Organization

Conductor

Herbert von Karajan

Stage director

Mezzo-soprano

Grace Bumbry

Carmen

Soprano

Mirella Freni

Michaela

Bass

Anton Diakov

Zuniga

Salzburger Festspiele

Salzburg

Austria

Herbert von Karajan conducts Bizet's eternally young "Carmen" in his production for the 1966 Salzburg Festival.

The gypsy Carmen, a worker in a cigarette factory, is adored by many. Only Don José, the sergeant, doesn't look at her. He loves Micaela. When Carmen injures a colleague with a knife, Lieutenant Zuniga gives Don José the order to take her to prison. She ensnares José, who lets her escape and has to go to prison in her place. Escamillo, the successful bullfighter, is enthusiastically received in a smugglers' bar. Trumpets call the soldiers, including Don José, who has since been released, to the barracks. Out of love for Carmen, José deserts and joins the smugglers. Carmen's feelings for José cool down quickly. The smugglers flee when customs officers arrive. José shoots a suspected customs officer and falls when he realizes it is Escamillo. full of raging jealousy of the rival. Carmen can just separate the two. Escamillo appears in front of the bullring together with Carmen, enthusiastically cheered. José lurks a few steps away. All warnings are in vain. Carmen throws the ring he gave her at José's feet. Humiliated and desperate, José stabs the gypsy.

If Herbert von Karajan is still omnipresent in classical music, we owe this not only to his more than 800 LP and CD recordings, but also to the numerous video recordings that he has produced over the years, a whole series of them in collaboration with Unitel. As early as 1965, with Puccini's "La Bohème", he began filming his performances. "Carmen" is based on his production for the 1966 Salzburg Festival with Grace Bumbry (one of the most outstanding Carmen interpreters of our time), John Vickers, Mirella Freni and Justino Diaz in the main roles. The history of what is perhaps the most popular opera in the world today began with a fiasco when it premiered in Paris in 1875. Peter Tchaikovsky, who was then in Paris, predicted worldwide success for the opera within just ten years. It took a little longer, but for Bizet's great music this prophecy was bound to come true sooner or later!

Carmen Bizet

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