Quotes. Opera masterpieces Where can you hear the Carmen theme

Now let's talk about the main character.

Carmen is a gypsy, a cigar factory worker. She is beautiful, passionate, loves freedom. Carmen in the opera is the embodiment of female beauty and charm, passion and courage. J. Bizet masterfully conveys the fiery temperament of the gypsy, her indomitable character, beauty and enthusiasm. Carmen's vocal part is full of intonations and rhythms of Spanish folk songs and dances. Carmen's entrance is preceded by the sound of an orchestra. The musical characteristic of the freedom-loving Carmen, the habanera, contains the rhythms of this folk dance.

“Habanera” from J. Bizet’s opera “Carmen”

Habanera is a free love song that sounds like a challenge to Jose. At the end of the scene, Carmen throws a flower to Jose, the young soldier, thereby recognizing him as her chosen one, and promises love.

In Act 3, another characteristic of Carmen appears. The difference between Jose and Carmen is too great. Jose dreams of a quiet life as a peasant, but Carmen no longer loves him. A gap between them is inevitable. She and her friends are telling fortunes with cards. What will they tell her? Only fate does not promise anything good for Carmen; she saw her death sentence in the cards. With deep sorrow she reflects on the future.

The image of Carmen in literature

Carmen- Spanish gypsy Carmencita. The narrator, a French historian, meets her in 1830 in Andalusia, and later learns her story from her lover, an awaiting execution robber called José Navarro. José, who served as a non-commissioned officer in Seville, met K. when she worked in a tobacco factory there. Forced to arrest her for a fight with another worker, he lets her go, succumbing to a sudden passion; K. becomes his mistress. Having become jealous of her for the officer of his regiment, he kills his rival and is forced to hide from court. K. hides him and introduces him to a gang of robbers and smugglers who rob rich travelers, whom the gypsy lures into a trap with her beauty. Here Jose has a new rival - “husband” Carmen, a cruel bandit who escaped from prison; Having killed him in the fight, Jose himself becomes her “husband,” but Carmen does not accept his claims to power and sole possession. In Cordoba, she meets the bullfighter Lucas, and then Jose, who is “tired of killing Carmen’s lovers,” takes her to the mountains to put her to death; she refuses the offer to go to America together and dies courageously, without trying to escape or beg for mercy. Jose, unable to survive the death of his beloved, surrenders to the authorities and goes to the scaffold. Karme is a robber, she participates in robberies and murders and herself finds death from a dagger. The love she inspires in men is a romantically cruel and frantic passion. Carmen's inconstancy is interpreted in Merimee's novel not as a manifestation of weak female nature, but as a fanatical devotion of a romantic individual to the idea of ​​freedom.

The image of Carmen in art and literature

Often writers, poets, composers and artists turn to eternal images of literature and art. Each author has the right to introduce other features into an already existing image, and to remove the old ones altogether. But still, the brightest facets of this eternal image remain unchanged. The so-called “wandering” plots and images are interesting in all the diversity of these transformations.

There are many eternal images known: Don Juan, Don Quixote, Sancho Panzo, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello and many, many others. One of the most recognizable, popular and, perhaps, even the most beloved is the image of Carmen.

When you see a dark-haired girl with a scarlet flower in her hair at a carnival, the name Carmen pops up at the level of association, and along with the name, everything else that is associated with this name comes to mind: the girl’s love of freedom, pride, charm, divine beauty, insidiousness, cunning, - everything that defeated Jose and that defeats other men.

Carmen became the first world-famous femme fatale in literary history, although there are other popular characters. The “femme fatale” has been popular at all times and comes across us, in one form or another, in every culture.

It seems that Merimee wrote a story that could very well have happened in reality. Merimee does not idealize her heroes. In the image of Carmen, he embodies all the “bad passions”: she is insidious and evil, she betrays her husband, the crooked Garcia, she is merciless towards her abandoned lover. Why then does she attract men so much?

Carmen is an integral person with a love of freedom, a protest against all violence and oppression. It was these character traits that impressed the composer Georges Bizet, who continued to develop the image in his opera.

