Carmen

«L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
S'il lui convient de refuser.»
(Habanera, Carmen, Act I)

Passionate, moving, dramatic: George Bizet's Carmen is back in the suggestive Bath of Caracalla for the Teatro dell'Opera Summer Season, directed by the Argentine Valentina Carrasco and conducted by Jordi Bernàcer, with the amazing costumes by Luis Carvalho.

Based on the eponymous novella by Prosper Merimée, the opera, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, debuted on 3 March 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris: what is today considered a masterpiece, at the time, was a failure, due to the extreme realism and the scandalous plot.

It’s an original and contemporary staging of the story of the sensual Gypsy cigar seller with an independent character. Desired by all men, the beautiful Carmen falls in love with Don José, to whom she sings the famous habanera L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, a typical Cuban dance, or the Seguidilla, an Andalusian dance of gipsy origin. Exuberant and lively, «free she was born and free she will die!», the woman will lose her life murdered by Don Josè, unable to accept the end of their love.

Conductor Jordi Bernàcer
Director Valentina Carrasco
Chorus Master Roberto Gabbiani
Set Designer Samal Blak 
Costume Designer Luis F. Carvalho 
Choreographer Erika Rombaldoni and Massimiliano Volpini 
Lighting Designer Peter Van Praet 

Cast
Carmen Veronica Simeoni
Don José Saimir Pirgu 
Escamillo Luca Micheletti

Teatro dell'Opera Orchestra, Chorus and Corps de Ballet 
with the partecipation of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Scuola di Canto Corale

A Teatro dell’Opera di Roma production
sung in French with italian and english surtitles

Photo: Teatro dell'Opera Official Website