Student Look-In Guide GEORGES BIZET and convinces him to let her escape so soldiers’ retreat. Carmen accuses Don Carmenthat they can go dancing together that José of being a coward for choosing Synopsis night. Don José agrees and unties her. to follow orders rather than her. ACT I However, when the other soldiers return Suddenly, Lieutenant Zuniga arrives at The townspeople scurry by as and see what Don José has done, he is the tavern to see her which throws Don uniformed soldiers gather at the town arrested for freeing Carmen. José in a jealous rage. A fight between square in Seville, Spain. At lunch time, the two men erupts and Lt. Zuniga the women who work at the cigarette ACT II is finally handcuffed. Since fighting factory take a break and join the people After Carmen’s escape, she meets with an officer is a serious crime, the in the square. Among them is Carmen, with a group of gypsies and soldiers smugglers encourage Don José to flee a beautiful gypsy, who sings a saucy who celebrate by singing and dancing with them to the mountains. Don José song about love that obeys no rules. at the tavern of Lillas Pastia. Carmen has no choice but to accept and joins All of the men are infatuated with her is told that Don José will be released Carmen and the gypsies. except one, Don José, a simple soldier from prison that evening. While who is awaiting the arrival of his sweet they are celebrating, they hear a ACT III Micaëla. Carmen is accustomed to parade that is passing by honoring Carmen, Don José, and the gypsy having all the men focused on her and the handsome bullfighter Escamillo. smugglers arrive at their hideout high turns her attention to Don José, the Escamillo sings about the excitement up in the mountains where Don José only soldier who is not immediately of being a bullfighter as the people reflects on missing his mother and drawn to her beauty. cheer him on. He is immediately awe- home town. Carmen, who has now struck by Carmen and although she fallen out of love with him, taunts him When it is time for the cigarette women is impressed with him, she still saves and suggests that he go back home. to return to work, Micaëla gives Don her affection for Don José -after all he Carmen joins her two gypsy friends José a note from his sick mother urging bravely risked prison for her. When the who are telling fortunes with a deck of him to marry Micaëla. However, as crowd departs, two male gypsies ask cards. Although the two friends pull soon as he confirms his commitment Carmen to help them with a smuggling cards of good fortune for themselves, to Micaëla, everyone rushes to the job, but she refuses because she is Carmen’s card predicts death. town square screaming and shouting waiting for Don José. about a fight that has just broken out After their departure, Micaëla arrives at the factory. All evidence shows that Don José arrives and becomes to find Don José guarding the hideout. Carmen started the fight that injured enraged with jealousy after he hears She hides when she hears a gun shot a fellow worker. Don José is ordered that Carmen has danced for the other fired by Escamillo who is looking for to arrest Carmen and bring her to soldiers. She then begins to dance for Carmen. After making Don José prison. While he is waiting for the Don José until the bugles announce the extremely jealous, Escamillo and Don arrest warrant, Carmen flirts with him José begin to fight. Before the fight gets too serious, the gypsies return and break it up. Escamillo invites everyone, especially Carmen, to come to his next bullfight. Micaëla, who has been hiding all this time, tries to convince the distraught Don José to return home. Although he refuses at first, he finally gives in when Micaëla G. Bizet explains that his mother is dying. Composer: H. Meilhac As he is leaving with Micaëla, he promises Carmen that he will return. Georges Bizet In the distance Escamillo’s voice is Born into a musical family, Georges heard. Bizet inherited his parents’ talents. Bizet was born on October 25, 1838 ACT IV and learned to read and write music At the arena, Carmen and Escamillo by age four! Georges had the huge arrive together for the bullfight. honor of being admitted into the Carmen is warned that Don José is Paris Conservatoire de Musique at near and is plotting against her. She nine years old. Bizet continued to decides to stay outside the arena to awe people when he wrote his first set things right once and for all. As symphony at the age of seventeen, a the bullfight is taking place, Don José L. Halévy class assignment at the conservatory. finds Carmen and begs her for her Paris, a city known for high fashion, love. She explains that