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Carmen Study Guide MANITOBA OPERA GRATEFULLY AKNOWLEDGES OUR CARMEN PARTNERS 2 0 1 9 / 2 0 STUDY GUIDE Production Sponsors MANITOBA OPERA 1 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide MANITOBA OPERA GRATEFULLY AKNOWLEDGES OUR CARMEN PARTNERS: SEASON SPONSOR EDUCATION, OUTREACH, & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPONSORS Student Night at the Opera Sponsor 1060-555 Main Street Winnipeg MB R3B 1C3 Lower Level, Centennial Concert Hall 204-942-7470 | mbopera.ca Join our e-newsletter for exclusive behind-the-scenes content. Just go to mbopera.ca and click “Join our Mailing List.” MANITOBA OPERA 2 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide 2019/20 STUDY GUIDE CARMEN THE PRODUCTION HISTORICAL CONNECTION Fast Facts 4 Historical Background of Carmen 19 Production Information 5 Who are the Roma? 22 Introduction & Synopsis 6 Carmen in the 20th Century 26 The Principal Characters 8 Evolving Perspectives on Carmen 27 The Principal Artists 9 The Composer 14 STUDENT RESOURCES The Librettists 15 Student Activities 28 The Dramatist 16 Winnipeg Public Library Resources 37 Musical Highlights 17 Student Programming 38 Kirstin Chávez (Carmen) and David Pomeroy (Don José). Carmen, 2010. Manitoba Opera. Photo: R. Tinker. MANITOBA OPERA 3 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide THE PRODUCTION FAST FACTS •Even though it is considered by many to be •Traditionally, the tragic tale of Carmen the most popular opera of all time, ends with Don José killing Carmen in a fit had a rocky start, and was not well received of jealousy. Some modern productions have at its premiere. addressed the issue of violence perpetrated against women by altering the ending, in •Rehearsing the opera for its premiere was which Carmen kills Don José in self-defense. a challenge; the orchestra found some parts of the score to be too difficult to play, and •The “Habanera” from Act I and the Toreador members of the chorus were shocked to find Song from Act II are among the best-known out that they had to act as individuals, even opera arias. smoking and fighting on stage. •A habanera is a style of Spanish- •Georges Bizet died shortly after Carmen American dance popular in Cuba in the was premiered. Following a production in 19th century. Carmen’s famous “Habanera” Vienna later that year, the opera went on to is an adaptation of a song by the Spanish achieve worldwide acclaim. musician Sebastián Iradier, although Bizet believed it to be a folk melody when he •Carmen remains an extremely well-known composed the opera. and well-loved opera. Over the past decade, Carmen has been the third-most performed •Music from Carmen has been used in opera worldwide. commercials (advertising everything from pasta to Doritos), television cartoons (Tom & •Although the role of Carmen was written to Jerry, Animaniacs, Family Guy), and movies, be performed by a mezzo-soprano, several including Bad News Bears (1976) and more high-profile sopranos have taken on the role recently Disney/Pixar’s Up (2009). to critical acclaim, including Maria Callas and Leontyne Price. David Pomeroy (Don José) and Kirstin Chávez (Carmen). Carmen, Manitoba Opera 2010. Photo: R. Tinker. MANITOBA OPERA 4 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide THE PRODUCTION PRODUCTION INFORMATION March 28, 31, April 3, 2020 Dress Rehearsal / Student Night: March 26, 2020 Centennial Concert Hall Music composed by George Bizet Libretto by Ludovic Halévy & Henri Meilhac Based on the novella by Prosper Merimée Approximately 3 hours in four acts, including two 20-minute intermissions Premiered Performance: Opéra-Comique, Paris, March 3, 1875 Sung in French with spoken French dialogue; projected English translations PRINCIPAL CAST Carmen Mezzo-soprano NORA SOUROUZIAN Don José Tenor DAVID POMEROY Escamillo Baritone TIMOTHY RENNER Micaëla Soprano LIDA SZKWAREK Frasquita Soprano LARA SECORD-HAID Mercédès Mezzo-soprano LAURELLE CZAPLINSKI Moralès/Dancairo Bass-baritone JONATHON KIRBY Remendado Tenor JEAN-PHILIPPE LAZURE Zuniga Bass GILES TOMKINS ALSO APPEARING Lillas Pastia Spoken TBD A Guide Spoken TBD Manitoba Opera Chorus Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra PRODUCTION Conductor TYRONE PATERSON Lighting Design BILL WILLIAMS Director BRIAN DEEDRICK Stage Manager ROBERT PEL Chorus Master TADEUSZ BIERNACKI Assistant Stage KATHRYN BALL, Managers HEATHER LEE BRERETON Set Design EDMONTON OPERA Projected Titles SHELDON JOHNSON Costume Design MALABAR MANITOBA OPERA 5 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide THE PRODUCTION INTRODUCTION & SYNOPSIS INTRODUCING CARMEN SYNOPSIS Carmen is the opera which has ensured Setting: In and near Seville, about 1820. Bizet’s lasting fame but which, somewhat uniquely, was partly fashioned by pressures ACT I from the directorate of the commissioning In a public square in front of a tobacco theatre, the Opéra-Comique. The revenue factory, soldiers watch the passers-by. from this theatre was largely dependent Among them is Micaëla, a peasant girl, who