Kraków Opera: Carmen

L'amour est un oiseau rebelle...

Who does not know the Habanera or the Toreador Song? We’ll be able to hear them at the Kraków Opera: on its stage one of the opera world’s most famous works – the story of a sensual Gypsy, Georges Bizet’s Carmen.

The composer was commissioned to write Carmen by director of the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Camille du Locle. The libretto was based on a novel by Prosper Mérimée. Its authors – Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy – substantially altered its content, adding some characters and simplifying the story in such a way that it could be adapted for the stage. Bizet’s own work on the musical setting lasted quite a long time (from the end of 1874 to the beginning of 1875) – unfortunately, during the premiere on 3 March 1875 on the stage of the Opéra-Comique, the production was given a cool, even disdainful, reception (which supposedly accelerated the broken composer’s death). Where can we seek the reasons for this? Bizet’s work, which was very innovative for its time, was a clear departure from the conventions of comic opera. The environment in which Carmen took place was branded as archaic and the title role was accused of promoting open promiscuity. The plot was regarded as immoral – a ban on admitting those who were under age to performances was even demanded.

After Bizet’s death, his friend Ernest Guiraud made certain alterations in the score (replacing spoken dialogues with recitatives and introducing balletic interludes). The improved Carmen, staged in Vienna in the autumn of 1875, conquered the world’s opera stages, becoming one of the most famous operas in the world. Thanks to its portrayal of a female figure who is independent, proud and determines her own fate, it took on particular significance in the 20th century. The character of the Gypsy, a genuine femme fatale, a lover as alluring and charming as she is dishonest and treacherous, has functioned to this day in the collective cultural consciousness as an object of desire for all men.

At the Kraków Opera, we’ll be able to see the show in French (with Polish subtitles), in a staging by Laco Adamik. The musical direction has been entrusted to Tadeusz Kozłowski, and the stage and costume design to Barbara Kędzierska.

Let’s surrender ourselves to the fatal charm of Carmencita. (Barbara Błońska)

Composer: Georges Bizet
Conductor: Tadeusz Kozłowski
Sung in French with Polish surtitles