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1 | CARMEN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Characters & Synopsis
3
The Creators of Carmen
6
The World(s) of Carmen
9
Carmen: From Page to Stage (and beyond)
13
Discuss Carmen
15
Carmen in the Classroom
16
Michigan Opera Theatre
19
Contact & Resources
21
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CHARACTERS & SYNOPSIS
THE CHARACTERS
Courtesy of Metropolitan Opera
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THE STORY Courtesy of Opera News
ACT I.
In a square in Seville, soldiers watch the
passing crowd. Micaëla arrives in search
of her sweetheart, Don José, a corporal.
A fellow officer, Moralès, tells her José
will be along soon; when Moralès offers
himself as a substitute, she leaves hastily.
As the guard changes, children imitate
the arriving soldiers, one of whom is
José. Girls from the cigarette factory
come to smoke and chat. Carmen, a
Gypsy who works in the factory, f lirts
with the local men, airing her philosophy
of life: “love is a wild bird that cannot be
tamed”. José sits apart, distracted. Drawn
by his indifference, Carmen tosses him a flower as the work bell calls the girls back inside. His musings on the
bewitching "sorceress" are interrupted by Micaëla, who brings news of José's mother. She has sent him a kiss,
which the girl delivers shyly. No sooner has she left than a disturbance is heard in the factory: Carmen is
involved in a fight. The girls run out, arguing over who started it. Lt. Zuniga orders José to arrest Carmen. Her
wrists bound, she is left alone with José, who forbids her to speak to him. Instead, she flirtatiously sings "to
herself" about the rendezvous she might make
with "a certain officer" who has taken her fancy.
José, intoxicated, agrees to let her escape;
when she pushes him to the ground and runs
off, he is arrested for his negligence.
ACT II.
A month later, at Lillas Pastia's inn, Carmen
sings a Gypsy song and dances for the
customers. The matador Escamillo arrives,
boasting of his exploits. He is attracted to
Carmen, who puts off his amorous advances.
When the inn closes, Dancaire and Remendado
try to convince Frasquita, Mercédès, and
Carmen to accompany them on their next
smuggling trip. The girls are game, except for
Carmen, who says she is in love with José and
is awaiting his return from prison. The others
laugh at her, then depart as José is heard
approaching. Carmen sings and dances for him,
but when a distant bugle sounds the retreat, he
says he must return to the barracks. Carmen mocks his blind obedience, saying he doesn't love her; he replies
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by telling her how he has kept the flower she threw, the scent of its wilted blossom conjuring up her image in
his prison cell. He refuses her suggestion that he desert the army to join her wild mountain life, but when
Zuniga breaks in, looking for Carmen, the jealous José attacks his superior. Carmen summons the other
Gypsies, who hold Zuniga captive until they can get away. José, now an outlaw, has no choice but to join their
band. The Gypsies rejoice in their life of freedom.
ACT III.
In the smugglers' mountain hideout, José regrets that he has betrayed his mother's hopes. Carmen finds his
homesickness and obsessive jealousy tiresome. Telling him he may as well leave, she joins her friends, reading
fortunes in the cards. Frasquita foresees a lover for herself, Mercédès a rich husband, but Carmen sees only
death. When the Gypsies leave José as lookout, Micaëla enters, frightened but determined to find him. She
hides at the sound of a shot, fired by José as a warning to a trespasser- Escamillo. When it becomes clear that
the two men are rivals, they start to fight but are separated by the Gypsies. Escamillo invites them all to his
next bullfight and leaves. Remendado discovers Micaëla, who has come to beg José to return home to his
ailing mother. Carmen dismisses him willingly, but José vows to find her again after he has seen his mother.
ACT IV.
In Seville's Plaza de Toros, the crowd gathers for the bullfight, hailing Escamillo. He and Carmen declare their
love, and he enters the ring. Carmen's friends warn that José has been spotted nearby, looking desperate, but
she is a fatalist and defiantly remains to face him. He enters and begs her to return to him. She replies that
everything is finished between them, and she tosses in his face a ring he once gave her. The crowd is heard
cheering Escamillo. When Carmen tries to run past José, he stabs her, then falls by her body in despair.
