Carmen

Opéra-comique in Four Acts

• Composer: Georges Bizet
• Librettists: Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
• Source: Carmen, novella by Prosper Mérimée
• First performance: Théâtre National de l'Opéra-Comique, Paris, 3 March, 1875
• Performance History
• Libretto:
  • OperaGlass
    This is the text to the ``original'' version of the opera as intended for performance at the Opéra-Comique. It includes all of the spoken dialogue, spoken melodrama passages, and vocal parts subsequently altered or cut, including the 1st Act Scene-Pantomime for Moralès. It is presented in 3 acts as the authors originally intended, although the opera was performed in four acts from the beginning and all published scores and libretti (except the critical edition of Fritz Oeser) divide it into four acts. For more information on the sources and the text, see the Notes to the Libretto.
  • La Fenice
    The ``standard'' performing version with the Guiraud recitatives. [F/I - PDF format]
• Translations:
  • Aria Database [E]
    With abridged dialogue in place of recitatives.
• Synopses:
  • Frone's French Opera
  • Metropolitan Opera