Carmen
Carmen () is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences.

Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, unaware that the work would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years. "Carmen" has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon; the "Habanera" from act 1 and the "Toreador Song" from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias.

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 torero 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.

After the premiere, most reviews were critical, and the French public was generally indifferent. "Carmen" initially gained its reputation through a series of productions outside France, and was not revived in Paris until 1883. Thereafter, it rapidly acquired popularity at home and abroad. Later commentators have asserted that "Carmen" forms the bridge between the tradition of "opéra comique" and the realism or "verismo" that characterised late 19th-century Italian opera.

The music of "Carmen" has since been widely acclaimed for brilliance of melody, harmony, atmosphere, and orchestration, and for the skill with which Bizet musically represented the emotions and suffering of his characters. After the composer's death, the score was subject to significant amendment, including the introduction of recitative in place of the original dialogue; there is no standard edition of the opera, and different views exist as to what versions best express Bizet's intentions. The opera has been recorded many times since the first acoustical recording in 1908, and the story has been the subject of many screen and stage adaptations.
Q1344
opera
Concept
Q56158
Georges Bizet
PER
Q131084
libretto
Concept
Q723648
Henri Meilhac
PER
Q723585
Ludovic Halévy
PER
Q674832
novella of the same title
ORG
Q160333
Prosper Mérimée
PER
Q872222
Opéra-Comique
ORG
Q621154
canon
Concept
Q692648
Habanera
MEDIA
Q6150784
Toreador Song
MEDIA
Q785479
opéra comique
Concept
Q8060
gypsy
Concept
Q549322
torero
Concept
Q3883891
verismo
Concept
Q202534
recitative
Concept
None
acoustical
UNK
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
Q185968
Carmen
MEDIA
1875-03-03T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
3 March 1875
DATE
1883-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1883
DATE
1908-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1908
DATE
+33^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
33
NUMBER
+1^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
1
NUMBER
+2^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
2
NUMBER
+19^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
19
NUMBER
form of creative work
composer
librettist
librettist
based on
location of first performance
date of first performance
part of
part of
genre
genre
notable work