Carmen is one of the masterpieces of operatic art. Music, full of life and light, vividly affirms the freedom of the human person. The dramatism of clashes and conflicts is deeply truthful. The heroes of the opera are depicted juicy, temperamentally, in all the psychological complexity of the characters. With great skill, the national Spanish flavor and the setting of the drama are recreated. The strength of Carmen's optimism lies in the inseparable inner connection between the heroes and the people.
Georges Bizet began working on Carmen in 1874, taking the plot from the short story of the same name by the French writer Prosper Mérimée. Together with the librettists Melyak and Halevi, he managed to create a stage work filled with bright and lively images. Whether it's Jose, shown "simple, honest, but quick-tempered and weak." Or the courageous bullfighter Escamillo, or Jose's bride - gentle and affectionate Michaela. Or the main character Carmen, the embodiment of not only female beauty, love of freedom, but also charm.
One of the first to appreciate the music of "Carmen" was P.I. Tchaikovsky. “Bizet’s opera,” he wrote, “is a masterpiece, one of those few things that are destined to reflect the musical aspirations of an entire era to the strongest degree. In ten years, Carmen will be the most popular opera in the world.” These words turned out to be prophetic.
Buryat audience first heard "Carmen" in 1949 directed by Gombo Tsydynzhapov. The history of the brilliant opera, which has been staged more than once in our theater, knows many wonderful names of performers of the title roles. One of them is People's Artist of the USSR Dugarzhap Dashiev, who shone as Jose together with Olga Ayurova, Honored Artist of Russia, laureate of the All-Union Glinka Competition, as Carmen for more than one season.
