Fate gave Georges Bizet just thirty-six years of life and he gave us Carmen. Carmen and its eponymous heroine will live forever, in the hearts of music lovers, as well as those who appreciate great characters of literature.

Historical Background: The composer of the opera Carmen, Bizet, was born Alexandre César Léopold Bizet in Paris, on October 25th, 1838, but was known throughout his life as Georges Bizet. He died on June 3rd, 1975, at age thirty-six and only three months after the first performance of his masterpiece. The rest of us can never conceivably imagine what this gifted musician might have given to the world had he not been struck down at such an early age. Unlike Mozart (who died at very nearly the same age), Bizet had only begun to find his greatness in the last three years or so of his life, though he had exhibited extraordinary promise and precocious gifts from an early age. He was admitted to the Conservatoire as a nine-year-old in order to study piano with Mormontel, organ with Benoist, and composition with Zimmermann. Bizet took first prize for piano in 1852 (when he was just fourteen) and duplicated that feat on the organ in 1855. In 1857, he won the Grand Prix de Rome. Later, Bizet studied composition with Halévy and married the man's daughter, Geneviève. It was through that relationship that Bizet made the acquaintance of Ludovic Haléby (his wife's cousin), who was co-librettist (along with Henri Meilhac) for Carmen.

Bizet composed his Symphony in C in 1855, when he was just sixteen, but it was not performed during his lifetime. It is now widely admired and sometimes used as music for ballet performances. Bizet's first composition to gain attention during his lifetime was a one-act operetta, Le Docteur Miracle (1857), which won a contest sponsored by Offenbach. He followed that with a two-act opéra-bouffe entitled Don Procopio, in 1959. Beginning in 1860, Bizet turned earnestly to developing his skills at operatic composition, but had difficulty satisfying his own high expectations. He wrote a one-act opera, La Guzla de l'Emir, entered it in a contest, but withdrew it before the judging, and later destroyed it. Another score written in 1865, Ivan le Terrible, met a similar fate. Bizet had better success meeting his own standards with Les Pêcheurs de Perles (1863) ("The Pearl Fishers") and La Jolie Fille de Perth (1867) ("The Girls of Perth"), both of which I have in my record collection. They are enjoyable works, but nowhere near the caliber of Carmen. Les Pêcheurs de Perles was produced at the Théâtre Lyrique on September 28th, 1863. Another opera, Djamileh, was produced at the Opéra-Comique in 1872. During 1872, Bizet composed incidental music for a performance of Daudet's play L'Arlésienne that took place on October 1st, 1872. After Carmen, it is probably is best known and most highly regarded of Bizet's music, from the vantage point of the present day.

Although Carmen is now among the most beloved of all operas, it was not an especially notable success when it was first produced, on March 3rd, 1875, at the Opéra-Comique. Neither the public nor the critics were ready for such earthy and realistic subject matter in an opera libretto. Moreover, the part of Carmen was played by Galli-Marié, who had previously performed the role in the source play by Prosper Mérimée. Galli-Marié emphasized the raunchy and realistic side of Carmen's persona and the disappointed librettists for Bizet's version were reduced to complaining that she had "played Mérimée's Carmen, she did not plays ours!" Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy had done a masterful job adapting the play into a top-notch libretto, concentrating the events as one must for an opera. They had toned down Carmen's personality a bit because the Carmen in the play was quite simply too depraved and risqué for the bourgeois sensitivities of an opera-going public. They had also added Micaela as a contrast and modified the shadowy character, Lucas, in the play into the braggart, Escamillo. They had also added some colorful stage work, such as the bullfight arena and the Tarot cards. Galli-Marié's rendition of Carmen, however, caused one critic to huff that "Carmen is an even less respectable person than the heroine of La Traviata!"

Carmen was better received when it toured the world in 1878, including Vienna, St. Petersburg, Naples, Hanover, Florence, and London. The first American performance was in 1878, at the Academy of Music on October 23rd. It also received praise during its first revival in Paris, in 1883. Carmen was performed during the inaugural year of the Metropolitan Opera in 1884, though it was (unthinkably) translated into Italian. Carmen is probably adored even more by musicians than the general public, being frequently cited as a favorite by both performers and other composers.

The Story: At a busy square in Séville, in Spain, the guards on duty amuse themselves people watching, paying special attention to the young peasant women who work in the nearby tobacco factory. Micaëla (Faith Esham), a demure young woman, shyly approaches the guardhouse to enquire about a dragoon corporal, Don José (Plácido Domingo). He is not yet on duty and the soldiers presently at hand, including Corporal Moralès (François Le Roux), try to entice Michëla to come inside, where they would no doubt amuse themselves at her expense. A march of fifes and trumpets signals the changing of the guard, which also draws out a hoard of street urchins who want to observe the ceremony. Moralès informs Don José that a young woman had been inquiring about him.