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THE CREATORS OF CARMEN
THE COMPOSER: GEORGES BIZET
Georges Bizet (1838 – 1875)
was born Alexandre-César-
Léopold Bizet in Paris, France, the son of two musicians. His
father taught singing, his mother was a gifted pianist, and his
own musical talents were evident at a very early age. Just weeks
shy of his 10th birthday, the young Bizet was admitted to the
Paris Conservatoire where he won a succession of prizes. He
later won awards for his skills as a pianist, and in 1857, he
received the coveted Prix de Rome, awarded for his cantata
Clovis et Clotilde. The Prix de Rome, was awarded to musicians,
painters, sculptors, or architects, and the winner received a fiveyear state pension and traditionally spent two years in Rome
advancing their craft. Bizet would spend three years in Italy, and
those years would be the only extensive time that he would
spend outside of Paris in his brief life.
In Italy, Bizet began and subsequently abandoned a number of
works, though he did complete an opera entitled Don Procopio,
and Vasco da Gama, a symphony for chorus and orchestra. He began what would become his Roma
Symphony, which he would work on for more than 10 years, and which would not be published in its entirety
until after his death. In addition to his compositions, Bizet spent time traveling throughout the country,
experiencing Italian art, music, and culture.
In the autumn of 1860, Bizet received news that his mother was gravely ill, and he returned to Paris. With two
years left of his state pension, he was temporarily free from financial contraints and spent his time attending
musical performances and working on his own compositions. During this time, he completed a trio of
orchestral works and a one-act opera, La guzla de l’émir.
In April of 1862, Bizet received an offer to compose the music for a three-act opera, and the following
September, his opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) premiered in Paris. The opera would not be
revived in Bizet's lifetime, but starting in the late 1880’s, it began to be performed regularly throughout
Europe, and in the mid-20th century it entered the repertory of opera houses worldwide.
When his Prix de Rome grant expired, Bizet made his living as a piano teacher, a rehearsal and audition
accompainist, and an arranger of others' works, creating piano, vocal, and orchestral scores for all kinds of
music. He also continued to work on his own compositions, including Ivan IV, an opera based on the life of
Ivan the Terrible (unperformed until 1946), and La jolie f ille de Perth, a four-act opera based on Sir Walter
Scott’s The Fair Maid of Perth. It was critically well-received, but ran for only 18 performances due to the
theatre’s financial woes.
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Bizet’s engagement to Geneviève Halévy, the daughter of
one of his teachers at the Conservatoire, came in 1867. Her
family disapproved of her marriage, and the engagement
was broken off for a time, but despite familial objections,
the two were married in a civil ceremony in 1869. They had
a son, Jaques, three years later.
Shortly after his marriage, the Franco-Prussian war broke
out, and Bizet enlisted in the National Guard (along with
other well-known composers, Jules Massenet and Camille
Saint-Saëns). He served through the four-month Seige of
Paris, and armistice was declared in January of 1871.
Caricature of Bizet, 1863, from the French magazine
Diogène
Work on Carmen began in 1872 upon an invitation from the
Opéra Comique to compose a new work. Bizet proposed
Mérimée’s novella as source material and the project was
allowed to move forward, despite concerns from the
directors of the Opéra Comique. Carmen’s depictions of
sexuality and violence were unheard of that time, and the
Opéra Comique fought Bizet over the gritty realities of the
piece. Bizet stood f irm on his vision, and the directors
relented.
Carmen premiered on March 3, 1875 to a dismal reception. Librettist Ludovic Halévy wrote a letter to a friend
detailing the increasing "coldness" of the audience as the performance went on. Critics denounced both the
subject matter (“the very incarnation of vice”) and the music itself (“disorienting”). Though not without its
admirers (Tchaikovsky called it "a masterpiece in every sense of the word”), it seemed clear to Bizet that the
opera was a failure.
This proved a great blow to Bizet, whose health had been declining after years of recurring throat ailments.
After a series of heart attacks, he died on June 3rd, 1875 at the age of 36.