Immediately after the premiere of the opera, which took place in 1875, many negative reviews followed, but at the same time, great geniuses appreciated Bizet’s opera.

P. I. Tchaikovsky wrote: “Bizet’s opera is a masterpiece, one of those few things that are destined to reflect to the greatest extent the musical aspirations of an entire era. In ten years, Carmen will be the most popular opera in the world.” These words turned out to be truly prophetic. Nowadays, the opera is included in the repertoire of all opera troupes and is performed in all languages ​​of the world, including even Japanese.

"Carmen" is one of the masterpieces of opera. Bizet masterfully recreated the Spanish flavor, the peculiarities of the gypsy nature, and the drama of conflicts.

The image of the beautiful, unpredictable gypsy Carmen is very mysterious. Many writers and poets tried to understand what exactly was so enchanting about her.

The name Carmen is associated with beauty, deceit, love of freedom, rose, habanera, Spain, love - that is why there are so many interpretations in different fields of art. And yet, for many, Carmen is a symbol of love of freedom and trampling on all violence.

J. Bizet's opera "Carmen"

The plot of J. Bizet's opera "Carmen" is taken from the novel of the same name by P. Merimee. At the center of the cycle of events is a beautiful, passionate and freedom-loving gypsy, who with her lifestyle and actions changes the lives of the people around her. This is the composer's last opera, which has gone through a thorny path to fame and the stages of world theaters. It is considered the culmination of creativity Georges Bizet and his life fiasco.

Read a summary of Bizet's opera "" and many interesting facts about this work on our page.

Summary of “Carmen”

The opera takes place in Spain, in the first half of the 19th century. Carmen is a beautiful, passionate, temperamental gypsy who works in a cigarette factory. She noticeably stands out among other workers - as soon as this burning beauty appears on the street, all the admiring male gazes immediately turn to her. Carmen takes particular pleasure in mocking the men around her and their feelings. But the temperamental girl does not like the fact that Jose is indifferent to her; she tries in every possible way to attract his attention. Having failed, the gypsy, along with other girls, returns to work. However, a quarrel breaks out among them, which instantly turns into a fight. The culprit of the conflict turns out to be Carmen. She is sent to a cell, where she languishes while awaiting a warrant under the supervision of Jose. But the insidious seductress makes the sergeant fall in love with her, and he helps her escape from custody. This reckless act completely turns his life upside down: Jose loses everything - his girlfriend, family, respect, rank and becomes a simple soldier.

And all this time, Carmen continues to lead an idle life - together with her friends, she wanders through taverns, where she entertains visitors with her songs and dances. At the same time, the girl manages to collaborate with smugglers and flirt with the bullfighter Escamillo. Soon Jose appears at the tavern, but not for long - it’s time for him to return to the barracks for an evening check. However, the gypsy uses all her charm so as not to let the soldier leave her. Jose is fascinated by her, and the captain’s order means nothing to him now. He becomes a deserter and is now forced to be with Carmen and the smugglers. But soon the feelings of the burning beauty fade away - she is bored with Jose. Now she was seriously infatuated with the bullfighter, who even promised to fight in her honor. And the soldier in love is forced to leave her temporarily - he learns from his former lover that his mother is dying, and he hastily goes to her.

Preparations for a bullfight are underway in a square in Seville. The gypsy prepares to join the celebration, but Jose appears on her way. He begs the girl to be with him again, confesses his love, threatens, but everything is in vain - she is cold towards him. In a fit of anger, he takes out a dagger and plunges it into his beloved.

Photo:

Interesting facts

• Surprisingly, I have never been to Spain. To create the necessary musical atmosphere, he reworked folk melodies, giving them the desired Spanish flavor.
• In 1905, scientists discovered a new asteroid, which was named “Carmen”.