The new shift of guards take up the same endeavor as those just departed, watching the Andalucian beauties on their way to work. They especially keep an eye out for the beautiful Carmen (Julia Migenes), also known as Carmencita. She is a lusty and spirited gypsy and sings the flirtatious Habanera, while tossing a flower at Don José. He pretends not to notice her, but later conceals the flower next to his heart, after Carmen waltzes off to the tobacco factory. Micaela now reappears with a letter for Don José, from his mother, telling him it is time for him to marry and that Micaela should be his choice.

Soon, an altercation breaks out at the cigarette factory between two of the women who work there, Carmen and Manuelita. Lieutenant Zuñiga (John-Paul Bogart) orders Don José to take two men with him and investigate. Don José encounters conflicting testimony, since both Carmen and Manuelita have their supporters, but Carmen is hauled outside because she cut Manuelita with a knife. Carmen stubbornly refuses to respond to the questions of Lt. Zuñiga and taunts him by singing "Tralalala" to his inquiries. Fed up with her, Zuñiga orders her thrown in jail and instructs Don José to escort her there. In the holding cell, Carmen easily seduces Don José, singing the famous Sequidilla, promising to meet him later at a tavern on the outskirts of the walled city. Don José later cooperates in her escape.

Two months pass by, during which time Don José has been jailed for his neglect in allowing Carmen's escape. At the tavern belonging to Carmen's friend, Lillas Pastia (Julien Guiomar), Carmen entertains the men with the lusty Gypsy Song. Zuñiga is among those duly enamored with Carmen. Escamillo (Ruggero Raimondi), a famous bullfighter, arrives and sings the famous Toreador's Song to an admiring throng. He, too, becomes infatuated with Carmen, but she holds him at bay.

In the evening, Carmen and her two friends, Mercédès (Susan Daniel) and Frasquita (Lillian Watson), meet with two gypsy men, who are smugglers, Dancaïre (Jean-Phillippe Lafont) and Remendado (Gérard Garino). The smugglers need the help of the women with a potentially profitable smuggling run. Carmen is reluctant because she awaits the arrival of Don José, who has just been released from confinement. Carmen agrees to try to get Don José to quit his regiment and join the gypsies. Don José arrives and declares his unquenchable love for Carmen. When the role call bugle sounds, however, Don José dutifully explains that he'll have to return to the barracks. Carmen toys with him, declaring that she doubts the love of one who has to scurry back to camp at the first taratata of the bugle. She asks him to run away with her and join the gypsies, but he remains steadfast – until Zuñiga returns, hoping to sleep with Carmen. Don José's jealousy is aroused and he gets into a sword fight with Zuñiga. The gypsy men intervene and tie Zuñiga up. Realizing that he'll be in deep trouble after disobeying and fighting with an officer, Don José reluctantly agrees to abandon his uniform and follow Carmen to the den of smugglers in a nearby mountain pass. Carmen rewards him in the best way she knows how.

At an encampment site, Don José and Carmen increasingly feud with one another. He wants to possess her exclusively, but Carmen values her freedom above all else. Carmen, Frasquita, and Mercédès deal out the Tarot cards and Carmen's fortune predicts death – for both her and Don José. Don José becomes distraught when Carmen and her friends are sent to seduce the customs officials that are guarding the pass, so the men can move the goods on through. Don José is left to stand guard, alone, at the camp. To his surprise, Micaëla, his former sweetheart arrives, having groped her way to the hideout, in order to urge José to return and pay his last respects to his dying mother. Before she can confront Don José, however, Escamillo comes riding up to the camp. Don José is horrified to discover that the toreador has come seeking Carmen, who he also loves. The two rivals for Carmen's affections duel with knives and capes. Only the return of the smugglers prevents the fight from proving fatal to one or the other of the men. Escamillo departs, but not before inviting the smugglers to attend his next bullfight. Don José leaves with Micaëla, after issuing a jealous warning to Carmen to be faithful.

A festive crowd gathers at the arena and Escamillo enters to great applause. Carmen, who is in the audience, declares her love to Escamillo. Frasquita warns her that Don José is hiding in the crowd. Carmen refuses to be cowed and goes to meet Don José outside the arena, to tell him that they are through. Don José refuses to accept Carmen's decision and demands her love. Don José hears, in the background, the crowd cheering his rival and his jealousy is further inflamed. When Carmen declares her love for Escamillo and turns to reenter the arena, Don José stabs her to death. As the crowd and Escamillo emerge from the arena, Don José surrenders himself to the guards.

