When was Carmen by Georges Bizet first performed?
Carmen received its world premiere on the 3rd of March 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The performance was conducted by Adolphe Deloffre, with Célestine Galli-Marié in the title role.
Questions about Carmen
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Carmen shock audiences at its Paris premiere in 1875?
Carmen broke conventions of the opéra comique tradition by depicting proletarian life, immorality, and lawlessness, and by showing the murder of the main character on stage. Critics condemned the heroine as an amoral seductress, and the final act of the premiere was described as "glacial from first to last" by librettist Halévy.
What happened to Bizet after Carmen premiered?
Bizet died suddenly of heart disease on the 3rd of June 1875, the morning after the opera's 33rd performance, at the age of 36. He was unaware that Carmen would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years.
Who sang Carmen at the 1875 premiere?
Célestine Galli-Marié sang the title role at the premiere on the 3rd of March 1875. Paul Lhérie sang Don José, Jacques Bouhy sang Escamillo, and Marguerite Chapuy sang Micaëla.
What is the source of Carmen's habanera melody?
Carmen's habanera is based on "El arreglito", a song by the Spanish composer Sebastián Yradier, who lived from 1809 to 1865. Bizet believed it was a genuine folk melody and added a credit to Yradier in the vocal score after learning otherwise.
How did Carmen gain international success after its troubled Paris premiere?
Carmen built its early reputation through productions outside France, beginning with a triumphant Vienna Court Opera staging on the 23rd of October 1875. It reached London in 1878, had its American premiere at the New York Academy of Music on the 23rd of October 1878, and was not revived in Paris until 1883.