September marks the start of the new opera season. She leaves him alone with the letter. Verismo was an attempt by composers to present a realistic view of lower class society in everyday life. Zuniga returns with the order committing Carmen to prison. just create an account. An error occurred trying to load this video. He did not survive to witness the accuracy of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s prediction that “[t]en years hence Carmen will be the most popular opera in the world.”. José begs Carmen to come away with him, but she refuses, saying that she was born free and will die free. Carmen is the supreme diva of operatic femmes fatales. Services. Log in here for access. "I think it's even an act of will on her part. (audio). Despite its current reputation, however, it was condemned by the earliest critics, who were unaccustomed to seeing the lives of the common folk, much less the world of gypsies (in Mérimée they are specifically identified with the Roma), smugglers, deserters, factory workers, and various ne’er-do-wells given centre stage. Set in the heat of Seville, Carmen is an enduring story of passion, lust, jealousy, obsession, and revenge which remains one of the most popular operas in the canon today. Despite this, the Paris Opéra-Comique commissioned this opera from him for the 1874 season. The opening scene is set in the 1830s in Seville, Spain. McClary says it's because Carmen is a hero to some, most notably feminists. And to have this woman who smokes and does exactly what she pleases just blew everybody's mind.". The opera takes place in Spain and it is about the downfall of soldier Dan Jose and the gypsy girl Carmen who is a very strong female character – unusual when comparing the fragile heroines in operas; Violetta, Mimi etc. The men continue to plead for her favours, but her eye lights on the inattentive José. With a plot based on the 1845 novella of the same name by Prosper Mérimée, Bizet’s Carmen was groundbreaking in its realism, and it rapidly became one of the most popular Western operas of all time. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. "There was something about casting aside of conventions and all those niceties that we're supposed to have in civilized life. Bizet had gone to some lengths to familiarize himself with the musical sounds and forms of the region in which Carmen is set, and several of the best-known portions use rhythms he learned from those studies. "And just as we expect to see Dracula killed off at the end of a vampire movie, we expect to see this monstrous woman killed off.". When Zuniga tries to question her, she merely sings “tra la la” and refuses to speak. This lesson explores the main plot points of this opera and explains why it wasn't always a crowd favorite.