(c) stock.adobe.com Palau de la Música Catalana: Carmen by G. Bizet
Barcelona, Palau de la Música Catalana — Concert Hall
About the Event
Relish the chance to witness the awe‐inspiring opera performance of Georges Bizet's Carmen at the stunning Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. Carmen is among the most celebrated and frequently staged operas worldwide, stirring emotions like few others in the grand repertoire. Its unique, alluring, and captivating music skillfully blends various styles, from classic French romanticism to enchanting melodies influenced by Spanish folklore. This staged version runs for two hours and fifteen minutes, including a 15‐minute intermission, featuring a symphony orchestra, solo singers, chorus, Spanish dance troupe, costumes, and extraordinary lighting that highlights the special characteristics of the Palau de la Música Catalana. With over 70 performers on stage, it's a spectacle not to be missed!
Carmen, an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet, draws from Prosper Merimee’s novella of the same title. Crafted in the opera comique tradition, it combines musical movements with spoken dialogue. When it debuted at the Opera‐Comique in 1875, this innovative opera surprised audiences unprepared for its realism and unconventional portrayal of lower‐class life on stage. Yet, within a decade, the tragic and passionate Carmen secured its place at the core of the operatic repertoire, bridging opera comique and the emerging verismo style.
Act 1
Seville, Spain. The alluring gypsy, Carmen, works in a cigarette factory. As the women take their break, Carmen sings a ‘Habanera,’ ensnaring the attention of all the men in the square. Only Don José, a soldier, shows no interest. Insulted, Carmen tosses a flower to him. A scuffle then erupts among the women. Carmen gets arrested but beguiles José into freeing her and subsequently escapes. José faces imprisonment for this lapse.
Act 2
A month later, newly freed José heads to meet Carmen at a tavern. Holding her flower, José confesses his feelings to her. Carmen persuades José to forego his roll call and instead, join the smugglers alongside her.
Act 3
Regretful of joining the smugglers, José finds Carmen smitten with another—Escamillo, the bullfighter. Carmen consults the cards, predicting a grim future. José's childhood friend, Micaela, seeks him out to convey his mother's grave illness. José resolves to return home. The following month, Escamillo, now Carmen’s lover, is celebrated by spectators as he heads into the arena. Carmen lingers in the square, where José confronts her. He demands she accompany him, but she defies him, discarding the ring he once gave her. Enraged by jealousy, José fatally stabs Carmen with a dagger. As the arena crowds disperse, he confesses to his deed.
Program
- Georges Bizet – Carmen
Cast / Production
Orquestra NovAria Filharmonia
Adolf Gassol, musical conductor
Marta Finestres, choir conductor
Sergi Gimenez, stage management
Sarah Zhai, international executive director
Novaria, staging
Ben aisit, production and communication
Núria Serra, choreography
Álvaro Duran, stage director
Juliana Tauber, stage manager
Imesde, lightning
Montse Miralles, costume designer
Roger Griño, characterization
Palau de la Música Catalana
The Palau de la Musica Catalana is a dazzling building situated in the northern part of Barcelona's Old Town. An architectural jewel of the Catalan Art Nouveau style, built between 1905 and 1908, its rich interior displays the work of the region's artisans in the form of stained-glass windows, ceramics, sculptures, paintings and blacksmithing. The extensive use of glass in the construction of the venue creates stunningly radiant interiors. The dusty red facade of the Palau is decorated with busts of great composers including Bach, Beethoven and Wagner, and colorful mosaics in floral patterns. The centre of the Palau is the magnificent concert hall, entirely lit by natural sunlight due to the extraordinary skylight in the centre of the richly ornate ceiling, which is popular for symphonic and chamber music. According to Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the architect who designed the Palau, the aim was to create a “garden for music” – an objective he definitely managed to achieve.
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet devoted his relatively short life of 36 years to the musical theatre. The opera Carmen, pearl of his oeuvre, is still one of the most frequently performed operas in the world. He was born in 1838 into a musically educated family – his father was a singing teacher and his mother a professional piano player. At the age of 4, young George could already read notes and play the piano, and six years later he became enrolled at the Paris Conservatory. After finishing his studies, Bizet won the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata Clovis et Clotilde, that allowed him to work solely on his own compositions for five years. He spent four rather carefree years in Italy from 1857 to 1860 where he travelled, composed and developed his talent. After coming back to Paris, he faced struggles and found it very difficult to achieve recognition for his music. In order to make a living, he gave private lessons, composed light entertaining music and made arrangements of piano works by other composers. In fact, he could have easily become a successful pianist as he was a virtuoso piano player and once impressed Franz Liszt himself with the performance of one of Liszt’s piano compositions. But Georges Bizet did not look for a way to make easy money and was adamant about his intention to only compose music. In 1872 he wrote two operas, Djamileh and L’Arlesienne, which were received very coldly but now are considered to be a representation of Bizet’s artistic maturity. Soon before his death in 1875, Carmen premiered in the Opera Comique, but the audience’s verdict was rather negative. Never having witnessed public acclaim during his life, George Bizet now is one of the most famous opera composers in history.
Address
Palau de la Música Catalana, c/ Palau de la Música, 4‐6, Barcelona, Spain — Google Maps