Bizet’s early death meant that he was never able to see the later success of Carmen. Within a year of its Paris
premiere, the Vienna Court Opera staged a somewhat altered version of the production that was very well
recieved. In 1878, Carmen had its London premiere, and the opera continued to gain popluarity until the
present day, when Carmen has become one of the most performed operas worldwide
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THE LIBRETTISTS: LUDOVIC HALÉVY AND HENRI MEILHAC
Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac enjoyed a long and successful partnership, writing together for the
stage for more than twenty years. As students, both attended the Lycée Louis-le-Grand (the same elite
educational institution that boasts among its scolars Molière, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Jean-Paul Sartre, Edgar
Degas, and many others) but they did not know one another until later in life. In fact, it it is said that the two
met on the steps of a theatre. In comparing Meilhac and Halévy, the Encyclopedia Britannica notes:
“It was often asked who was the leading partner. The question was not answered until the connection was
finally severed and they stood before the public, each to answer for his own work. It was then apparent that
they had many gifts in common. Both had wit, humour, observation of character. Meilhac had a ready
imagination, a rich and whimsical fancy; Halévy had taste, refinement and pathos of a certain kind.”
Ludovic Halévy, (1834—1908) was a French civil servant, and a librettist and novelist who wrote prose and verse,
vaudeville, drama, and history. In collaboration with Henri Meilhac, he wrote the librettos for most of the
operettas of Jacques Offenbach. His uncle, Fromental Halévy, was an operatic composer, which allowed
Ludovic an early connection with the Parisian stage. In addition to his prolific work as a a writer and librettist
for the stage, Halévy was known for his novel L'Abbé Constantin. Some say it was this novel’s success that
made possible his election to the Académie Française in 1884.
French playwright and librettist Henri Meilhac (1831–97) was prolific in opéra-comique. As a young man, he first
worked as a bookseller before going on to make a living in the theatre, and his numerous plays and librettos
were nearly all collaborative projects. His most important partnership in opera was with Halévy, with whom
he wrote several comic operas librettos for Offenbach, as well as the libretto for Bizet’s Carmen. Meilac was
elected to the Académie Française in 1888.
THE NOVELIST: PROSPER MÉRIMÉE
Prosper Mérimée, a French dramatist, archeologist, historian, and author, was born in Paris in 1803. He
studied law, as well as Greek, Spanish, English, and Russian, and was one of the f irst French interpreters of
Russian literature, bringing the works of Pushkin and Gogol to France. Mérimée loved mysticism, history, and
the unusual, and his short stories and novellas reflect these themes.
In addition to his work as an author and playwright, Mérimée was appointed the f irst inspector-general of
historic monuments in 1834, and in his honor, the French national list of heritage monuments is now called
the Basé Mérimée.
Mérimée published his novella Carmen in 1845, and thanks to Georges Bizet’s adaptation, it remains his bestknown work. However, his death in 1870 (only f ive years before the opera’s premiere) meant that he would
never know the popularity of the story he created.
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THE WORLD(S) OF CARMEN
SEVILLE, SPAIN
Seville (or Sevilla, in Spanish) is
the third-largest metropolitan
area in Spain and one of its most
historic cities. Currently the
capital of the Andalusia region in
southern Spain, Seville has been
inhabited throughout the
centuries by the Tartessians, the
Ro m a ns , t h e Va n d a l s , t h e
Visigoths, and the Imazighen of
North Africa. In 1492 Seville's
ports played an important role in
commerce between Spain and
the Americas. Seville has long been known as an important city in the arts world. Sculptors Martínez Montañés and Felipe
de Ribas, and painters Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and Valdés Leal lived and worked in
Seville. The Seville Academy of Art was founded in 1660, and Murillo and Leal were its f irst and second
presidents, respectively. The city is the setting for the legend of Don Juan, as well as the novel Rinconete y
Cortadillo by Miguel de Cervantes. Many composers have also found inspiration in Seville; aside from Carmen,
Seville is the location for Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Verdi's La forza del destino, Beethoven's Fidelio,
Mozart's Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro, and Prokofiev's Betrothal in a Monastery.
The prominent locations in Carmen’s Seville can still be visited today. Escamillo entertained crowds at the
Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballeria (the oldest bullring in Spain, which took over 20 years to
complete), and bullfights are still held there every year between April and October. The cigarette factory
where Carmen worked was the Real Fábrica de Tabacos, which at its height employed as many as 6,000
women as cigarette-rollers, or cigarreras. Today that building is part of the University of Seville, and is a stop
on many guided tours. It is in no small part thanks to Carmen that the city today is referred to by many as
“Seville — the City of Opera!”
THE ROMANI PEOPLE
Though Carmen is commonly called a “gypsy”, the more accurate term is Roma or Romani. Romanticized in
works like Carmen and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, Romani people have faced racism and discrimination
throughout history, and misconceptions about the Roma community still exist today.
