Georges Bizet (1838–1875): Carmen
Liberty in love or death.
Author: Georges Bizet
Musical Preparation: Ondrej Olos
Conductor: Ondrej Olos, Robert Kružík
Director: Tomáš Pilař
Set Design: Aleš Valášek
Costume Design: Aleš Valášek
Lighting Design: Daniel Tesař
Choreography: Ladislava Košíková
Dramaturgy: Patricie Částková
Assistant Conductor: Robert Kružík
Assistant Stage Director: Silvie Adamová
Chorus Master: Pavel Koňárek, Valerie Maťašová
Sung in French. With English and Czech subtitles.
Because of his foolish passion for a wild gypsy girl, he deserted from the army and became a smuggler, a brigand and eventually a multiple murderer… Then in prison he related his tale to Don José, the main character of the novella by the French writer Prosper Merimée. And it was this slender book which became the basis for one of the most famous operas, which brought its author, the French composer Georges Bizet, worldwide renown, even though the vast majority of his work has long faded into obscurity. Bizet was immediately attracted by Merimée’s story: he loved the exotic themes, and even though he himself had never been in Spain, he was carried away by the atmosphere of the drama. In spite of the rich melodic inventiveness and excellent musical portrayal of the characters and setting, the premiere at Paris’s Comic Opera received an extremely restrained reception from the public and shortly afterwards the thirty-six-year-old composer died suddenly. Its real triumph did not come about until it was performed at Vienna’s Court Opera in October 1875, which put Carmen into the repertoire of all the major international opera houses.
First night: 18th March 2016