Themes: The story of Carmen is most essentially a story about the conflict between possessiveness and freedom. Carmen cherishes her freedom above all else but that ideal comes into conflict with Don José's need to possess her absolutely. Carmen has so thoroughly seduced the poor boy that both he and she are doomed. They have become the irresistible force pitted against the immovable object. Carmen is so utterly committed to personal freedom that she is prepared to accept that freedom in the form of death if no other option for it remains. "With my last breath," she says, "I shall reply: free I was born, and free I will die!" Don José declares, "As I'm living, I'll never set you free, Carmen! You're going to come with me!" The die is cast and the cast must die. "Go on!" she finally says, "Strike me at once, strike me or let me by!" No compromise remains between an absolute need to possess and an absolute need for freedom.

Production Values: Francesco Rosi's film adaptation of Bizet's Carmen is among the most cinematic of opera renditions currently available on VHS or DVD. It's a highly realistic version of the opera, both in the settings and the performances. My only personal complaint with the choices made by Rosi is that he has converted the recitative into spoken dialog, but, in truth, only opera lovers will be dismayed by that modification. It does add to the realism that Rosi was obviously working to achieve. Francesco Rosi is a highly regarded Italian director, best known for such films as Salvatore Giuliano (1961), Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979), and Three Brothers (1980). Rosi has imbued this great opera with fire and passion.

The cinematography features a lot of strikingly bright reds and yellows in many of the scenes, contrasted with mossy greens, tans, and grays at the smuggler's den. The film was shot entirely on location in Andalucia and the spots selected for each of the settings couldn't have been any more appropriate. The overture is played while an actual bullfight is in progress. Some viewers might object, on moral grounds, to the slaughter of the bull at the end of that scene, but, as cinema, it's well filmed and highly dramatic. I particularly liked the setting for the tavern of Lillas Pastia. The soundtrack was recorded in Paris, with Loren Maazel conducting the National Orchestra of France. The voices of the opera singers were dubbed in after filming. The voices throughout the cast were fully up to standards for top-rate opera productions, although I've heard better renditions of the Toreador's Song.

Among the top reasons for choosing this film over other versions of Carmen would be the performance by Julia Migenes. There are other sopranos who could match or best her vocal performance of the role, though it's very, very good. My audio version of the opera features Victoria de los Angeles as Carmen and I'd have to give the nod to De los Angeles, based exclusively on vocal prowess. What makes Migenes's performance in the film truly special is that she also possesses every bit of the saucy look and smoldering sexiness that the part demands for the kind of realistic and dramatic rendition that Rosi undertook. Personally, I find her very alluring and provocative. She could wrap me around her pinky as readily as she did the various male characters in the film. Placido Domingo is not necessarily the person you would cast in the role of Don José based on looks alone (he's a bit too old and too heavy for the part), but one often has to compromise in casting operas between vocal demands and acting demands. Domingo performs the part effectively and has all the requisite chemistry with Migenes. Vocally, you couldn't ask for a finer tenor for the role. I thought the acting by the gypsy smugglers and Carmen's two friends especially good.

Bottom-Line: Both the audio and video have been digitally remastered for the DVD version. It should be preferred to the VHS version, which provides significantly poorer sound. The running time is 155 minutes. The film is in French and the subtitles in English are literate and easy to read. Extras include production notes and theatrical trailers. The format is widescreen. This recording of Carmen is quite simply cinematic opera adaptation at its finest. The atmosphere is great, the singing top notch, and Bizet's music sublime. Most importantly, Julia Migenes is sexy as all get-out as the greatest femme fatale in all of literature.


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You may also enjoy my other opera reviews:

The Barber of Seville
La Bohème
Boris Godunov
Carmen (Dance Version)
Don Giovanni
Lucia di Lammermoor
The Magic Flute
I Pagliacci
Rigoletto
La Traviata (Strada)
La Traviata (Moffo)
Il Trovatore
Turandot



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You can easily access all my other opera reviews using the following lists:

Top-Twelve Film Versions of Operas
Metalluk's Twenty Best Pre-Romantic (Baroque & Classicism) Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty-five Best Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Twenty Best Non-Italian Romantic Period Operas, on DVD
Metalluk's Thirty Best Operas of the 20th-Century, on DVD
Metalluk's Best Opera from Each Decade of the 20th-Century, on DVD

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age