The Romani people were originally from India, and upon migrating to Europe were thought by their new
European neighbors to be Egyptian, resulting in the English pejorative "gypsy" (or gitan in French and gitano in
Spanish). From the time they entered Europe, the Roma were targets of prejudice, marginalization, and
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worse. They faced enslavement in Hungary and Romania
during the 15th century, imprisonment in Spain in the
18th century, and in the 20th century, as many as 500,000
Roma perished in concentration camps during World
War II.
Due to centuries of persecution, the Roma became a
nomadic people. They worked as artisans in wood and
copper crafts, found employment as farm workers and
blacksmiths, and also worked as musicians and
entertainers, leading to their stereotypical depictions as
dancers and fortune-tellers. The Romani language,
Rromanës, evolved from Sanskrit and contains multiple
dialects.
Today most Romani no longer travel and have settled
largely in Europe, though there are Roma communities
throughout the world (the largest outside of Europe are
in the U.S. and Brazil).
A Spanish Romani woman,
National Geographic Magazine, 1917
Unfortunately, conditions today have only marginally
improved for the Roma. Amnesty International has
stated that “millions of Roma live…without any electricity
or running water, and struggle to get the health care they
need. Many live with the daily threat of forced evictions,
police harassment, and violent attacks. Romani children
also often suffer segregation in schools and receive a
lower standard of education.”
Slow progress is being made toward improving conditions for the Roma. The World Romani Congress and
the International Roma Union work toward promoting cultural traditions, customs, and language of the
Roma, and to advance civil rights and education. International Romani Day was declared in 1990 and takes
place annually on April 8th with the aim of celebrating Romani culture and raising awareness of the issues
facing Roma people.
In 2005, twelve European countries (including Albania, Croatia, Romania, and Spain) committed to an
initiative called The Decade of Roma Inclusion, an unprecedented political commitment meant to to
eliminate discrimination against the Roma and close gaps between the Roma and the rest of society. The
Decade focused on education, employment, health, and housing. The Open Society Foundation found that
the Decade saw “some progress in literacy levels, completion of primary education, and access to health
insurance. But all in all, the daily life of Roma remains a struggle no other ethnic group in Europe faces.”
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BULLFIGHTING
Since its very first performance, several aspects of
Carmen have been controversial, and it shouldn’t
be surprising that the tradition continues to this
day. Modern audiences have long since grown
accustomed to the things that the opera’s f irst
audience objected to (smoking, overt sexuality,
and death depicted on stage) but another of the
opera’s topics has become a divisive one in our
modern age- bullfighting.
Bullfighting as entertainment is said to have
begun as far back as ancient Greece, and
continued into the Roman empire. Early bullfights
Bullfight in Seville, Spain
celebrated royal weddings and military victories;
however the ritual and spectacle of bullfighting as it exists today started in Spain in the early 18th century. In
1726, matador Francisco Romero abandoned the practice of fighting from horseback and faced the bull on his
feet with a cape and a sword. This became the standard practice, and as time went on, matadors became
more and more daring, venturing more closely to the bull. By the mid-20th century successful matadors were
stars, and millions of spectators could watch their favorites on television.
In spite of the lasting appeal of Bizet’s “Toreador Song”, the title of “toreador” is not actually used when
describing bullfighters. Banderilleros, picadors, and the mozo de espada all take part in the bullfight, but are
assistants to the matador, the leading bullfighter. The word “torero” is a blanket term referring to all the
performers in the bullfight, and some sources believe that “toreador” was invented by Georges Bizet when he
needed the syllables of the word to match the timing of the song.
The bullfight (corrida) itself is highly ritualized, and all of the toreros involved have a precise part to play. The
corrida goes through a number of defined phases, each with their own strict rules, all meant to weaken the
bull slowly before the kill.
Today the spectacle is legal in most of Spain, but not everywhere. In 1991, bullfighting was outlawed in the
Canary Islands, and the Catalonia region of northeastern Spain followed suit in 2010. Many animal rights
activists cheered this news, but these regional bans don’t stand throughout the country, and in 2013, the
Spanish government officially recognized bullfighting as “an artistic discipline and cultural product”.
Aficionados call bullfighting an art, praise the skill and agility of the toreros, and argue in favor of it as a
cultural tradition. Opponents condemn it as cruel and barbaric, and believe that its violence has no place in
civilized society. Whichever side of the argument you fall on, it seems that, for now, bullfighting will remain a
fixture in Spain and Latin America.
