Carmen

Carmen is a French opera written and first performed on 3 March 1875 by Georges Bizet. The story is set in Spain. It is based on the story of the same title by Prosper Merimee.
Roles
Carmen - mezzo-soprano
Don Jose - tenor
Micaela - soprano
Escamillo - baritone
The story
Carmen is about a gypsy girl who works in a factory. She falls in love with a soldier called Don Jose, who loves her. However, he is already engaged to somebody else. Later, he leaves the girl he was engaged to and the army for Carmen. Running away together, they are happy for a while until Carmen decides she loves a bullfighter called Escamillo. She leaves Don Jose. One day when Carmen is watching a bullfight, Don Jose waits for her and then tries to make her come back. She refuses, so he stabs her to death. Horrified at what he has done, he goes to jail.
Discography
1911: Marguerite Merentie (Carmen), Agustarello Affre (Don Jose), Alline Vallandri (Micaela), Henri Albers (Escamillo); Choeurs et Orchestre du Theatre de l'Opera-Comique de Paris, Francois Ruhlman - (Marston)
1920: Raymonde Visconti (Carmen), Georges Thill (Don Jose), Marthe Nespoulous (Micaela), Louis Guenot (Escamillo); Choeurs et Orchestre du Theatre de l'Opera-Comique de Paris, Elie Cohen - (EMI Classics)
1950: Solange Michel (Carmen), Raoul Jobin (Don Jose), Martha Angelici (Micaela), Michel Dens (Escamillo); Choeurs et Orchestre du Theatre de l'Opera-Comique de Paris, Andre Cluytens - (EMI Classics)
1951: Rise Stevens (Carmen), Jan Peerce (Don Jose), Licia Albanese (Micaela), Robert Merrill (Escamillo); Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA Victor Orchestra, Fritz Reiner - (RCA Victor)
1959: Victoria de los Angeles (Carmen), Nicolai Gedda (Don Jose), Janine Micheau (Micaela), Ernest Blanc (Escamillo); Choeurs et Orchestre National de La Radiodiffusion Francaise, Thomas Beecham - (EMI Classics)
1963: Regina Resnik (Carmen), Mario del Monaco (Don Jose), Joan Sutherland (Micaela), Tom Krause (Escamillo); Choeurs Du Grand Theatre De Geneve, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Thomas Schippers - (Decca)
1963: Leontyne Price (Carmen), Franco Corelli (Don Jose), Mirella Freni (Micaela), Robert Merrill (Escamillo); Wiener Staatopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - (RCA Victor)
1964: Maria Callas (Carmen), Nicolai Gedda (Don Jose), Andrea Guiot (Micaela), Robert Massard (Escamillo); Choeurs Rene Duclos, Orchestre du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris, Georges Pretre - (EMI Classics)
1969: Grace Bumbry (Carmen), Jon Vickers (Don Jose), Mirella Freni (Micaela), Kostas Paskalis (Escamillo); Choeurs et Orchestre du Theatre National de l'Opera de Paris, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos - (EMI Classics)
1970: Anna Moffo (Carmen), Franco Corelli (Don Jose), Helen Donath (Micaela), Piero Cappuccilli (Escamillo); Chor und Orchester der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Lorin Maazel - (Sony)
1972: Marilyn Horne (Carmen), James McCracken (Don Jose), Adriana Maliponte (Micaela), Tom Krause (Escamillo); Manhattan Opera Chorus, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein - (Deutsche Grammophon)
1975: Tatiana Troyanos (Carmen), Placido Domingo (Don Jose), Kiri Te Kanawa (Micaela), Jose van Dam (Escamillo); John Alldis Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Georg Solti - (Decca)
1977: Teresa Berganza (Carmen), Placido Domingo (Don Jose), Ileana Cotrubas (Micaela), Sherrill Milnes (Escamillo); The Ambrosian Singers, London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Abbado - (Deutsche Grammophon)
1982: Agnes Baltsa (Carmen), Jose Carreras (Don Jose), Katia Ricciarelli (Micaela), Jose van Dam (Escamillo); Choeurs de l'Opera de Paris, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - (Deutsche Grammophon)
1984: Julia Migenes (Carmen), Placido Domingo (Don Jose), Faith Esham (Micaela), Ruggero Raimondi (Escamillo); Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Lorin Maazel - (Erato)
1988: Jessye Norman (Carmen), Neil Shicoff (Don Jose), Mirella Freni (Micaela), Simon Estes (Escamillo); Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Seiji Ozawa - (Philips)
1995: Jennifer Larmore (Carmen), Thomas Moser (Don Jose), Angela Gheorghiu (Micaela), Samuel Ramey (Escamillo); Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Giuseppe Sinopoli - (Teldec)
2002: Angela Gheorghiu (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don Jose), Inva Mula (Micaela), Thomas Hampson (Escamillo); Choeurs "Les Elements", Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Michel Plasson - (EMI Classics)
2005: Marina Domashenko (Carmen), Andrea Bocelli (Don Jose), Eva Mei (Micaela), Bryn Terfel (Escamillo); Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Myung Whun Chung - (Decca)
Related pages
Opera-comique
Other websites
Carmen and other works by Merimee in English
Full Piano Score with notes
Recordings of Carmen
Carmen MP3 Creative Commons Recording of the Complete Opera
Compositions by Georges Bizet
Operas set in Spain
1870s operas