala"), but is interrupted by the trumpets calling the soldiers to the barracks. Carmen's temper flares when José begins to leave, causing him to pledge his devotion to her in the Flower Song ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"). Carmen asks him to join the smugglers if he really loves her ("Non, tu ne m'aime pas"). He refuses and begins to leave when he is surprised by Zuniga. He draws his sword upon his superior officer, but the Gypsies disarm both of them and take away Zuniga ("Mon cher monsieur"). José is forced to flee with Carmen ("La bas dans le montagne").

Act III

A rocky gorge, where the smugglers ply their trade. José arrives with the smugglers ("Écoute, écoute, compagnon"), but Carmen loves him no longer, realizing that he is not her match. She now turns to Escamillo. Carmen, Frasquita and Mercedes read the cards ("Mêlons! Coupons!"). Frasquita and Mercedes foresee love and romance, wealth and luxury in their cards; but Carmen's cards foretell death for her and José ("En vain pour éviter les réponses amères"). The smugglers plan their actions ("Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire"). Micaëla arrives with a guide seeking José ("Je dis, que rien ne m'épouvante"), and hides in the rocks when she hears a gunshot. Escamillo arrives and tells José that he is infatuated with Carmen and tells José the story of her affair with a soldier, not knowing that José is the soldier. A fight between José and Escamillo over Carmen is narrowly averted by the smugglers ("Holà, holà José"). Escamillo leaves, but invites Carmen and the smugglers to the bullfights. Micaëla emerges and tells José that his mother wishes to see him. At first he refuses to go ("Non, je ne partirai pas!"), until Micaëla tells him that his mother is dying. Vowing that he will return to Carmen, he leaves. As he is leaving, Escamillo is heard singing in the distance. Carmen rushes to the sound of his voice, but José bars her way.

Act IV

A square before the arena at Seville. The general populace prepare for the bull fight ("A deux cuartos!") (occasionally played as a ballet with a different text: "Dansez, dansez") and they see the cuadrilla arrive ("Les voici! voici la quadrille"). Carmen and Escamillo are greeted by the crowds and celebrate love and victory, Carmen adding that she had never loved one so much ("Si tu m'aimes, Carmen"). Frasquita warns Carmen that José is in the crowd ("Carmen! Prends garde!), and that he intends to kill her, but Carmen says she will speak to him. Before she can enter the arena she is confronted by the pale and despairing José ("C'est toi! C'est moi!"). For the last time, half-crazed he demands her love and fidelity, even after she repeatedly explains that she loves him no longer. When she scornfully throws back the ring that he gave to her ("Cette bague, autrefois), he stabs her to the heart ("Eh bien, damnée") and she dies at the moment that Escamillo triumphs in the arena. The spectators exit the arena and José, completely broken, confesses his action to all, exclaiming: "Ah! Carmen! ma Carmen adorée!".

Arias, duets, choruses etc.

The more popular pieces from the opera include:

• The Prelude
• Avec la garde montante (Chorus – "With the guard on duty going"); Chorus of street-boys
• L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Habanera – "Love is a rebellious bird"); Carmen
• Parle-moi de ma mère! (Duet – "Speak to me of my mother!"); Don José and Micaëla
• Près des remparts de Séville (Seguidilla – "Near to the walls of Seville"); Carmen, Don José
• Les tringles des sistres tintaient (Gypsy Song – "The sistrums' bars tinkled"); Carmen, Frasquita, Mercedes
• Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre (Toreador Song – "Your toast, I can give it to you"); Escamillo
• Je vais danser en votre honneur (Duet – "Now I shall dance for your reward"); Don José, Carmen
• La fleur que tu m'avais jetée (Flower Song – "This flower that you threw to me")
• Mêlons!, Coupons! (Card Song, Trio – "Shuffle! Cut them!"); Frasquita, Mercedes, Carmen
• Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante (Micaëla's Aria – "I say that nothing frightens me"); Micaëla
• Les voici, le quadrille! (Chorus and March – "Here comes the cuadrilla!"); Chorus of children, men, and women
• C'est toi! C'est moi! (Duet and finale – "It is you? It is me!"); Carmen, Don José