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SPAIN, POST-WORLD WAR II
Bizet initially set Carmen the time during which it was written (1875), and though some productions still retain
this setting, Carmen has been set in a variety of places and times and within different cultures. MOT’s current
production is set in the original location of Seville, Spain, but has moved the action to the late 1940s/early
1950s, in the post-WWII period.
Spain saw a great deal of upheaval from
the 1930s onward. The Spanish Civil War,
which took place between 1936 and 1939,
resulted in an estimated 500,000 lives
lost. The end of this devastating war
gave way to Francisco Franco’s singleparty state and his dictatorship which
lasted until his death in 1975.
Hitler and Mussolini had supplied aid to
Franco’s Nationalist forces during the
Spanish Civil War, but in spite of this,
Spain was technically neutral during
World War II. Still, the country’s implicit
pro-Axis tendencies (Franco allowed
Avenue de Generalissimo, Barcelona, 1950s
German submarines to refuel in Spanish
ports, for instance) resulted in
international isolation during the years following World War II. Spain was not permitted to join the United
Nations until 1955.
Internally, the country was in crisis during the post-war period. Adopting the title of El Caudillo (“The
Leader”), Franco repressed the culture and language of Spain’s Basque and Catalan regions, censored the
media, and ordered political opponents to be jailed, exiled, or executed. Some gains were made economically
in the 1950s, but the standard of living remained one of the lowest in Western Europe. Farm productivity had
dwindled and the peseta fell to an all-time low.
However, American leaders quickly realized that Franco’s extreme anti-Communist views could make him an
ally in the Cold War. Trade between the United States and Spain resumed in 1950, and in 1953, Spain allowed
the United States to construct three air bases and a naval base on its soil in return for military and economic
aid.
As time went on, restrictions in Spain gradually eased, though Franco remained “regent for life” even after
declaring the country a monarchy back in 1947. Franco eventually selected Prince Juan Carlos to be his
successor and to maintain his government, but on becoming king, Juan Carlos pressed for change almost
immediately. He legalized political parties, restored the right to strike, freed political prisoners, and authorized
universal suffrage. Over the course of three years, Juan Carlos and his allies peacefully and legally transitioned
Spain to a democracy. MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE
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CARMEN: FROM PAGE TO STAGE (AND BEYOND)
When Bizet adapted Prosper Mérimée’s novella into an opera, he was creating
a legacy of telling and re-telling this story throughout countless cultures and
time periods. The opera itself has been set in a number of different eras
(Michigan Opera Theatre’s current production is set in 1930s), and f ilm and
musical adaptations are abundant. The story has been interpreted by
directors from Cecile B. DeMille to Charlie Chaplin to Jean-Luc Godard. There
has been a Carmen on Ice with Olympic gold medal winners Katarina Witt and
Brian Boitano and a live BBC production called Bollywood Carmen featuring
music and massive dance routines in the Bollywood style.
The fascination with Carmen and her story has not faded over time, and
increasingly modern adaptations are constantly being produced around the
world. From classical music to hip-hop settings, read on about the many ways
Carmen has stayed alive and well in the cultural canon.
Carmen Jones may be the most well-known
adaptation of the opera. Originally produced
on Broadway in 1943, Oscar Hammerstein updated the story and set it in
World War II-era America, using an entirely African-American cast. Though he
translated the lyrics into English, Bizet’s music was largely left intact. The show
ran for 503 performances on Broadway, but it was the subsequent film
adaptation from 1953 that has secured the lasting impact of Carmen Jones. In
both the f ilm and stage versions, Carmen's tobacco factory became a
parachute factory, while bullfighter Escamillo turns into boxer Husky Miller,
and Don José, a Corporal, becomes a young soldier named Joe.
Two of Carmen’s latest adaptations have been set in Cuba. First came
Tectonic Theatre Project’s Carmen: An Afro-Cuban Jazz Musical, which had its
first workshop in 2013. This production transfers Bizet’s opera to Cuba in 1958,
re-imagining Carmen as a rebel in
Havana. Musically this adaptation
used a combination of original
melodies and new material. Most recently, Cuban playwright and
poet Norge Espinosa Mendoza penned a new libretto in Spanish,
using Bizet’s music re-orchestrated with Cuban musical sounds
including Mambo, Danzón, and Rumba. Workshopped in New York
as Carmencita Jones, this production, eventually re-titled Carmen La
Cubana, had its April 2016 premiere at the Théâtre du Châtelet in
Paris.
