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.

Present Thursday N1ght.
Carmen" will be given for the hrs
time in this city next Thursday evening
and the names of the principals OF tn
cast are sufficient to insure its being on
of the choicest events in opera which Sal
Lake has ever witnessed. In several re
spects it will far outshine 'Trovatore" a
given here by Mapleson's company, an
will easily rank along with ''Lucia," not
withstanding we shall have no Gerster
Minnie Hank, as the coquettish Carmen
perhaps greater success, and is ap'
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 tc
Mademoiselle Hauk.
OF course, Carmen" will be given
throughout in Italian, and in order to ap-
preciate the interesting plot with any
degree of satisfaction, one should be
familiar with it, beforehand. The
ibretto is all very we'll to use between
the acts as a guide, but to follow its pages
with the eye, line after line while the
opera is in progress, creates most UNI
pleasant diversion, and one that destroys
half the interest. We have prepared the
following synopsis, which is much more
elaborate 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, brigadier OF dragons
at Seville, is expecting the arrival of
Michaela, 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
and await his arrival. She has scarcely
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
a crowd of work girls who are on their
way to the cigar factory across the
street. Carmen, pretty coquette, who
is very popular, throws Jose her
boquet in f1irtatious way, and with it
several coquettish glances which, for a
caused Jose to forget his Mich
lela. The girls have barely entered the
actory when Michaela arrives with the
etter and purse from Jose's mother, and
llso 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
etter to give his heart to none but Mich
ella. A disturbance in the cigar factory
rings most of the girls out into the street,
nd the guards are asked to interfere.
ose and two Of his dragons are sent in
0 quell the trouble, and it is ascertained
hat Carmen has been fighting with an
ther of the shop-girls over some dispute.
hey are brought out before the officer
nd Jose is appointed to place Carmen,
, u is adjudged the guilty one, in prison
i'll she will give satisfactory explana-
on. On the way to the prison Carmen,
Tho has already discovered her power
yer Jose, insists coquettishly that he
nould contrive to let her escape. Jose
manages to free Carmen, but is himself
Imprisoned two months as punishment.
armen returns to her former gypsy life,
nd meets Escamillo, the toreador, who
Ills desperately in love with her, and
leets with favor in return. Jose, after
is two months Imprisonment is ended,
nds Carmen at the tavern of Lillas Pas
a, with some of her gypsy friends, where !
scamillo, his rival, has just met and
artially captivated her. =. She appeals to
use to desert and take to the hills with I
Dr. and the gypsy smugglers. Jose
estates as he contemplates the
sgrace to himself and the sorrow to his s.
'loved mother. Carmen takes his hest F
ton as evidence that he does not love T
r, and she bids him return at once to r
e barracks, and never come to her N
ain: When Jose is about to leave her. o
officer and brigadier enter, and seeing !.
intimacy with Jose, the latter
commanded to 60 about his business. y
lich he refuses to do, and draws his
'ord to defend himself The gypsies =
me to the rescue and hold the officer +
Josie, who now consents to accompany c,
'rmen to the hills, safely out of reach. P
Sc is next seen in the gypsies' camp in =,
mountains, amidst the plumber of the OF
lugglers. lie cannot throw off his re- o.
,rse resulting from his desertion, and an an
bowed down with grief as he thinks of Sa
sorrowing mother in the distant VAL TO
:. Carmen, noticing his attachment IT,:
his old home, jealousy advises him to of
but his infatuation for her keeps him Co
aimed by her side. The gvpsies are on
rting off for fresh plumber, and lose re- re-
examining his gun, when, without any dr.
Michaela appears on the r ra
ne, brought thither by a guide. She e eis
ust about to approach Jose when Es- sol
alllo arrives and inquiries for Carmen "a "a
ON ne has grown to adore. The Jealous roc roc
announces his claims on Carmen. and hui
rms the toreador not to intruGe. Es- zig
1lllo taunts Jose with the reioinder to H,t
Carmen is tickle, and has ceased to I
2 her brigadier of dragons. The two he1
lis draw their knives, and as lose is Del 4
ne act OF stabbing his opponent, Car. at
and the gypsies enter and stay his I
|. While Jose is appealing to- Car. f.
], Michaela enters and tells her faith. -
lover that his mother is divine
Ken hearted, in the valley below. She,
IS him to renounce his law1essnass
repair to her bedside before it is too
Carmen, whose affections were al
y, placed upon the toreador. is NJ
ally persistent in her entreaties for - ~
TO go, Jose reluctantly departs por
Mlchaela, but tells Carmen he will mao