Carmen

"Quand il s'agit de tromperie, du duperie, du volerie, il est toujours bon, sur ma foi, d'avoir les femmes avec soi. Et sans elles, mes toutes belles, on ne fait jamais rien de bien! "

Translation:"When it's a question of trickery,of deception, of theiving, it's always good, I swear, to have women around. And without them, my lovelies, no one ever does any good!"

Plot Synopsis

Act 1

The soldiers of the Seville guard are amusing themselves in the town square by watching the passers-by. A young girl named Micaela comes in, looking for a brigadier named Don Jose. They tell her he will be there with the changing of the guard. She departs, though the soldiers try to detain her.

The relief guard arrives followed by a crowd of imitative children. Jose is informed of his visitor, Micaela, who was his childhood sweetheart, and his fiancee.

The attractive, but disreputable women employed at the cigarette factory nearby come out for a break. A group of male admirers including the soldiers mingle with the girls, except Jose, who is making a chain for his rifle's priming pin.

The gypsy Carmen enters, and attracts particular attention. She flirts with all of them, but casts her eyes on Jose, who doesn't notice her. Before returning with the other women to the factory, she throws him a cassia flower, the flower of witchcraft.

Jose is confused and angry, but he is soon interrupted by the arrival of Micaela, who brings him money, a letter, and a kiss from his mother. Jose is reminded of his village, and gives Micaela a message for his mother.

Micaela leaves while he reads the letter, which is asking him to marry Micaela. Jose says he will respect his mother's wishes.

Screams are heard inside the factory. Jose is sent in to learn the cause. Carmen had stabbed another woman with a knife in a quarrel. The girls give a very confused description of the fight, and Carmen will reveal nothing when questioned. Instead, she sings an ironic song.

The Lieutenant Zuniga has her bound and orders her to be sent to prison. She is guarded by Jose alone, and she seductively invites him to a rendezvous at the tavern of Lillas Pastia. He gives in, and loosens her bonds, so when they set off across the bidge to prison, she pushes him over and escapes.

Act 2

Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercedes are in Lillas Pastia's tavern, with some of the soldiers. Carmen gets up randomly and starts to sing. Then Zuniga tells her that Jose was just released from prison.

The Lieutenant invites the popular matador Escamillo in for a drink (Toreador en garde, etc.). He notices Carmen, and tries to interest her, but she remains aloof. Then everyone leaves, except Carmen and her two friends.

El Dancairo and El Remendado, smugglers, ask help from the three gypsies for a new venture. Carmen refuses to go; she says she is in love. They convince her to go. She mentions that she is meeting a soldier who has done her a service, and they ask her to persuade him to join their band.

Jose comes in. Carmen needles his jealousy. The call of Retreat sounds from his barracks in the middle of her song, and she becomes angry that he would leave her, and says he doesn't love her.

Jose protests, describing how he felt in prison (he still has her flower...). Carmen insists he doesn't love her, and bids him farewell.

Just as Jose is leaving, Zuniga comes in, and orders Jose to leave so he and Carmen can have a tete-a-tete. Jose refuses, and they fight, but the smugglers intervene, disarming the officer and putting him under guard. Jose has no choice but to join with the smugglers.

Act 3

The smugglers, Jose, and Carmen have camped for the night in the wild. Jose is sad for having dishonored his mother and his uniform. Carmen mocks him.

Mercedes and Frasquita are amusing themselves by telling fortunes with cards. Carmen joins in, but keeps drawing the same grim fate: death, first for her, then for "him".

El Dancairo comes back from inspecting the passage through which the contraband must be taken. He asks the three women to distract the officers. They say it will be an easy task. Jose is left behind to guard the camp.

A guide leads Micaela to the camp. She wants to persuade Jose to forgo his criminal life. She sees him just as he fires at Escamillo, who has come to look for Carmen. Micaela is terrified, and hides.

Escamillo enters unhurt. The rivals fight, but Carmen comes in and stops them. Escamillio invites her to his next bullfight, and leaves. Jose is incredibly jealous.

El Remendado stubles upon Micaela. Jose learns that his mother is sick, and deserts the smugglers. He warns Carmen that he'll be back for her.

Act 4

Outside the plaza de toros, crowds are preparing for the fight. They greet the procession of the bullfighters.

Carmen has taken Escamillo for her lover, and she scorns the warnings that her friends Mercedes and Frasquita give her that Jose is hiding in the crowd.

Everyone goes into the ring, but Carmen stays behind to await her fate.

Jose appears, and pleads for her to take him back. She refuses. Carmen declares her love for Escamillo, and the crowd inside celebrates his triumph. The desperate Jose stabs her. The crowd comes out to find him doubled, grief-stricken, over her lifeless body.

Interesting, eh? I needn't mention that the general public was scandalized when this opera came out. They couldn't believe that someone who write music to such a risque storyline. As you no doubt noticed, opera plots are a bit more choppy than a Gilbert and Sullivan. Believe me, though. The arias make the opera far less choppy than it sounds written down.