• The famous German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck was present at the screening of Carmen 27 times under various circumstances.
• English musicologist Hugh MacDonald wrote that French opera does not know a greater fatalist than Carmen. Outside France, its descendants could be Richard Strauss's Salome and Alban Berg's Lulu.
• The play premiered on March 3, 1875 and ended in complete failure. And exactly 3 months after it, the composer himself died. The causes of his death are still debated. According to one version, Bizet could not survive the fiasco of “Carmen” and the “immorality” of which he was accused after the premiere. The opera seemed indecent to the public, because its heroes were bandits, smoking factory workers, smugglers and ordinary soldiers. And when characterizing the main character of the opera, art connoisseurs did not mince words at all - she was the true embodiment of vulgarity and dirt.
• The opera was designated by the composer as comic. And the first performance took place at the Opera-Comic. What does the comic have to do with it, you ask? It's simple. According to the traditions of the French theater, all works in which the main characters are ordinary people were classified as comedies. It is for this reason that the opera alternates musical numbers with spoken dialogues - all comic operas in France were built according to this scheme.
• One of the co-directors of the Opera Comique theater had to leave his position because of this work. Adolphe de Leuven believed that in a genre such as comic opera there should absolutely be no murder, especially such a terrible and sophisticated one. In his opinion, violence absolutely does not fit into the norms of a decent society. He tried in every possible way to convince the authors of this, repeatedly inviting librettists to talk with him, persuading them to make Carmen’s character softer and change the ending. The latter was required so that the audience left the theater in a great mood. However, they never reached agreement, and as a result, Adolf was forced to leave his post. This became a kind of sign of protest against the play, which promoted murder.

• Shortly before his death, J. Bizet entered into a contract with the Vienna State Opera for the production of Carmen. Despite some edits and differences from the author's original, the performance was a huge success. "Carmen" won praise not only from ordinary spectators, but also from such prominent composers as Johannes Brahms And Richard Wagner . This was the first serious success of J. Bizet’s creation on the way to world recognition.
• On October 23, 1878, the first premiere of this work in the United States took place at the New York Academy of Music. In the same year, the opera appeared before the audience in St. Petersburg.
• “Carmen” was the last opera staged on the stage of the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theater. It was with this work that the theater decided to end its history - after the last production it was closed, then transferred to the RMO, and then completely demolished. In 1896, the building of the St. Petersburg Conservatory was erected in its place.

Popular arias and numbers

Habanera - listen

Escamillo's couplets - listen

Aria Jose - listen

Gypsy dance - listen

The history of the creation of "Carmen"

He announced his plans to write the opera Carmen in 1872. Even then, the Opéra-Comique placed an order with the famous librettists Henri Meillac and Ludovic Halévy, and they worked hard on the text. They managed to significantly transform P. Merimee's novel. First of all, the changes affected the images of the main characters - in their interpretation they became more noble. Jose, from a severe lawbreaker, turned into an honest but weak-willed man. The gypsy woman is also presented differently - her independence is more emphasized, and the thirst for theft and cunning are hidden. The authors also changed the location of the action - if in the literary source everything happened in slums and gorges, then in the libretto all events were transferred to the center of Seville, to squares and streets. The playwrights introduced a new character into the opera - Jose's beloved, Micaela, to show the complete opposite of Carmen. The bullfighter turned from an uninitiative and nameless participant into a cheerful Escamillo, who played a decisive role in the fate of the main character.

The text was completely ready by the spring of 1873, and then the composer began work. The opera was completely finished in the summer of 1874.

However, rejection of this opera appeared long before its production, as soon as the idea was voiced - the abundance of dramatic events and the intensity of passions were not suitable for the stage in which the first production was planned. The thing is that the Opera Comique was considered a secular theater, which was visited only by representatives of the wealthy class. Going to the theater, they knew in advance that they would see a light genre with an abundance of funny situations. This audience was far from frenzied passions, and certainly from bloody murders. The opera presented characters and passions unacceptable to the public - girls unencumbered by morality, cigarette factory workers, robbers, military deserters.