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Two current novels for young adults have been adapted from
Carmen’s narrative. Award-winning author Walter Dean Myers
wrote Carmen: An Urban Adaptation, transporting the story to
New York’s Spanish Harlem, and introduced teen readers to
Carmen, a young Dominican woman, José, who is training to
join the police force, and Escamillo, “the Latino Jay-Z” —a
quadruple-threat singer-rapper-producer-businessman.
Author Caridad Ferrer’s When the Stars Go Blue centers on
Soledad Reyes, an 18-year old aspiring ballerina who falls in
love with a young musician named Jonathan shortly after high
school graduation. However, an unexpected competitor for
Soledad's affections soon appears: Taz, a member of an allstar Spanish soccer team.
Based on both Bizet's classic opera and Carmen Jones, Carmen: A Hip-Hopera premiered on MTV and is a
modern retelling of the story set in urban Philadelphia. This time, Carmen Brown is an aspiring actress who
attracts the attention of everyone she meets, including crooked cop Lieutenant Miller, famous rapper Blaze,
and Sergeant Derrick Hill. The f ilm stars Beyoncé Knowles in her debut acting role alongside Mekhi Phifer,
Mos Def, Wyclef Jean, and Joy Bryant.
The Car Man is a dance production by British choreographer Matthew Bourne, which uses Russian composer
Rodion Shchedrin's 1967 Bolshoi Ballet version of Bizet's score. However, the story differs completely from
the plot of the opera; instead, it is loosely based on James M. Cain's novel The Postman Always Rings Twice
(1934), and the 1946 and 1981 films of the same name.
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DISCUSS CARMEN
PART 1: ART IN OUR LIVES
•
What is art? What is music? How do these fit into our lives?
•
Define what opera is, and what it is not. How does it differ from other musical and/or theatrical forms,
including musicals and symphonies?
•
What was your first exposure to opera? What do you remember about it?
•
Do you consider yourself an artist? What is the criteria for being an artist?
•
What did you expect to experience with this opera? Were your predictions correct? In what ways were
your expectations met or not met?
•
Did you identify with any characters in this opera? Why or why not?
PART 2: ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
•
How did you see the technical elements support the story? What did the costumes tell us about the
characters, etc.? Did anything in particular stand out?
•
How did the music reinforce the action on stage? What musical changes did you note throughout in
terms changes in setting and atmosphere?
•
How did the post-WWII setting enhance this production? Did the updated setting enrich or distract
from the story?
PART 3: STORY AND THEMES
•
Who is the hero in this opera, and who is the villain? Who is a victim? Why?
•
What role does “fate” play in the story? Carmen’s tarot cards spell death—was there any way to
escape?
•
Compare Carmen and Micaëla. Likewise, compare Don José with Escamillo. How are their
philosophies and experiences both different and similar? How are these differences marked
musically?
•
Are traditional gender roles challenged in this opera? Explain why or why not.
•
Carmen and Don José’s final scene plays out against the backdrop of Escamillo’s bullfight. In what way
is a bullfight a metaphor for the relationships in the opera?
•
Carmen was shocking to audiences when it premiered in 1875. Which elements do you think were the
most offensive to audiences back then? Does Carmen still have “shock value”? Why might modern
audiences be unsettled by Carmen?
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CARMEN IN THE CLASSROOM
PRE- AND POST-PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY: ALWAYS, SOMETIMES, RARELY, NEVER
Assign four corners of the room (or four spaces within the room) to be the location for Always, Sometimes,
Rarely, and Never.
When a statement is given, have students move to the location that matches their answer and discuss with
their group members why those chose their answer. After several minutes of discussion, choose one group
member from each area to share with the whole class why the group as a whole answered Always,
Sometimes, Rarely, or Never.
Statements about live performance:
I (always, sometimes, rarely, or never) think that attending a live performance (an opera, play, concert,
or sporting event) is more enjoyable than watching the same event on television.
I (always, sometimes, rarely, or never) think that attending live performances is an important thing to
do.
Live performances hold my interest (always, sometimes, rarely, or never).
When I attend live performances, I (always, sometimes, rarely, or never) feel like the story is relevant to
my life.
