The libretto, by Henri Meilac and Ludovic Halévy, is based on a novella by Prosper Mérimée. The first performance of Carmen on 3 March 1875, produced such a hostile reaction that Bizet left Paris physically and psychologically ill, and died only three months later on 3 June 1875, following two serious heart attacks. The massive scandal of the premiere may have been partially the result of Bizet’s attempt to reform the Opéra Comique genre, yet it must still be said that Carmen is operatic history’s most famous example of a failure being corrected by the passage of time: Carmen is now one of the most frequently performed operas in the world.
The major Spanish actress and producer Nuria Espert was brought in for the production at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1991, while the authentic Flamenco choreography comes from Cristina Hoyos and is danced by, among others, Juan Ortego.
For the musical side of this successful production Zubin Mehta had top vocalists at his disposal to perform the roles of Carmen, Don José and Escamillo.
Up Next in Bizet
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L'Orchestre National du Capitole de T...
Under the baton of Tugan Sokhiev, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse performs S. Prokofiev's "Romeo et Juliette" and the Interlude of the 3rd Act and Overture of G. Bizet's Carmen.
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Carmen (2014)
Carmen by G. Bizet, from Arena di Verona, 2014. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, conductor Henrik Nánási, starring Carlos Alvarez, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Carlo Ventre, Cristina Melis, Paolo Antognetti, Irina Lungu,Francesca Micarelli, Federico Longhi, Francesco Verna and Seung Pil Choi. Performed in ...
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Dmitri Hvorostovsky Festival presents...
Accompanied by Vincenzo Scalera, the magnificent tenor Juan Diego Flórez performs G. Rossini's "Addio ai Viennesi" and "Bolero", "Una furtiva lagrima" from G. Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, "Tombe degli avi miei / Fra poco a me ricovero" from G. Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, "O dolore" from G....