The opera premiered in the capital of France, at the Opera Comique. It was March 3, 1875. The audience did not know how to react to this performance: it had very beautiful music, instantly etched in the memory, but there was also a terrible plot, which is simply indecent to talk about in secular society. The opera was a failure, and its authors were accused of debauchery and immorality. But, despite the fact that Bizet’s creation was a complete fiasco, it was staged 45 times that year. And the reason for this is quite simple - ordinary human curiosity. The public was haunted by the fact that all of Paris was talking about this work at that time. Interest in the work intensified at the beginning of summer - exactly 3 months after the premiere, J. Bizet died. Many came to the conclusion that the failure with Carmen was to blame, because the failure and persecution from the press provoked a nervous shock in the maestro and contributed to the deterioration of his health. After the end of the theater season, it was decided to remove the play from the stage. Then everyone was sure that he would never appear there again.

In the autumn of 1875 the opera was staged in Vienna in German. However, what was shown to the audience was radically different from what Bizet intended - it was a real opera-ballet with many dance numbers. The Vienna theater decided to surprise the audience with a spectacular spectacle - riders on real horses and a whole cortege of bullfighters were brought onto the stage.

In December of the same year, Carmen was staged in Italy. Subsequently, the work had unprecedented success and was immediately included in the repertoire of many world theaters. Moreover, the audience liked the Viennese, classical production. Other directors who staged this opera in other European countries relied on it.

In February 1878, the opera was brought to Russia and shown to wealthy audiences on the stage of the Bolshoi (Kamenny) Theater in St. Petersburg. It was performed by the imperial Italian troupe in its version. Many scenes were cut from the work in order not to shock the audience. However, this did not help, and the performance was not a success. In many ways, this turn of events was facilitated by the fact that the soloists did not have time to prepare well, since they were in a hurry with the production. As many newspapers wrote at that time, the premiere of this performance was more like a rehearsal, so many flaws and “roughness” were present in it.

But in 1882, the audience greeted another production of the play with delight, and, finally, Bizet’s work received the recognition it deserved. Its initiator was the new director of the imperial theaters I.A. Vsevolozhsky. The cut excerpts reappeared on stage, a new cast was chosen, and all the choreographic numbers were choreographed.

In 1885, the text of the libretto was translated into Russian, and in this version the opera was first performed at the Mariinsky Theater,

The fact that Carmen received worldwide recognition made the French again interested in it. One of the composers of that time, Ernest Guiraud, decided to make his own edition - he replaced all the spoken dialogues in Bizet’s work with recitatives, and also decorated the finale of the opera with bright choreographic scenes. The opera was staged in Paris in this version in 1883, and this time it was a real triumph. After 21 years, the capital of France saw the anniversary, thousandth performance of "".

One of the first Russian composers to become acquainted with this work Bizet , became P.I. Tchaikovsky . He loved it so much that Pyotr Ilyich even learned the entire clavier by heart. And when the media kept publishing negative reviews and devastating reviews, he insisted that one day this opera would become the most popular in the world. And the Russian genius was not mistaken. Today, the tragic story about the life of a freedom-loving gypsy, as interpreted by the great French maestro, is considered one of the pinnacles of opera music - a brilliant, exemplary and inimitable creation.

Video: watch the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet

Opera Carmen and its history

The material was “taken away” from the site http://site/

Opera "Carmen" is one of my favorite operas, attracting me not so much with its plot and action, but with the amazing music of Georges Bizet, which just gives me goosebumps every time. It excites and takes you with you to distant Spain, engulfed in love passions and incendiary bullfights.

Poster for the opera “Carmen”, 2016, Opera and Ballet Theater, Minsk

It seems surprising that “the most Spanish opera,” as it is often called, was written by a Frenchman who had never been to Spain! The opera Carmen is rightfully considered a classic of Spanish music. Her Suite No. 2 is considered to be the brightest example of classical Spanish flamenco dance. The rhythm of this suite is still used as the basis for many flamenco music and dance performances. "March of the Toreodores" has long been recognized as the best passado doble.

History of the opera Carmen

The 4-act opera Carmen was written by Georges Bizet in 1874. The libretto for it was written by Henri Meillac and Ludovic Halévy. The inspiration for its creation was the short story of the same name by a French writer.

The premiere took place in Paris, on the stage of the Opera Comique theater. The production director was Charles Ponchard, whom Bizet himself considered to be to blame for the failure of his opera.