I (always, sometimes, rarely, or never) wish I could attend live performances more often than I do.
Notes on this activity:
Remember to encourage your students to talk about WHY they chose their answers. Follow questions with
more questions- for example, if students RARELY believe that operas and live performances are relevant to
their lives, make sure to ask why. And how can we change that? Who is telling the stories right now? How do
we position ourselves to make sure our stories, and stories that are important to us, get told? What stories
would we like to see represented on stage? Also, if this activity is conducted both pre- and post-performance,
make sure to encourage students to note if their answer has changed, and why it changed. Encourage them
to talk about elements of the performance that may have contributed to their answer changing.
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Carmen in the Classroom: Grades 9-10
English Language Arts
1.
Write a review of Carmen and send a copy to the Michigan Opera Theatre.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.1.D Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions
of the discipline in which they are writing.
2. Compose an essay on Spanish life in the 1940s-1950s (the place and period in which this production of
Carmen is set) with particular emphasis on how socio-political tensions affected day-to-day life for
Spanish citizens.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/
experiments, or technical processes.
World Languages- French
1.
Before attending the performance of Carmen, listen to selections from the opera in class; the
Habeñera ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"), the Flower Song ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"), and the
Toreador Song ("Votre toast je peux vous le rendre") are several of the most well-known. Have
students take notes and discuss what they hear, listening for the main idea and details. After seeing
the opera, have students analyze, through discussion or writing, the full context of the arias.
WL 1.2.M.L.d / WL 1.2.M.L.c
Understand main idea and supporting detail, and summarize an audio presentation. / Understand main
idea and supporting detail, and summarize a visual media or live presentation. World History and Geography
1.
Michigan Opera Theatre has set its production of Carmen in the late 1940s-early 1950s, following the
period of Spain’s devastating civil war and World War II. In groups, create a visual timeline of the
events in Spain before, during, and after these events, paying special attention to Franco’s ascendency.
WHG 7.2.2b Inter-war Period – Analyze the transformations that shaped world societies between World War I and
World War II by describing and explaining the rise of fascism and the spread of communism in Europe.
2. Seville, the city where Carmen is set, has been influenced by a variety of different cultures and
religions throughout history. Research and write a short story which compares and contrasts the city
and its inhabitants following its conquest by Catholic King Ferdinand III of Castile with its previous
Muslim rule as part of the Umayyad dynasty.
WHG 4.1.2 World Religions – Using historical and modern maps and other documents, analyze the continuing
spread of major world religions during 300 to 1500 C.E./A.D. and describe encounters between religious
groups, including Islam and Christianity.
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Carmen in the Classroom: Grades 11-12
English Language Arts
1.
Compare and contrast Mérimée’s Carmen with both Bizet’s opera and Hammerstein’s Carmen Jones,
noting in particular the inclusion, expansion, and exclusion of specific characters (Escamillo, Micaëla,
Frasquita, etc.).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.7
Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or
recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text.
2. Individually or in small groups, have students brainstorm “Who, what, where, when, why, how”
questions relating to Carmen. These could be about the production itself, the themes represented in
the opera, or the historical context of the piece. Let students choose one question to guide their
research project, and then share final projects with the class.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.7
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a selfgenerated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize
multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Music
1.
Bizet drew heavily from Spanish folk music when composing Carmen. In groups, research the
styles of music Bizet would have been influenced by, and create a presentation with aural
examples, identifying their uses in Carmen.
ART.M.V.HS.2 Compare characteristics of two or more arts within a particular historical period or style and
cite examples from various cultures.
World History and Geography
1.
Michigan Opera Theatre has set its production of Carmen in the late 1940s/early 1950s, the period
directly after which European dictators Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Francisco Franco, and Adolf
Hitler had risen to power. Divide the class into four groups (representing Italy, Spain, Germany, and
the Soviet Union) to research the 1930s – 1950s in their given country, along with an earlier time period
of their choosing. After much research, host a classroom debate where students will play historical
figures and argue for and against the policies of their respective time periods, policies, and ideologies.
WHG 7.3.2 Compare the ideologies, policies, and governing methods of at least two 20th-century dictatorial
regimes (Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Soviet Union) with those absolutist states in earlier eras.
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MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE
AN INTRODUCTION
Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT), the state of Michigan’s premier opera company, which, through its
commitment to producing and presenting the very best professional productions of opera, dance, musical
theater, and arts education programming, serves as a statewide cultural resource.
