"Carmen" by J. Bizet is familiar even to those who have never been to the opera house, and perhaps everyone can sing Habanera or Escamillo's Couplets. However, the Paris premiere (1875) turned out to be a failure: the audience left the hall without watching the performance, and the critics almost competed - who would write a more devastating review. The fact is that the composer called his work a comic opera. This was due to its “technical characteristics”: kings or gods became the heroes of serious operas, and the characters of “Carmen” were gypsies, smugglers, soldiers, workers. People hoped to see a light entertaining spectacle, but they got a story full of "base" passions, ending with the death of the main character!
The premiere of the new edition of the opera took place in the same year in Vienna, a few months after the death of the composer, and public opinion began to change. The opera was praised by Brahms and Wagner, and Tchaikovsky learned her clavier by heart. He wrote:
“In my opinion, this is a masterpiece in the full sense, that is, one of those few things that are destined to reflect the musical aspirations of an entire era to the strongest degree. <...> I am convinced that in ten years "Carmen" will be the most popular opera in the world ... " . A century and a half later, Bizet
's work is still among the top opera performances in the largest theaters in the world.
Composers, poets, impresarios, scientists pondered the secret of the popularity of "Carmen". The most important of the reasons is the stunningly bright music, which conveys a sunny Spanish flavor, but does not bother the listener with literal quotes from folklore. After all, it is not Spain as such that is reflected in Bizet's music, but the view of Bizet himself - a Frenchman - on her. Another reason is the universal questions that the plot poses. Should lovers belong only to each other? Or is true love about letting the other be free? And what is the price of this freedom?
The production director of the performance is Yuri Alexandrov , People's Artist of the Russian Federation, an old friend of Novaya Opera. His performances have been successfully staged on our stage for many years. The musical director of the production is the People's Artist of the Republic of Moldova Alexander Samoila . The scenery, inspired by the work of Antonio Gaudi, and the costumes were created by the People's Artist of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Okunev .