“Carmen” became Georges Bizet’s sixth opera. Of his previous 5 creations, three were staged during the author’s lifetime, but none of them were successful. The composer, however, continued to compose in the manner he considered necessary. The plot for the new opera, which he was offered to write in 1872 by the directors of the Opera-Comique, Camille du Locle and Adolphe de Leuven, was proposed by Bizet himself. He took Merimee’s famous short story “Carmen” as a basis.

Changed Carmen

To write the libretto, Bizet chose his longtime collaborators Henri Meillac and Ludovic Halévy, whose cousin, by the way, the composer was married to. Experienced librettists approached the plot creatively, discarding all the digressions in Merimee's plot and focusing on the action. Bizet also took an active part in writing the libretto. Instead of showing Jose as a bandit, they made him a simple village guy who committed a crime out of stupidity and ended up in the army. Through honest service he achieved the rank of corporal. He has a fiancée, a kind and simple girl, Michaela, whom he loves. This character didn't have one at all. The image of the bullfighter Escamillo was also an innovation of Melhak and Halévy. In the original, he was not popular, but was nameless and did not have any special merits in the arena. The main character has also undergone changes. Instead of a brazen and cunning cheat, she appeared before the audience as a straightforward and free-thinking beauty. She is distinguished not only by her cheerful disposition and lively tongue, but also by her seductive charm coupled with uncontrollable courage. In the opera Carmen, the heroine seems to rise above everyone else, who despise the poor gypsy in her. She behaves nobly and independently, protecting her freedom even at the cost of her own life!

Carmen, the meaning of whose name is “the blessed Madonna of Mount Carmel”, does not in any way coincide with the image of a pure and immaculate virgin. A gypsy woman, who has made her living by deception since childhood, easily seduces men without thinking about the consequences. And even realizing the inevitable disaster, the beauty is not ready to retreat. The desire for profit is too strong in the girl’s heart.

History of creation

The author of the short story about the rebellious beauty is a French writer. The author of “Carmen” visited his first thoughts about writing a novella, in which human tragedy and the biography of the Spanish people were intertwined, in Spain. The man spent a year and a half in the sunny country and deeply studied the customs and habits of the local population.

The work “Gypsies” had no less influence on Merimee’s inspiration. The French writer studied Russian since childhood, so he easily translated the poet’s work. The man was especially impressed by the sincerity and love of freedom of the characters in the work.

In 1845, the short story was presented to the public, and in 1875 the premiere of the opera “Carmen” took place, the composer of which was.

Both the opera and the novella did not make a positive impression on critics. But it was the devastating reviews that appeared in the newspapers that attracted the public. The musical work filled the theater stage, bringing Bizet incredible popularity. At the same time, the literary source of the opera remained unnoticed by many of Merimee's contemporaries.

"Carmen"

A reliable biography of the gypsy Carmencita has been known since the girl’s appearance in the city of Seville. The beauty worked at a tobacco factory, where, in addition to the heroine, 400 more women rolled cigars. However, unlike other workers, Carmen did not make friends, as she had an explosive character and a sharp tongue.

“Her skin, although immaculately smooth, closely resembled copper in color. Her eyes were slanted, but wonderfully cut; the lips were a little full, but beautifully defined, and behind them were visible teeth, whiter than peeled tonsils. Her hair, perhaps a little coarse, was black, with a blue tint like a raven’s wing, long and shiny.”

One day, a squabble with a factory worker led to a stabbing - Carmen, offended by a cruel joke, slashed the face of a woman she knew. Due to the seriousness of the injuries, the authorities decide to send the gypsy to prison; Jose Lizarrabengoa is entrusted with accompanying the arrested woman.

The young man, who was not impressed by his first meeting with Carmen, started a conversation with the girl. The troublemaker told the inexperienced soldier that she was born in Etxalar, from where the gypsies took her. The beauty had a single mother in her homeland, and the girl worked in a factory to save money for the trip home.