The vision of Founder and Artistic Director Dr.
David DiChiera, and led by President and Chief
Executive Officer Wayne S. Brown, MOT offers an
essential, vibrant contribution to the quality of life
for Detroit-area residents and to communities
throughout the region. This dynamic cultural
resource exemplifies artistic excellence. Since its
founding in 1971, MOT has offered southeast
Michigan the finest arts and cultural performances,
concerts, education, and entertainment.
By
presenting culturally significant productions relative
to the diverse populace of the region, such as Porgy
and Bess, Anoush, King Roger, Dead Man Walking,
and the world premiere production of Margaret
Garner, MOT has brought the magic of live theatre to thousands of people.
In April of 1996, on the Company's twenty-fifth anniversary, the ribbon was cut for the grand opening of the
Detroit Opera House. Michigan Opera Theatre joined the ranks of major opera companies worldwide with
the multi-million renovation of a 1922 movie palace. Michigan Opera Theatre is one of only a few opera
companies in the United States to own its own opera house. The product of Dr. DiChiera's dream, the Detroit
Opera House is comparable to the world's greatest houses in visual and acoustical beauty.
OUR MISSION
Michigan Opera Theatre is the premier multi-disciplined producer and presenter for opera, musical theatre,
and dance in the Great Lakes Region. Based in the city of Detroit, the organization engages artists of national
and international stature for stellar main stage and outreach performances, and provides compelling cultural
enrichment programs for the diverse audiences and communities that it serves, making it one of Detroit’s
pillars of arts and culture.
SELECT AWARDS & HONORS INCLUDE
Best Opera: “The Passenger”, Wilde Awards 2016 | Best Opera, “Elektra” (Nicholas Muni, director), Wilde
Awards, 2015 | Founder and Artistic Director Dr. David DiChiera named the 2013 Kresge Eminent Artist | Opera
Honors Award to Dr. David DiChiera, National Endowment for the Arts, 2010 | Outstanding Service in the
Field of Opera for Youth, National Opera Society, 2006 | Success in Education Award, Opera America, 2002
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MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE’S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
The Department of Education and Community Programs has brought its varied musical programs to every
age group in Michigan for nearly 40 years. Artists visit schools, clubs, offices, and community stages,
performing shows that range from lively children’s operas to musical revues to full length operas produced by
the local community. Founded by Karen V. DiChiera, the Department of Education and Community Programs
serves the entire state with quality entertainment and education.
Since its inception, the Department of Education and Community Programs has been honored with awards
and recognitions including the Governor’s Arts Award, a Spirit of Detroit Award, and multiple Philo T.
Farnsworth Awards for Excellence in Community Programming, among others. Touring productions,
concerts, workshops, and residencies have reached many thousands of people throughout the state of
Michigan, and programs have extended as far as Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Canada. With an evergrowing repertoire of productions, an exciting roster of up-and-coming singers, and a circle of experienced
and passionate teaching artists, the Department of Education and Community Programs continues to
provide people of all ages with opportunities for access, growth, and learning through the arts.
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CONTACT & RESOURCES
CONTACT
For more info about the Department of
Education and Community Programs
please contact:
Visit us online:
ANDREA SCOBIE
Manager of Education and Community Programs
313.237.3429 | [email protected]
Website: www.michiganopera.org
Facebook: Michigan Opera Theatre
Instagram: @MichiganOpera
Twitter: @DetOperaHouse
RESOURCES
ALLmusic
Internet Movie Database
www.allmusic.com
www.imdb.com
Amnesty International
Metropolitan Opera
www.metopera.org
www.amnesty.org
BBC
Music Academy Online
www.bbc.co.uk
www.musicacademyonline.com
Decade of Roma Inclusion
Open Society Foundations
http://www.romadecade.org/
www.opensocietyfoundations.org
Discover Andalucía
Our Romani History
www.andalucia.com
www.varromskahistoria.se/en
Encyclopedia Britannica
Playbill
www.britannica.com
www.playbill.com
Espana Online
Royal Opera House
www.spain.info
www.roh.co.uk
Goodreads
A View on Cities
www.goodreads.com
www.aviewoncities.com
The Guardian
Visita Sevilla: Seville Tourism Bureau www.theguardian.co.uk
www.visitasevilla.es/en
History
www.history.com
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