Selected recordings

Year	Cast (Carmen, José, Micaëla)	Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra	Label	Version
1950	Solange Michel, Raoul Jobin, Martha Angelici	André Cluytens, Chœur et Orchestre de l'Opéra-Comique	Audio CD: Naxos Historical Cat: 8.110238-39	Dialogue
1951	Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce, Licia Albanese	Fritz Reiner, RCA Victor Orchestra	Audio CD: RCA Victor Gold Seal ASIN: B000003ESM	Recitative
1959	Victoria de Los Ángeles, Nicolai Gedda, Janine Micheau	Sir Thomas Beecham, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France	Audio CD: EMI Classics ASIN: B00004VVZC	Recitative
1964	Maria Callas, Nicolai Gedda, Andrea Guiot	Georges Prêtre, Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris	Audio CD: EMI Classics ASIN: B000002RXS	Recitative
	Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli, Mirella Freni	Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, Vienna State Opera chorus	Audio CD: RCA Victor Gold Seal Cat: 74321-39495-2	Recitative
1967	Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni	Herbert von Karajan, Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, Vienna State Opera chorus	DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 00440 073 4032	Dialogue
1970	Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Mirella Freni	Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Chor. & Orch. of the Théâtre National de l'Opéra	Audio CD: EMI Classics Cat: 724358550528	Dialogue
1973	Marilyn Horne, James McCracken, Adriana Maliponte	Leonard Bernstein, The Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 0 28942 74402 8	Dialogue
1975	Tatiana Troyanos, Plácido Domingo, Kiri Te Kanawa	Sir Georg Solti, London Philharmonic Orchestra	Audio CD: Decca ASIN: B00002DDOB	Dialogue
1977	Teresa Berganza, Plácido Domingo, Ileana Cotrubas	Claudio Abbado, London Symphony Orchestra	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon ASIN: B000001G89	Dialogue
1978	Elena Obraztova, Plácido Domingo, Isobel Buchanan	Carlos Kleiber, Wiener Staatsoper orchestra and chorus	DVD: TDK DVD Video Cat: 8 24121 00097 4	Dialogue
1983	Agnes Baltsa, José Carreras, Katia Ricciarelli	Herbert von Karajan, Berliner Philharmoniker	Audio CD: Deutsche Grammophon ASIN: B000001G4J	Dialogue
1984	Julia Migenes, Plácido Domingo, Faith Esham	Lorin Maazel, Orchestre National de France, Chorus and Childrens Chorus of Radio France (Movie)	DVD: Sony Pictures ASIN: B000022TSV	Dialogue
1988	Jessye Norman, Neil Shicoff, Mirella Freni	Seiji Ozawa, Orchestre National de France French National Radio Chorus	Audio CD: Philips ASIN: B000004123	Dialogue
	Agnes Baltsa, José Carreras, Leona Mitchell	James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera orchestra and chorus	DVD: Deutsche Grammophon Cat: 00440 073 0009	Dialogue
2003	Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Inva Mula-Tchako	Michel Plasson, Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse	Audio CD:EMI Classics ASIN: B000083GOD	Recitative

Note: "Cat:" is short for catalogue number by the label company; "ASIN" is amazon.com product reference number.

Adaptations

Fantasies

A number of classical composers have used themes from Carmen as the basis for works of their own. Some of these, such as Pablo de Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy (1883) for violin and orchestra, Franz Waxman's Carmen Fantasie (1946) for violin and orchestra and Vladimir Horowitz's Variations on a theme from Carmen for solo piano are virtuoso showpieces in the tradition of fantasias on operatic themes. Ferruccio Busoni wrote a Sonatina (No.6) for piano named Fantasia da camera super Carmen (1920), which uses themes from the opera. There are also two suites of music drawn directly from Bizet's opera, often recorded and performed in orchestral concerts.

Film

In 1915, Cecil B. DeMille directed a 59-minute silent film version of the opera.

In the United States, it was adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II into an African-American setting as Carmen Jones, which was a success both as a stage production and in 1954 as a feature film.

In 1967, the conductor Herbert von Karajan directed a Technicolor film of the opera.

In 1983, Carlos Saura made a dance film inspired by the opera, with flamenco dances choreographed by Antonio Gades

In 1984, a film version was produced. This motion picture stars Julia Migenes as Carmen and Plácido Domingo as Don José, with Lorin Maazel conducting the Orchestre National de France. The powerful cast and traditional direction made it popular with audiences. It was the first film version to use Bizet's spoken dialogues in place of the recitatives. The entire soundtrack was released on CD.

MTV also made a version, Carmen: A Hip Hopera, starring Beyoncé Knowles as Carmen, in 2001.

A recent adaptation was U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha (2005), set in Khayelitsha, South Africa; and sung in Xhosa. The film received the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Another African adaptation Karmen Gei (2001), set in Dakar, Senegal was sung in French and Wolof.

Other

• Rodion Shchedrin wrote a Carmen ballet (1967) directly based on the opera.

• Choreographer Matthew Bourne has created an updated version of Carmen, called Matthew Bourne's The Car Man.

• Eric V. Cruz of the Philippines created Carmen, a full-length ballet based on the original story and music of Carmen. The choreography now belongs to the repertoire of Ballet Manila headed by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde.

• Robert Sund choreographed a 45 minute contemporary ballet of Carmen to a score by Miles Davis for Ballet Pacifica in 1997.

• La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego: a world-premiere of "Carmen" the Musical for the 2007/2008 Season, with Book by Sarah Miles; Music by John Ewbank; Lyrics by AnnMarie Milazzo; Directed by Franco Dragone.

References

• Winton Dean (1980). "Bizet, Georges". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). The New Grove. Macmillan. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
• Elizabeth Forbes (1992). "Carmen". In Sadie, Stanley (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Macmillan. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
• Michael Tanner (1999). "Words and Music". In Robert Ainsley (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Classical Music. Carlton. ISBN 1-85868-628-8.
• Batta, András (2000). Opera: Composers, Works, Performers. Könemann. ISBN 3-8290-3571-3.
• Dibbern, Mary (2000). Carmen: A Performance Guide. Pendragon Press. ISBN 1-57647-032-6.

External links

• Carmen MP3 Creative Commons Recording of the Complete Opera
• Recordings of Carmen
• Carmen Filmography an online resource documenting film versions of the Carmen story, hosted by AHDS Performing Arts
• Free scores by Carmen at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
• Full Piano Score with notes
• Carmen at Project Gutenberg
• Carmen and other works by Mérimée in English