Carmen facts for kids
Carmen is a famous French opera created by Georges Bizet. It was first performed on March 3, 1875. The story takes place in Spain and is based on a story by Prosper Mérimée.
Main Characters
- Carmen - A main female character with a lower singing voice (a mezzo-soprano).
- Don José - The main male character with a higher singing voice (a tenor).
- Micaëla - A female character with a high singing voice (a soprano).
- Escamillo - A male character with a medium-low singing voice (a baritone).
The Story of Carmen
The opera Carmen tells the story of a free-spirited young woman named Carmen, who works in a factory. She meets a soldier named Don José and they fall in love. However, Don José is already engaged to another girl named Micaëla.
Don José eventually leaves his fiancée and the army to be with Carmen. They run away together and are happy for a while. But then, Carmen falls in love with a famous bullfighter named Escamillo. She decides to leave Don José for Escamillo.
One day, while Carmen is watching a bullfight, Don José waits for her. He tries to convince her to come back to him, but she refuses. Don José becomes very angry and, sadly, Carmen dies because of his actions. Don José is then arrested for what happened.
Related Pages
Images for kids
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Prosper Mérimée, whose novella Carmen of 1845 inspired the opera
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Galli-Marié as Carmen
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Lithograph of act 1 in the premiere performance, by Pierre-Auguste Lamy, 1875
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Act 4: A square in Seville
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Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac, who together wrote the libretto for Carmen
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Georges Bizet, photograph by Étienne Carjat, 1875
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Cartoon from Journal amusant, 1875
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Many distinguished artistes sang the role of Carmen in early productions of the opera.
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Carmen at the New York Met in 1915; a publicity photograph that shows the three principal stars: Geraldine Farrar, Enrico Caruso and Pasquale Amato
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Carmen sings the "Habanera", act 1
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Vittoria Lepanto in Carmen (1909)
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See also
In Spanish: Carmen (ópera) para niños
