Carmen made her debut on March 3, 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. It was the last effort of George Bizet, who a few months after the debut will die in mysterious circumstances disappointed by the failure obtained by the work. What today is unanimously recognized as the absolute masterpiece of the French master, at the time of the first performance was not appreciated nor understood by the Parisian public who was scandalized by the raw realism of the story and by its protagonists, very far from the canons traditional. Carmen tells a story of violent and morbid love that the librettists Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy drew from the short story of the same name by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was accused of vulgarity due to the protagonist Carmen, a sensual and strong-willed gypsy who lives her loves with extreme freedom and without hesitation. Don José falls madly in love with her and at her side gradually transforms from a passionate lover to a brutal murderer. A murky story populated by shady characters and therefore not very reassuring, but with a highly refined musical guise that aroused the admiration, among others, of numerous composers such as Brahms, Wagner and Tchaikovsky.

Thanks to Fondazione CR Firenze, the performance of 04/11/2022 is offered to the public with a 50% discount on tickets for each sector

Staging taken from Opernhaus Zürich

Photos of the staging by Teatro Regio di Torino (2016) - Ramella&Giannese © Teatro Regio Torino

The performance of March 28, 2023, will be broadcast live on Rai Radio 3

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