on attracting the bourgeoisie, providing is looking for an officer named Don José. an evening out for chaperoned couples Moralès, the corporal, tells her that he will with an eye on marriage. Thus a setting arrive soon with the changing of the guard. including a cigar factory, a murder outside a The soldiers try to flirt with Micaëla, but bullring and a tavern habituated by gypsies she runs away. The relief guard approaches, somewhat contravened the norm. Bowing to headed by Lieutenant Zuniga, and José administrative pressure to soften the tone, learns from Moralès that a girl has been the character of Micaëla was introduced to looking for him. When the factory bell counterbalance the free-living Carmen and rings, the men of Seville gather to watch her compatriots. the female workers return from their lunch The opera was ahead of its time in its break - especially their favorite, Carmen. She introduction of real popular music: the tells her admirers that love obeys no rules Habanera in Act I where Carmen advocates (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”). Only one free love was taken from a book of Spanish- man pays no attention to her: Don José. language cabaret songs and the Chanson Coquettishly, Carmen throws a flower at him, Bohème and the Seguidilla, among other and the girls reenter the factory. José picks movements, employ Spanish modes and up the flower. Micaëla returns, bringing a dance rhythms. The theme which introduces letter - and a kiss - from José’s mother (Duet: Carmen and accompanies the fateful card- “Parle-moi de ma mère”). When he starts scene and her death imitates a Hungarian (or to read the letter, Micaëla leaves him alone. “gypsy”) scale. He is about to throw away the flower when a fight erupts inside the factory between Originally conforming Carmen and another girl. to the Opéra-Comique Zuniga sends José to norm of a mix of spoken retrieve Carmen. Carmen dialogue and operatic refuses to answer Zuniga’s numbers, it was for a questions, and José is long time preferred in its ordered to take her to posthumous adaptation prison. Left alone with where the dialogue was him, she seduces him with replaced by recitatives. visions of a rendezvous at More recently, productions Lillas Pastia’s tavern (“Près prefer its richer version des remparts de Séville”). with the details of the full Mesmerized, José agrees dialogue retained. to let her escape. Carmen slips away and Don José is Alain Coulombe (Zuniga) and Kristin Chávez (Carmen) in Carmen, Manitoba Opera, 2010. Photo: R. Tinker. arrested. MANITOBA OPERA 6 2019/20 Carmen Study Guide THE PRODUCTION ACT II Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mer- cédès entertain the guests at Lillas Pastia’s tavern (“Les tringles des sistres tintaient”). Zuniga tells Carmen that José has just been released from prison. The bullfighter Esca- millo enters and boasts about the pleasures of his profession, in particular those relating to the ladies (“Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre”). He flirts with Carmen, but she coyly Kirstin Chávez (Carmen) and David Pomeroy (Don José) puts him off. When the tavern guests leave Carmen, Manitoba Opera 2010. Photo: R. Tinker. with Escamillo, the smugglers Dancaïre and pour éviter les réponses amères”). As the Remendado explain their latest schemes to smugglers set off for the city, a frightened the women (Quintet: “Nous avons en tête Micaëla appears (“Je dis que rien ne une affaire”). Frasquita and Mercédès are m’épouvante”). A shot rings out, and she willing to help, but Carmen refuses to join hides. José has fired at an intruder, who turns them because she is in love. José is heard out to be Escamillo. He tells José that he singing in the distance, and the smugglers has come to find Carmen and mentions her withdraw. Carmen arouses José’s jealousy former lover, a soldier who deserted to be by mentioning that she has been dancing with her. José identifies himself, and the two with Zuniga. He declares his love, but when men fight. The returning smugglers separate bugles are heard, he says he must return to them, and Escamillo invites everyone, the barracks. Carmen mocks him, claiming Carmen in particular, to his next bullfight that he doesn’t love her. To prove her wrong, in Seville. Escamillo leaves and Micaëla he shows her the flower she threw at him emerges. She begs José to return home. He and confesses how its fading scent sustained agrees only when he learns that his mother is his love during the weeks in prison (“La fleur dying. Assuring Carmen that they will meet que tu m’avais jetée”). She is unimpressed: if again, he leaves with Micaëla. he really loved her, he would desert the army and join her in a life of freedom in the moun- tains. José refuses, and Carmen tells him to leave. Zuniga bursts in, and in a jealous rage ACT IV José draws his sword. The smugglers return The crowd cheers the bullfighters as and disarm Zuniga. José now has no choice they enter the arena. Carmen arrives on but to desert and join them.
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