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Georges Bizet, Carmen

Overture

I: Introduction: "Sur la place chacun passe"

I: "Regardez donc cette petite" (Moralès, Soldiers, Micaëla)

I: "Avec la garde montante" (Urchins)

I: "Repos!" (Zuniga, Moralès, Don José)

I: "Allons! Allons!" (Zuniga, Urchins)

I: "Dites-moi, brigadier?" (Zuniga, Don José)

I: "La cloche a sonné (Soldiers, Young men, Cigarette factory Girls)

I: "Mais nous ne voyons pas la Carmencita" (Soldiers, Young men)

I: "Quand je vous aimerai?" - "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" (Habanera) (Carmen, Chorus)

I: "Carmen, sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous (Young Men, Cigarette factory Girls, Don José)

I: "Monsieur le brigadier? - Parle-moi de ma mère!" (Micaëla, Don José / Don José, Micaëla)

I: "Votre mère avec moi sortait de la chapelle" (Micaëla, Don José)

I: "Ma mère, je la vois.." (Don José, Micaëla)

I: "Que son fils l'aime et la vénère" - "Eh bien, eh bien!" (Don José, Micaëla, Zuniga)

I: "Au secours!" (Cigarette factory Girls, Zuniga, Soldiers)

I: "Voyons, brigadier..." - "Tra la la la..." (Zuniga, Don José, Carmen, Cigarette factory Girls, Soldier, Don José)

I: "Près des remparts de Séville" (Carmen, Don José)

I: "Le lieutenant!... Prenez garde." (Don José, Zuniga, Carmen)

Entr'acte

II: "Les tringles des sistres tintaient" (Carmen, Mercédès, Frasquita)

II: "Vous avez quelque chose à nous dire" (Zuniga, Lilas Pastia, Frasquita, Andrès, Mercédès, Carmen)

II: "Tout est bien alors" - "Vivat! vivat le toréro!" (Chorus, Zuniga, Mercédès, Frasquita, Escamillo, Carmen, Andrès, Lilas Pastia)

II: "Votre toast... je peux..." - "Toréador, en garde" (Escamillo, Pastia, Zuniga, Carmen, Chorus, Frasquita, Lilas Pastia, Dancaïre)

II: "Nous avons en tête une affaire!" (Dancaïre, Frasquita, Mercédès, Remendado, Carmen)

II: "Amoureuse... ce n'est pas une raison" - "Halte-là! Qui va là?" (Remendado, Don José, Mercédès, Frasquita, Dancaïre, Carmen)

II: "Je vais danser en votre honneur" (Carmen, Don José)

II: "La fleur que tu m'avais jetée" (Don José)

II: "Non, tu ne m'aimes pas!" (Carmen, Don José)

II: "Holà! Carmen! Holà!" (Zuniga, Don José, Carmen, Dancaïre, Remendado, Gypsies)

II: "Suis-nous à travers la campagne" (Frasquita, Mercédès, Dancaïre, Remendado, Gypsies)

Entr'acte

III: "Écoute, compagnon, écoute!" (Smugglers, Frasquita, Mercédès, Carmen, Don José, Dancaïre, Remendado)

III: "Halte! nous allons nous arrêter ici!» (Dancaïre, Remendado, Don José, Carmen)

III: "Mêlons!"/"Mêlons!"/"Coupons!" (Frasquita, Mercédès)

III: "Carreau! Pique!... La mort!" (Carmen)

III: "Eh! bien, j'avais raison" (Dancaïre, Carmen, Remendado, Frasquita, Mercédès, Don José)

III: "Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire! (Carmen, Mercédès, Frasquita, Gypsies, Dancaïre, Remendado)

III: "Nous y sommes" (Guide, Micaëla)

III: "Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante" (Micaëla)

III: "Je suis Escamillo, toréro de Grenade" (Escamillo, Don José)

III: "Holà, José! (Carmen, Escamillo, Dancaïre, Don José, Smugglers)

III: "Halte! quelqu'un est là qui cherche à se cacher" (Remendado, Carmen, Dancaïre, Don José, Micaëla, Chorus)

Entr'acte

IV: "A dos cuartos!" (Chorus)

IV: "Les voici! voici la quadrille!" (Chorus)

IV: "Si tu m'aimes, Carmen" (Escamillo, Carmen, Frasquita, Mercédès)

IV: "C'est toi! - C'est-moi!" (Carmen, Don José)

Bizet's Carmen

Núria Espert (stage director), Zubin Mehta (conductor) – With Maria Ewing, Luis Lima and Leontina Vaduva – Royal Opera House, Covent Garden

Opera
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Cast

Núria Espert — Stage director

Gerardo Vera — Set designer

Bruno Boyer — Lighting

Franca Squarciapino — Costumes designer

Maria Ewing — Carmen

Luis Lima — Don José

Leontina Vaduva — Micaëla

Program notes

Bizet's masterwork, Carmen, directed for stage by the Spanish actress Núria Espert.

Carmen is certainly one of the world's most popular operas. The overture, the famous habanera "L'amour est un oiseau rebelle," to name but a few, are universally well-known scores; and rightly so, as the colorful and vibrant music composed by Bizet recreates brilliantly the intense and sensuous atmosphere of the 19th century Spain. The outstanding production by the Spanish stage director and actress Núria Espert lets the spectator enjoy once again the hymn to passion and freedom.

Carmen by Bizet: the story.

Carmen, a gypsy girl, has set her heart on Don José, a corporal of dragoons already engaged with Micaëla. Carmen and Micaëla have an argument. Carmen is caught by Zuniga, the Lieutenant of the dragoons, who asks Don José to carry Carmen to prison. Under the spell of the beautiful gypsy girl, Don José sets Carmen free. In a tavern a few months later, Zuniga and the toreador Escamillo try to seduce Carmen. She turns them away. Don José walks into the tavern and declares his undying love to the young gypsy girl. Carmen asks him to follow her through the mountain with the smugglers as a proof of his love. Impossible! His military honor impedes him from doing such a thing. Zuniga, abusing of his authority, tries to push Don José out of the way in order to seduce Carmen. The two men fight a duel. Don José wins over his superior, and has no choice but to accept to follow Carmen in the mountains. Carmen neglects her lover Don José, who starts to feel jealous. During a bullfight in Sevilla, the toreador Escamillo appears with the radiant Carmen next to him. Desperate, Don José asks her to get back to him. In a fit of madness, he kills Carmen, his beloved.

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