Carmen | Georges Bizet
We have all encountered Carmen. It is the name of that force that sweeps away perfectly ordered plans, rules, and habits; that force which embodies eros in its irresistible and absolute freedom. “Free was I born, and free shall I die,” says the woman who embodies it in this opera. What happens when fate places her before a brigadier who seems her exact opposite, the ideal type of the “good boy”? Under the Spanish sky, a universal story unfolds: a blinding conflict between passions that we witness taking shape every day—and sometimes tragically—before our eyes. Giving voice to them is the music of Georges Bizet, charged with energy like a coiled spring ready to strike.
Poorly received at its premiere in 1875, Carmen soon achieved enormous popular success and the admiration of composers such as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Wagner—and of Nietzsche, who devoted revealing pages to it after hearing it in 1888 in Turin. It returns to Turin with a top-class cast, featuring Maria Kataeva’s debut at the Teatro Regio di Torino as Carmen, alongside several welcome returns: Piero Pretti as Don José, Erwin Schrott as Escamillo, and Ekaterina Bakanova as Micaëla. Also returning are director Arnaud Bernard, already known for the major project Manon Manon Manon, and conductor Daniel Oren, whose experienced hand leads what René Leibowitz called “the opera par excellence.”
Lecture-concert: Wednesday, May 12 at 6 p.m. – Piccolo Regio Puccini
Opéra-comique in four acts
Characters and cast
Maria Kataeva
Ramona Zaharia
Piero Pretti
Matteo Lippi
Ekaterina Bakanova
Inna Demenkova
Daniel Okulitch
Vitor Bispo
Erwin Schrott
Daniela Cappiello
Albina Tonkikh (Regio Ensemble)
Valentine Lemercier
Anastasia Egorova (Regio Ensemble)
Fabio Previati
Eduardo Martínez (Regio Ensemble)
Francesco Pittari
Adrian Autard (Regio Ensemble)
Janusz Nosek
Gabriele Sagona
Dohoon Lee (Regio Ensemble)
Performances
Synopsis
atto
A square in Seville. Micaela, a young provincial girl, arrives at the dragoon guardhouse: she is looking for her fiancé, the brigadier Don José. But José will not arrive until later, for the changing of the guard. The corporal Morales and the soldiers, noticing her shyness, amuse themselves by embarrassing her, inviting her to wait for Don José in their company: Micaela demurs and quickly leaves, promising to return. Morales and the soldiers therefore return to their guard duty and combat boredom by indulging in gossip about passers-by. Then, preceded by a small group of street urchins mimicking their movements, the troop of dragoons commanded by Don José arrives. Morales informs his colleague of Micaela’s visit. When the bell of the factory rings, the men gather to await the cigarette girls, and in particular the most desired of them, the beautiful gypsy Carmen. Upon her arrival, surrounded by everyone, she sings a song in a provocative manner. The only one who pays no attention to her is Don José: Carmen throws him a flower and, laughing, enters the factory with the other girls. Don José is troubled, and at Micaela’s arrival he hides the flower. The girl brings him a letter and greetings from his elderly mother: José thinks back to his distant village and asks Micaela to tell his mother that he will do everything to be worthy of her love. Micaela leaves, and Don José—almost to rid himself of the obsessive thought of the beautiful gypsy—is about to throw away the flower, but is distracted by the commotion coming from the factory: the cigarette girls rush out shouting and report that Carmen has injured a fellow worker. Don José enters the building to arrest her. Questioned by Lieutenant Zuniga, the gypsy responds mockingly; Don José is ordered to escort her to prison. But once alone with him, Carmen has no difficulty subduing him with her charm. Don José pretends to be surprised by a gesture of rebellion from Carmen and lets her escape, vainly pursued by the dragoons.
atto
La taverna di Lillas Pastia. Carmen si intrattiene con gli amici: con lei, oltre a Mercedes e Frasquita, ci sono il Dancairo e il Remendado, due contrabbandieri. C’è anche il tenente Zuniga, che ha un debole per lei e poco dopo giunge Escamillo, che si vanta delle proprie vittorie nella Plaza de Toros. Anch’egli è affascinato da Carmen, ma la donna risponde evasivamente alle sue avances. Quando i contrabbandieri la invitano a seguirli in montagna, Carmen dichiara di essere innamorata e di voler aspettare Don José, che è stato imprigionato per averla lasciata fuggire. E Don José compare subito dopo: dichiara a Carmen di non aver pensato che a lei, in prigione, inebriato dal profumo del fiore che lei gli aveva donato. Lo squillo di una tromba annuncia la ritirata: Carmen schernisce Don José perché, ligio al dovere, vorrebbe rientrare in caserma anziché restare con lei. Ritorna Zuniga, che invita Don José a lasciarlo solo con Carmen, ma il giovane si ribella e sfida il tenente: i due militari si affrontano, ma vengono interrotti dal Dancairo e dal Remendado, che disarmano Zuniga e lo legano. Carmen abbraccia Don José inneggiando alla libertà. Al giovane non resta che disertare e fuggire in montagna con la compagnia.
atto
Un luogo selvaggio sulla montagna. I due amanti sono sulle montagne con i contrabbandieri, ma Carmen è ormai stanca di Don José, geloso e in preda al rimorso per non aver rispettato la promessa fatta alla madre. Con Frasquita e Mercedes legge le carte per conoscere il destino: il responso è chiaro – Carmen e José sono destinati a morire. I contrabbandieri lasciano il campo con la merce, e Don José rimane solo a sorvegliare il passo. Poco dopo, accompagnata da una guida, arriva Micaela: è in cerca di Don José per avvertirlo che la madre è in fin di vita. Spaurita, la ragazza si nasconde tra le rocce. Don José spara un colpo perché ha avvistato uno sconosciuto; l’uomo si avvicina e si presenta: è Escamillo. È venuto al campo perché è innamorato di Carmen e ha saputo che la sua storia con un ex dragone è ormai finita. Don José rivela di essere lui, l’ex dragone, e lo sfida a battersi al coltello: sta per sopraffarlo quando Carmen e i contrabbandieri, di ritorno al campo, lo fermano. Escamillo invita tutti ad assistere alla corrida e si allontana. Il Remendado scopre Micaela: la giovane Carmen supplica Don José di tornare dalla madre, e Carmen lo invita a seguirla. Don José si allontana promettendo a Carmen di ritornare.
atto
A square in Seville. Orange sellers attract the crowd gathered in front of the bullring to watch the procession of the cuadrilla of bullfighters, banderilleros, and all the other participants in the corrida. Last to arrive is Escamillo, accompanied by Carmen, who has become his lover: before entering the arena, the torero declares his love for her. Frasquita and Mercedes have spotted Don José in the crowd and warn Carmen. When everyone goes inside to attend the bullfight, Carmen remains alone to face him. The former dragoon, desperate, declares himself ready to do anything if Carmen will return with him. But Carmen refuses, asserting her freedom: as the crowd inside the arena cheers the bullfighter, she admits that she loves Escamillo and, with a contemptuous gesture, throws in Don José’s face the ring he had given her. Mad with jealousy, Don José stabs her, and, weeping over the body of his beloved, surrenders to the guards.