Lyrical opera in four acts by Georges Bizet

Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

Based on the novel of the same name by Prosper Mérimée

First performance: 3 March 1875, Opéra-Comique in Paris.

First performance in Bulgaria: 9 March 1912, Opera Druzhba - Sofia, conductor - Todor Hadjiev, director - Dragomir Kazakov.

First performance in Ruse: January 16, 1958, conductor - Romeo Raichev, director - Ion Răznescu, artists - Teodor Surucanu and Lidia Iovanescu, choreographer - Asen Manolov, choirmaster - Nikolay Nikolaev.

Main characters:

Carmen, Gypsy - mezzo-soprano

Don José, corporal -tenor.

Micaela, José's fiancée - soprano

Escamillo, toreador - baritone

Dan Cairo, smuggler - tenor

Remendado, smuggler - tenor

Zuniga, lieutenant - bass

Morales, corporal - bass

Frasquita, gypsy soprano

Mercedes, Gypsy - mezzo-soprano

Place and time of the action: Spain, Seville and its surroundings, 1820.

Short synopsis:

First act

A square in Seville. In front of the barracks, soldiers are standing around, commenting on the passersby. Micaëla appears - she is looking for José. He will be here later, when the guard changes. The soldiers try in vain to detain the charming country girl from Navarre - she slips away. From the factory, a bell rings, signaling the lunch break. A noisy crowd of young female workers pours into the square. Last among them, surrounded by countless admirers, is Carmen.

Only one of the men in the square remains indifferent to the beautiful gypsy - Corporal José. Carmen is offended by his indifference. With a provocative gesture, she throws a flower at him and runs off.

The bell signals the end of the break. Left alone in the square, José cannot take his eyes off the rose. If there are still sorceresses in the world, that girl must be one of them! Micaëla returns. She has brought a letter from José’s mother, a little money, and a kiss, which she delivers with love. Micaëla leaves.

A piercing scream is heard from the factory. The workers once again flood the square. Zuniga sends José to find out the cause of the commotion. José soon returns, bringing back Carmen in restraints, and reports that the girls got into a fight, during which the gypsy drew a knife and injured one of the workers. The lieutenant orders José to escort Carmen to prison. The beauty doesn’t waste any time. While Zuniga prepares the written order, she offers José her heart. He starts off with her toward the prison, but at the right moment gives her the chance to escape. Because of Carmen, he ends up under arrest himself.

Second act

Lillas Pastia’s tavern is a hideout for the smugglers of Seville. Carmen and her friends are here. The gypsy learns that José has served his sentence. She is firmly convinced that the corporal will follow her.

From the street come the cheers of a jubilant crowd. Escorted by a torchlight procession, Escamillo, the famed toreador from Granada, appears. He immediately notices Carmen and is clearly captivated by her charm. But the beauty rejects his advances. The toreador leaves with the noisy crowd.

In the tavern, only the smugglers remain. They persuade Carmen to join them again, to accompany them on their dangerous journey. But she refuses - she will wait for José to thank him for his sacrifice. The corporal arrives. Carmen dances, sings, and entertains her lover. But when the signal trumpet for the evening roll call is heard from the distant barracks, the sense of duty overcomes the soldier - he decides to leave. Carmen is in rage: she no longer wants a man for whom duty is more important than love. José gives in to her pleas. He reminds her of the rose she gave him - the only comfort during his difficult hours in prison. Meanwhile, Zuniga returns. He orders José to go back to the barracks and begins to court the gypsy. José is beside himself with jealousy, draws his sword, and is ready to kill the lieutenant. The smugglers who rush to the scene prevent the bloodshed. The lieutenant is disarmed and thrown out, and José has no other choice but to go with them and become a smuggler.

Third act

The smugglers climb the rocky mountains near Seville and stop in a cave for a brief rest. Don José cannot get used to his new life. He constantly thinks about his mother and the brighter days of the past that will never return. Carmen notices his distress - she is sad and seeks answers for her future in the cards, which foretell an early death. The smugglers prepare to leave again. José stays behind to guard the smuggled goods. Unexpectedly, Micaëla appears among the rocks - she has followed the smugglers in the hope of finding José. A gunshot rings out, and the girl hides. José appears. He has shot Escamillo. The toreador has fallen in love with the beautiful gypsy and has followed her, but here he encounters his rival. The two men begin a hand-to-hand fight. José is about to defeat Escamillo when Carmen runs out and stands between the two men, saving the toreador.

