Carmen

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Written by Georges Bizet, a French composer during the romantic period, Carmen quickly became a smash-hit because of its vibrant themes of seduction and heartbreak. The masterpiece was composed and preformed at the end of the romantic period in 1875 (metopera.com). Along with Bizet, Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac assisted in writing the original French text used to this day. However, the DVD recording I watched provided English subtitles so I was able to track the plot. The production of Carmen found in the Northwestern Library was directed by Peter Hall with the assistance of the London Philharmonic conducted by Bernard Haitink. Barry McCauley and Maria Ewing played the major protagonist roles of Don José and Carmen respectively, while Marie McLaughlin and …show more content…

For example, the overture from Act I begins with the familiar theme from The Habanera before moving to the more subtle themes. In a sense, the overture functions to spark the audience’s curiosity while providing a glimpse into the plot. Carmen tells the story of a proud military corporal name Don José and a beautiful gypsy temptress Carmen. The set opens at a guard post outside a cigarette factory in Seville. Micaëla, Don José’s adopted sister, arrives first on scene carrying a letter for Don José from his mother. Upon opening the letter, Don José reads his dyeing mother’s last wish, which is to marry the kind and moral Micaëla. When all seems well the audience is introduced to Carmen, a beautiful gypsy girl working in the cigarette factory. Carmen uses her looks and charm to capture the attention of all the men in Seville except for the noble Don José. Yet, an altercation breaks out in the cigarette factory, which forces Don José to arrest and escort Carmen. Desperately wanting to be free, Carmen seduces Don José and tricks him into letter her go. For his disobedience, Don José is sentenced to a month in prison. After a month, Carmen and

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