Carmen is one of the most enduringly popular of all operas, and the most successful of Georges Bizet's works. Following its premiere at the Opera-Comique in Paris in 1875, it has gone on to be performed at all the major opera houses of the world. With its searing depiction of passion, obsession and jealousy, it has never lost its hold on the opera-going public. In this guide, Richard Langham Smith explores the development of the opera from Prosper Merimee's novella and includes a detailed discussion of its music. Lesley A. Wright places Carmen in the context of its challenge to the prevailing traditions of the Opera-Comique in Paris, and George Hall examines the opera's extensive performance history and the developing interpretations that singers and directors have brought to it. Gary Kahn gives examples of some of the many distinguished admirers that the work attracted from its very earliest performances. Contains:Carmen: From Merimee to Bizet, Richard Langham SmithCarmen and the Opera-Comique, Lesley A. WrightA Selective Performance History, George HallCarmen's Early Lovers, Gary KahnSources and Editions, Richard Langham SmithCarmen: Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy after the novella by Prosper MerimeeCarmen: English translation by Richard Langham Smith
