Carmen
OperaVision is sorry to announce that, to our surprise, the producers of this video-recording of Carmen have had to withdraw temporarily the global streaming rights. We are working to find a solution to allow our viewers around the world to enjoy this show again.
Among Seville’s cigar makers, Carmen is the most attractive woman around. Arrested for the assault of a friend, she enthrals the brigadier Don José who lets her escape. For her, José abandons his childhood sweetheart, he gives up his rank, deserts the army… and to what ends will passion drive him when he loses Carmen's love to the glamorous bullfighter Escamillo?
We can only imagine the reactions of the first Parisian audiences at the Opéra Comique, who are said to have been shocked to see the incarnation of such an independent heroine. But what would those audiences in 1875 have actually seen on stage? With the support of Palazzetto Bru Zane (Centre de Musique Romantique Française), Opéra de Rouen Normandie have (re)created Bizet’s Carmen with the original costumes, sets and staging of the 1875 premiere. It has been a long journey for Carmen, the French opera that has now become the one most performed around the globe. After the outrage at the première and Bizet’s sudden death in the same year, Carmen started to win the hearts of audiences in Vienna, Brussels, Saint-Petersburg, New York… and only triumphed in Paris in 1883. This production offers the restoration of the original mise-en-scène, costumes and sets, to give audiences today an idea of what Bizet’s searing depiction of a woman, who craves love but creates obsession, looked like in its early days.
Cast
Carmen | Deepa Johnny |
|---|---|
Don José | Stanislas de Barbeyrac |
Micaëla | Iulia Maria Dan |
Escamillo | Nicolas Courjal |
Frasquita | Faustine de Monès |
Mercédès | Floriane Hasler |
Le Remendado | Thomas Morris |
Le Dancaïre | Florent Karrer |
Zuniga | Nicolas Brooymans |
Moralès | Yoann Dubruque |
Orchestra | Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Normandie |
Chorus | Choeur accentus / Opéra de Rouen Normandie |
Children Chorus | Chœur d'enfants de la Maîtrise du Conservatoire de Rouen |
| ... | |
Music | Georges Bizet |
|---|---|
Text | Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy |
Conductor | Ben Glassberg |
Director | Romain Gilbert |
Sets | Antoine Fontaine |
Costume | Christian Lacroix |
Lights | Hervé Gary |
Choreography | Vincent Chaillet |
Chorus Master | Christophe Grapperon |
Children Chorus Master | Frédéric Pineau |
Video director | Jean-Pierre Loisil |
Film production | Camera lucida productions |
Co-production | Bru Zane France Opéra Royal / Château de Versailles Spectacles Opéra de Rouen Normandie Palazzetto Bru Zane - Centre de musique romantique française |
| ... | |
A Camera lucida / Opéra de Rouen Normandie production with the support of France Télévisions
Filmed by Camera lucida and France Télévisions in September 2023 at Opéra de Rouen Normandie with the support of the CNC
© 2024 Palazzetto Bru Zane
℗ 2024 Camera lucida and Opéra de Rouen Normandie
VIDEOS
Story
Act I
The story takes place in Seville, Spain. A group of soldiers are on duty at a cigarette factory. Micaëla, a ‘country lass with pigtails in a blue skirt’, comes to visit Corporal Don José. Moralès, another corporal, tells her that José will soon be arriving at the changing of the guard. Micaëla declines Moralès’ suggestion to wait with them and leaves. Shortly, town children enter followed by Lieutenant Zuniga and his soldiers. Moralès tells José that Micaëla has been looking for him. José explains that Micaëla is a girl living with his mother in his hometown. The midday bell sounds and the female workers of the factory emerge. The men have been waiting for this moment. Their main attention is on Carmen. Noticing that José is not attracted to her, Carmen takes the cassia flower from her bosom and throws it at him before exiting the scene. Micaëla reappears and gives José a letter and some money from his mother. In the letter his mother expresses her wish for him to return home soon and marry Micaëla. In the meantime, a fight breaks out in the factory and Carmen, having injured a fellow worker, is arrested. José is ordered to lead Carmen away, but he gives in to her seduction, frees her from the binding ropes and helps her escape.
Act II
At Lillas Pastia’s tavern. Zuniga tells Carmen that José, who has been serving his term in prison for letting Carmen escape, is being discharged today. A popular toreador called Escamillo enters. Escamillo and Carmen are attracted to each other, but at this point, Carmen is still in love with José. Two smugglers, Le Dancaïre and Le Remendado, arrive. They coax Carmen and her friends to join them in their business. Eventually, José arrives from prison. Carmen welcomes him, but is annoyed when José tries to leave with the bugle call. About to leave, José encounters a drunken Zuniga and a brawl breaks out. Having defied his superior, José has no other choice than to join the smugglers.
Act III
Scene 1
In the mountains, on the way to smuggling goods. Carmen’s love for José has turned totally cold. Carmen joins Frasquita and Mercédès in reading their fortunes from cards, but her death is predicted. Escamillo arrives and, acknowledging José as a love rival, starts a duel, which Le Dancaïre and the others intercept. Micaëla arrives in search of José and announces that his mother is dying. José descends the mountains with Micaëla.
Scene 2
At the bullring in Seville. Bullfighting is about to take place in front of a great crowd and the toreadors’ entrance is greeted by loud cheering. The last in the procession is Escamillo accompanied by Carmen. Carmen’s friends warn her to watch out since José is in town. Outside the arena where the cheering is still heard, José pleads with Carmen to reconcile with him. However, Carmen refuses coldly. Madly jealous, José stabs a knife into Carmen’s breast.
Gallery
