Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-15
THE ARGUMENT OF "CARMEN."
Plot of the Grand opera which
Mapleson's Company Will
Present Thursday Night.


and the names OF the principals of the
cast are sufficient to insure its being one
OF the choicest events in opera which Salt
Lake has ever witnessed In several re-
spects it will far outshine "Trovatore" as
given here by Mapleson's company, and
will easily rank along with Lucia" not
outstanding we shall have no Gerster.
Minnie Hauk, as the coquettsh Carmen,
s perhaps greater success, and is APP
preciated as such, than any OF her peers,
save Patti alone, and has all of the es-
sential qualifications for perfect Car
men. The opera itself has plot which
at once makes it popular, and the beauti
full music is done full Justice TO by the
company which furnishes the support to
Mademoiselle Hauk.
OF course, Carmen" will be given
throughout in Italian, and in order to APP
preciate the interesting plot with any
degree OF satisfaction, one should be
familiar with it, beforehand. The
libretto is all very well to use between
the acts as guide, but to follow its pages
with the eye, line after line while the
opera is in progress, creates q most UNI
pleasant diversion, and one that destroys
| half the interest. We have prepared the
| following synopsis, which is much more
elab orate that the libretto argument, and
which if read over few times before the
performance will materially assist the
auditor in his comprehension and enjoy
ment of the opera.
The scene is in Spain, about the year
1920. Don Jose, a brigadier of dragons
at Seville, is expecting the arrival of
Mchaela, peasant girl, with a letter
and purse from his mother in the coun-
try. Michaela appears before the guard.
house while Don Jose is absent, and
refuses the proffered courtesy to enter
disappeared when Don Jose, at the head
OF his dragons, appears to relieve the
guard. Morales, the retiring brigadier,
tells Jose of Michaela's visit, and while
waiting anxiously for her return, Jose's
attention is attracted by the presence of
crowd OF work girls who are on their
way to the cigar factory across the
street. Carmen, q pretty coquette, who
is very popular, throws Jose her
boquet in flirtatious way, and with it
several coquettish glances which, for a
moment, caused Jose to forget his Mich
aela. The girls have barely entered the
factory when Michaela arrives with the
letter and purse from Jose's mother, and
also brings kiss, which she delivers
with the message. The afectionate son
dispatches his devoted Michaela back
with fond kiss for his mother, and
accepted the request conveyed in the
letter to give his heart to none but Mich
aela. A disturbance in the cigar factory
brings most of the girls out into the street,
and the guards are asked TO interfere.
Jose and two OF his dragons are sent in
to quell the trouble, and it is ascertained
that Carmen has been fighting with an
other OF the shop-girls over some dispute.
They are brought out before the officer
and Jose is appointed to place Carmen,
who is adjudged the guilty one, in prison
till she will give satisfactory explana
ton. On the way to the prison Carmen,
who has already discovered her power
over Jose, insists coquettishly that he
should contrive to let her escape. Jose
manages to free Carmen, but is himself
imprisoned two months as punishment.
Carmen returns to her former gypsy life
and meets Escamillo, the toreador, who
falls desperately in love with her, and
, meets with favor in return. Jose, after
, his two months Imprisonment is ended
finds Carmen at the tavern OF Lillas Pas.
tia, with some of her gypsy friends, where
Escamillo, his rival, has just met and
partially captivated her. She appeals tc
/ Jose to desert and take to the hills with
her and the gypsy smugglers. Jose
hesitates as he contemplates the
disgrace to himself and the sorrow to his
beloved mother. Carmen takes his hest
tation as evidence that he does not love
y her, and she bids him return at once tc
!. the barracks, and never come to hel
:, again, When Jose is about to leave her
an officer and brigadier enter, and seeing
) Garments intimacy with Jose, the latter
, is commanded to go about his business
!, which he refuses to do, and draws his
sword to defend himself. The gypsie!
come to the rescue and hold the officer
till Josie, who now consents to accompan,
$ Carmen to the hills, is safely out of reach
: Jose is next seen in the gypsies' camp in
e the mountains, amidst the plumber OF thu
smugglers. He cannot throw off his re
' morse resulting from his desertion, and
is bowed down with grief as he thinks o
his sorrowing mother in the distant val
ley. Carmen, noticing his attachment
i for his old home, jealousy advises him tc
+ go, but his infatuation for her keeps him
y chained by her side. The gypsies ART
: starting off for fresh plumber, and Jose
i is examining his gun, when without any
a announcement, Michaela appears on the
l scene, brought thther by guide. She
is Just about to approach Jose when Es
camille arrives and inquiries for Carmen
y whom he has grown to adore. The Jealous
Jose announces his claims on Carmen, ana
, warns the toreador not TO ntrude. Es
camille taunts Jose with the reioindeI
that Carmen is tickle, and has ceased IL
!, love her brigadicr OF dragons. The tive
rivals draw their knives, and as Jose i.
lin the act OF stabbing his opponent, Car
men and the gypsics enter and stay his
arm. While Jose is appealing to Car
Q men, Alichaela enters and tells her faith
4 less lover that his mother is diving
, broken hearted, in the valley below. She
urges him to renounce his luwlessness
and repair to her bedside before it is toe
: late. Carmen, whose affections were al
t ready placed upon the torcador, i,
: equally persistent in her entreatcs foI
Jose to go. Jose reluctantly departs
! with Michacla, but tells Carmen lac viii
meet her again.
: The next scene is in the arena squar,
: in Seville, where the toreador is about Il
| entertain the people with one OF his re
nowncd bull fights, The band announces
the approach Of Escamillo, and he enters
= with Carmen on his arm. The gypsiel
. warn Carmen that Jose is in the crowd
and while the toreador is in,thc midst o.
his wonderful feat, which causes the
arena to ring with praises ior his bravado
Jose approaches her and makes n nnn