Synopsis

Carmen is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences. The opera is written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue. It is set in southern Spain and tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous matador Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality, and lawlessness, and the tragic death of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial.

Barbara King

Suzanne Lommler

Steeve Michaud

Ernesto Ramirez

Lara Ciekiewicz

Geoffrey Sirett

Geoffrey Schellenberg

Jean-Philippe Lazure

Peter Monaghan

Aaron Durand

Marie Civitarese

Martina Govednik

Bernard McDonald

Kinza Tyrell

Amiel Gladstone

Laura Mireau

Theresa Tsang