During an intimate conversation, the seductress persuaded Jose to help her escape. The girl pushed her new acquaintance in the chest, and while he pretended to lose his balance, she disappeared from sight. Despite her daring nature, Carmen did not forget her assistant. Having learned that Jose was in prison because of complicity in the escape, the gypsy woman sent the man bread, in which she hid a file and money. However, the soldier did not take advantage of the kindly provided help.

The next meeting of the young people took place in the colonel’s house, where Jose was sent after being demoted from the officers. A company of gypsies came to entertain the military's guests. And among the noisy camp, Jose spotted the charming Carmen.

Already leaving the holiday, the beauty in a whisper made an appointment with the soldier. As soon as Jose arrived at the meeting place, Carmen took the man, who had already fallen in love, for a walk. Wandering the streets, the gypsy, with childish spontaneity, spent all her boyfriend’s money, after which she took Jose to an old house, where the couple spent a day and a half in unbridled fun and love affairs.

Soon Carmencita herself escorted the man out. In a fit of revelation, the girl asked Jose not to think about her anymore, because such a relationship would end badly for the young man. Alas, the soldier was already too in love to think about the future.

For some time, Carmen disappeared from the city, and attempts to find her beloved led nowhere. Jose's new meeting with the gypsy took place next to a hole in the wall through which the smugglers passed.

For help in transporting illegal goods, Carmen promised the man in love another passionate night, and Jose, tormented by remorse, gave up. The gypsy, whose temper was fickle, tormented the soldier for a long time. The girl swore her love, then drove her lover away.

The tragic turn of the story was Jose's clash with his rival. Carmen, who did not know about her lover’s arrival, brought a new boyfriend to a love date. The scene of jealousy ended in murder. Having bandaged the wounds, the cunning seductress invited Jose to join her team. The girl described to the former soldier all the charm of a smuggler’s life, and he once again believed the beauty.

Now another side of Carmen has been revealed to José. The girl worked as a spy in a gang and did the job better than men. The beauty became more affectionate with her lover, but carefully hid her own attitude towards the man in front of other smugglers. However, there was an explanation for this behavior.

Carmen has long connected her life with someone else. And while Jose was earning money, the woman seduced the prison doctor in order to free her husband, who was locked up. But the cunning gypsy did not plan to again commit herself to the gypsy who was disgusted with her.

The woman freed her husband only to commit a couple of thefts and get rid of the unwanted man. For these purposes, Carmen moved to Gibraltar, citing gypsy affairs. A true master of disguise, the gypsy pretended to be an aristocrat and turned the head of the English officer, who was assigned the role of bait.

The only one whom the beauty devoted to her own plan was Jose. After all, Carmensita would not have been able to cope without the help of her faithful, spineless assistant. The plan went even better than the woman had planned. Jose did not wait for an opportunity and killed the gypsy woman’s husband himself.

Now Carmen was free from any obligations. But the beauty’s movements were limited by the former soldier, who decided that he now had all the rights to the beauty. This attitude irritates the extravagant Carmen.

In Granada, the gypsy met a picador named Lucas. Constant quarrels between two irreconcilable lovers only inflamed the situation. Carmen, accustomed to doing things contrary to those around her, became more and more interested in Lucas. Driven to despair, Jose made a last attempt to improve relations with his beloved, but the stubborn gypsy stood her ground: she no longer loves the former soldier and is not going to live with him.

Realizing that such words only bring her death closer, Carmen does not back down. Cruelty begets cruelty. Jose, who was tired of fighting for the attention of his beloved, stabbed the beauty with a knife from his former rival.

Film adaptations

Italian director Gerolamo Lo Savio was one of the first to transfer the Spanish story of passion to television screens. In 1909, the premiere of the black and white film “Carmen” took place, in which the main role was played by actress Vittoria Lepanto.

A year later, the Americans presented their own film adaptation of the novel. The film "The Cigarette Girl from Seville" was a revised version of Merimee's novella. The role of the cynical and cruel Carmen went to Madame Pilar-Morin.

In 1959, the musical film “Carmen from Ronda” was released. The film was created in two versions: French and Spanish. The first version differs from the original in several added scenes. The main role was played by an actress and singer. The artist independently performed the songs sung by the gypsy woman in the film.