she is no Librettists: fine food, and culture was the perfect longer in love with him and throws the place for a young composer because it Meilhac & Halévy ring he had given her at him. He is attracted talented musicians and eager infuriated by her change of heart and The libretto for Carmen was based audiences. As a young man, Bizet stabs her just as Escamillo kills the on the 1845 story of the same title worked at the Opéra Comique, where bull inside the arena. by French novelist Prosper Mérimée. he learned about the backstage, sets, Mérimée’s Carmen was far racier lights, performers, and musicians. than other stories during this time However, when the curtain went up period. In his version, Carmen is for the premier of Carmen, people not only part of the gypsy criminal were shocked and dismayed by gang, she’s their main leader! For the dramatic and risqué story. In the opera, two librettists, Henri fact, Carmen did not gain popularity Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy met by until after Bizet’s early death at age chance in 1860 on the steps of the thirty-seven on June 3, 1875. Even Théâtre des Variétés in Paris, France. though Carmen is now considered a classic in opera repertoire, sadly, Working together, Meilhac and Georges Bizet died thinking his Halévy adjusted some of the other work was a complete disaster. controversial themes to satisfy Characters French audiences. For example, Carmen (Car-Men) A beautiful gypsy woman who works in a cigarette factory. Don José (Don Joe –Zay) The soldier who becomes infatuated with Carmen. Escamillo (Es-Ka-Mee-Oh) –A bullfighter who is also infatuated with Carmen. 2 Micaëla (Mi-Kai-Eh-La)--Don José’s girlfriend whom he forgets for Carmen. they softened Carmen’s image (though she is still pretty spunky!) Gypsy Culture Gitanos In Spanish and created the innocent, gentle Micaëla, Don José’s first sweetheart, in Spain Culture Today to offset Carmen’s fiery personality. Gypsy culture has a long history Even though Gitanos have lived throughout Eastern and Western alongside the Spaniards for more than Meilhac and Halévy were accustomed Europe. The culture has influenced 600 years, there are still some lingering to writing “opéra comique,” a style of imaginative stories, dances, and prejudices that Gitanos face today. opera that includes spoken text along music. Despite these contributions, In the past, the Rom people were with singing. The original Carmen was gypsy people have endured targeted traditionally nomadic, moving often written in this style, but after Bizet died hatred and violence as minorities of a to earn a living. Over the centuries, in 1875, the French music community different culture. Gitanos were banned from speaking decided that the opera would be their language, wearing traditional best suited for “grand opera” and the Gypsies were originally from the dress, and practicing ancient customs spoken parts were eliminated. Bizet’s Punjab region of India and immigrated that were part of their culture. Today, longtime friend and composer Ernest throughout Europe between the eighth Gitanos are not recognized by the Giraud, wrote recitatives to replace the and tenth centuries. Europeans Spanish government as an ethnic spoken dialogue. His interludes were originally thought they were from Egypt minority. They often live on the outskirts used for 100 years, but today most and named them “gypsies.” Today, the of major cities where access to quality experts agree that Bizet’s opera is largest demographic of gypsies are the education is sparse, discrimination best as the composer initially intended. Rom people. Many work as craftsmen for public housing occurs, and such as blacksmiths, cobblers, horse unemployment is a persistent problem dealers, and toolmakers. Others work for parts of this community. Even as musicians, dancers, and circus though some Gitanos feel they are animal trainers. not welcome in mainstream society, Gitano organizations have increasingly Traditionally, the Roms settled in gained influence with local, national, Eastern European countries such as and international politics by helping Russia, Romania, Hungary, and the to voice the concerns of the Gitano former Yugoslavia, but there were people in Spain. also settlements in parts of Western Europe such as Germany, France, and Spain. Each country called the Rom people a different name—in Spain, they are called Gitanos. It is uncertain when Gitanos arrived in Spain because much of their history is in oral tradition and therefore not recorded in books. The first record of their arrival was in Zaragoza in 1425, but most arrived in Barcelona in the mid 1440s. 19th Century Gitano 3 characters.