Escamillo is not concerned about being defeated - he knows that Carmen is already his, and before he leaves, he invites her, along with everyone, to the bullfight in Seville. The gypsy is ready to go with him immediately, only José is blocking her way. At that moment, Micaëla is discovered hiding. She has come to this dangerous place to inform José that his mother is dying. The young man leaves with Micaëla for home. Meanwhile, from the valley comes the song of Escamillo. Carmen is already in love with the brave toreador.

Fourth act

Outside the arena in Seville, the crowd greets the toreadors who will participate in the upcoming bullfight. Last to arrive, arm in arm with Carmen, is Escamillo. Mercedes and Frasquita warn their friend to beware of the jealous José, who is hiding in the crowd. But she ignores them - she waits for everyone to take their seats and is the last to head toward the arena. At that moment, the distressed and tormented José appears before her. He has not stopped loving Carmen and is ready to forgive her if she returns to him. But the gypsy no longer loves him - her heart belongs to the toreador. She pushes José away and, finally losing patience, returns the engagement ring to him.

Realizing that his pleas are in vain, José draws a knife and stabs Carmen in the heart.

History

In 1874, Georges Bizet chose the popular novella Carmen by the French writer Prosper Mérimée (1803–1870) as the subject for his new opera. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac (1831–1897) and Ludovic Halévy (1834–1908), experienced librettists and authors of many of the texts for Jacques Offenbach’s operettas. The libretto owes its success to its vivid and striking theatrical dramaturgy, which provides an excellent foundation for creating an operatic work.

Many elements of Mérimée's novella are altered. The two main characters are significantly transformed. Don José, who is a brooding romantic figure in the novella, is portrayed in the opera as a naive country boy, who becomes a victim of his fateful love for the irresistible Carmen. Her character embodies captivating feminine beauty, romantic sensuality, and the rebellious, free-spirited nature of a woman who is desired yet strong and unattainable. The character of Escamillo in the novella is developed into a contrasting heroic figure, dazzlingly magnificent in his opposition to Don José. Unlike in the novella, the character of Micaëla is also expanded and contrasted with Carmen. In the music and the libretto of the opera, the romantic figures of the gypsy smugglers stand out, with the tense atmosphere of the Spanish bullfight palpable, and the carefree and joyful mood in the tavern capturing the spirit of the setting. The love of the characters touches deeply and moves to tears.

It is strange that the world premiere, which took place on March 3, 1875, in Paris, was a failure. During the general rehearsal at the Opéra-Comique, musicians and critics were present, and they gave a negative review. "How true, yet how indecent everything is!" — the critics remarked about Carmen, and Bizet was accused of immorality. On October 23 of the same year, five months after the composer’s death, Carmen was performed in Vienna with extraordinary success. Since then, it has never left the stages of opera theaters around the world.

The Bulgarian premiere took place on March 9, 1912, by the Opera Society in Sofia. The conductor was Todor Hadzhiev from Ruse, and the director was Dragomir Kazakov.

In Ruse, "Carmen" was first performed on January 16, 1958. The conductor was Romeo Raichev, and the production team came from Bucharest - director Ion Răznescu, set designers Teodor Suruțanu and Lidia Iovanescu, and choreographer Asen Manolov.

Carmen is an exceptionally popular and beloved opera, and it is one of the most frequently performed in Bulgaria. The productions of Carmen created by the Ruse Opera have received enthusiastic applause during the company’s tours in Spain, France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.

For the 1883 performance in Paris, which was a tremendous success, Bizet's friend, the composer Ernest Guiraud (1837–1892), created a new version of "Carmen", replacing the spoken dialogues with recitatives and brilliantly incorporating dramatic ballet music into the action. This version of "Carmen" was also presented by the Ruse Opera to the Bulgarian audience.