In 1989, at the Venice Film Festival, the French director presented his own vision of the image of Carmen. The film "Name: Carmen" is a combination of Merimee's short story and the musical "Carmen Jones". The role of the gypsy was performed by Marushka Detmers.

Another crime drama “Carmen” was released in 2003. The plot of the film develops in modern Russia. The film is a free interpretation of a classic work. The actress, nicknamed Carmen, embodied the image of the criminal.

Quotes

“You see that I’m a gypsy: do you want me to tell your fortune?”

“A dog will always find food on the move.”

“I'm paying my debts! I'm paying my debts! This is the law among the Kales!

“You know, son, it seems to me that I love you a little. But it won't last long."

Georges Bizet (lived 1838-1875) “Carmen” based on the short story of the same name by Prosper Merimee has now gained worldwide fame. The popularity of the musical work is so great that in many theaters it is performed in the national language (including in Japan). The summary of the opera “Carmen” by Bizet generally corresponds to the plot of the novel, however, there are some differences.

Opera production

It may seem surprising to a modern listener that the first production of the opera, which took place on March 3, 1875 in Paris (Opera-Comique Theater), was a failure. The scandalous debut of "Carmen", accompanied by an abundance of accusatory comments from French journalists, nevertheless had its own positive effect. The work, which received such a wide response in the press, could not help but attract the attention of the world. About 50 performances took place on the stage of the Comic Opera Theater alone during the premiere season.

Nevertheless, after some time the opera was withdrawn from the show and returned to the stage only in 1883. The author of the opera “Carmen” himself did not live to see this moment - he died suddenly at the age of 36, three months after the premiere of his great work.

Opera structure

Bizet's opera Carmen has a four-part form, each act of which is preceded by a separate symphonic intermission. All overtures of the work in their development contain musical material that, to one degree or another, represents a given action (general picture of events, tragic premonition, etc.).

Place of action and specific characters

The plot of the opera "Carmen" takes place in the city of Seville and its environs (Spain) in the beginning. 19th century. The specific character of the characters chosen by the author of the opera was somewhat provocative for that time. The images of ordinary tobacco factory workers behaving rather cheekily (some of them smoke), soldiers, police officers, as well as thieves and smugglers ran counter to the strict requirements of secular society.

In order to somehow smooth out the impression created by such a society (women of easy virtue, fickle in their affections; men sacrificing honor in the name of passion, etc.), the author of the opera “Carmen”, together with the authors of the libretto, introduce a new character into the work. This is the image of Michaela - a pure and innocent girl, which was not in the novel by Prosper Merimee. Due to this heroine, touching in her affection for Don Jose, the characters acquire greater contrast, and the work, in turn, acquires greater drama. Thus, the summary of the libretto of the opera “Carmen” has its own specifics.

Characters

First action

Let's look at the summary of the opera "Carmen". Seville, city square. Hot afternoon. Off-duty soldiers stand outside the barracks, next to a cigar factory, cynically discussing passers-by. Michaela approaches the soldiers - she is looking for Don Jose. Finding out that he is not there now, she leaves, embarrassed. The changing of the guard begins, and Don Jose appears among those who took up the guard. Together with their commander, Captain Zuniga, they discuss the attractiveness of cigar factory workers. The bell rings - it's a break at the factory. The workers run out into the street in a crowd. They smoke and behave quite cheekily.

Carmen comes out. She flirts with young men and sings her famous habanera (“Love has wings like a bird”). At the end of the singing, the girl throws a flower at Jose. Laughing at his embarrassment, the workers return to the factory.

Michaela appears again with a letter and a gift for Jose. Their duet “What the Relatives Said” sounds. At this time, a terrible noise begins in the factory. It turns out that Carmen slashed one of the girls with a knife. Jose receives orders from the commander to arrest Carmen and take her to the barracks. Jose and Carmen are left alone. The seguidilla “Near the Bastion in Seville” sounds, in which the girl promises to love Jose. The young corporal is completely fascinated. However, on the way to the barracks, Carmen manages to push him away and escape. As a result, Jose himself is taken into custody.

