EVENINGS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC
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PROGRAMME FOR 9 JANUARY 2002
CARMEN
Opera by GEORGES BIZET (1838-75)
Opera in four acts
Libretto:  Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy (after Prosper Mérimée)
Premiere:  3 March 1875, Paris
CAST (in order of appearance)
Morales, a corporal
Micaela, a peasant girl from Navarre
Don José, a corporal from Navarre
Zuniga, a lieutenant
Carmen, a gypsy
Frasquita, a gypsy
Mercedes, a gypsy
Lillas Pastia, an inn keeper
Escamillo, a toreador
Dancairo, a smuggler
Remendado, a smuggler

-          Christopher Booth-Jones
-          Leontina Vaduva
-          Luis Lima
-          Roderick Earle
-          Maria Ewing
-          Judith Howarth
-          Claire Powell
-          Daniel Pageon
-          Gino Quilico
-          Bruno Caproni
-          Francis Egerton
The Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden conducted by ZUBIN MEHTA
SYNOPSIS

ACT 1
          In Seville's town square Micaela is trying to find Don José, a corporal in the army. He arrives just as the gypsy girls leave the cigarette factory for their break. One of them, Carmen, sings of her fickle attitude towards love and throws a flower to Don José before returning to work. Micaela brings Don José a letter in which his ailing mother urges him to take Micaela for his wife. Don José is about to throw the flower away when Carmen comes running out of the factory, having cut a girl's face in a fight. After refusing to answer Zuniga's questions, she is arrested. Don José is chosen to guard her, but unable to resist her charms, he allows her to escape, and he himself is arrested.

ACT 2
          Carmen is dancing in Lillas Pastia's inn. Zuniga tells her that Don José is about to be released after a month in prison. Escamillo, a champion toreador, arrives and he and Carmen are immediately drawn to one another. But Carmen decides to remain faithful to Don José, although she tells Escamillo not to lose hope. After the tavern empties, the smugglers Dancairo and Remendado arrive and tell Carmen of their plans for the evening. To their amazement, she declines to accompany them, claiming to be in love. Don José arrives, but Carmen's joy turns into fury when he tells her that he is expected back at his barracks. Zuniga arrives, hoping to find Carmen alone. Don José attacks him, but the arrival of other soldiers prevents the violence from ending in murder. Having threatened a senior officer, Don José now has no choice but to flee with Carmen.

ACT 3
          In the mountains, Carmen has begun to tire of Don José. They are constantly arguing, and Don José begins to regret having broken his promise to his mother that he would marry Micaela. Escamillo and Don José fight over Carmen, and the toreador's life is only just saved by Carmen. Micaela finds Don José and tells him that his mother is dying. They leave together.

ACT 4
          The day of Escamillo's bullfight in Seville, Carmen is warned that the desperate Don José has been seen among the crowd. Don José and Carmen meet outside the bullring, and he begs her to return to him. But she is scornful and throws his ring to the floor. He kills her as the crowd salutes the victorious Escamillo.
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1991
Sung in French, with English sub-titles
          Director: Nuria Espert
Flamenco Dancer
-          Juan Ortegaon
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