Second act

We continue to describe the summary of the opera “Carmen”. Two months later. The tavern of Lilyas Pastya, Carmen's friend, is the very place where the young gypsy promised to sing and dance for Jose. Unbridled fun reigns here. Among the most important visitors is Captain Zuniga, Commander Jose. He tries to woo Carmen, but he doesn't succeed very well. At the same time, the girl learns that Jose’s period of detention is ending, and this makes her happy.

The bullfighter Escamillo appears and performs the famous couplets “Toast, friends, I accept yours.” The tavern's patrons join in his singing in unison. Escamillo is also fascinated by Carmen, but she does not reciprocate.

It's getting late. Jose appears. Delighted by his arrival, Carmen escorts the remaining visitors from the tavern - four smugglers (bandits El Dancairo and El Remendado, as well as the girls Mercedes and Frasquita). A young gypsy performs a dance for Jose, as he was promised before his arrest. However, the appearance of Captain Zunig, who also came on a date with Carmen, destroys the romantic atmosphere. A quarrel breaks out between the rivals, ready to escalate into bloodshed. However, the gypsies who arrive in time manage to disarm the captain. Don Jose has no choice but to abandon his military career. He joins a smuggling gang, to Carmen's delight.

Third act

What else does the summary of the opera “Carmen” tell about? An idyllic picture of nature, in a secluded place among the mountains. The smugglers have a short break. Don Jose yearns for home, for peasant life, the smugglers' trade does not appeal to him at all - only Carmen and his passionate love for her attract him. However, the young gypsy no longer loves him, and things are approaching a breakup. According to the fortune telling of Mercedes and Fransquita, Carmen is in danger of death.

The halt is over, the smugglers go to work, only Jose remains to look after the abandoned goods. Suddenly Michaela appears. She continues to look for Jose. Her aria “I assure myself in vain” sounds.

At this time, the sound of a shot is heard. Frightened, Michaela hides. It turns out that the shooter was Jose, who saw Escamillo. A bullfighter in love with Carmen is looking for her. A fight begins between the rivals, which inevitably threatens Escamillo’s death, but Carmen, who arrives in time, manages to intervene and save the bullfighter. Escamillo leaves, finally inviting everyone to his performance in Seville.

The next moment, Jose discovers Michaela. The girl tells him the sad news - his mother is dying and wants to say goodbye to her son before her death. Carmen contemptuously agrees that Jose should leave. In anger, he warns her that they will meet again, and only death can separate them. Roughly pushing Carmen away, Jose leaves. The bullfighter's musical motif sounds ominously.

Act Four

The following is a summary of the opera “Carmen” about the festive festivities in Seville. Residents of the city in smart clothes are all in anticipation of the bullfighting performance. Escamillo is scheduled to perform in the arena. Soon the bullfighter himself appears, arm in arm with Carmen. The young gypsy woman is also dressed with great luxury. A duet of two lovers sounds.

Escamillo, and behind him all the spectators rush into the theater. Only Carmen remains, despite the fact that Mercedes and Fransquita manage to warn her about Jose hiding nearby. The girl defiantly says that she is not afraid of him.

Jose enters. He is wounded, his clothes have turned into rags. Jose begs the girl to return to him, but receives only a contemptuous refusal in response. The young man continues to insist. An angry Carmen throws him the gold ring he gave him. At this time, a choir sounds behind the stage, glorifying the victory of the bullfighter, Jose’s lucky rival. Losing his mind, Jose takes out a dagger and plunges it into his lover just at the moment when the enthusiastic crowd in the theater welcomes Escamillo, the winner of the bullfight.

The festive crowd pours out of the theater onto the street, where a terrible picture opens before their eyes. A mentally broken Jose with the words: “I killed her! Oh, my Carmen!..” - falls at the feet of his dead lover.

Thus, “Carmen” is an opera, the summary of which can be described in almost two sentences. However, the range of human feelings and passions that the heroes of the work experience cannot be conveyed in any words - only with music and theatrical acting, which Georges Bizet and the opera actors managed to masterfully accomplish.