Repertoire Operas

Carmen

An opera in which passion rules over all...

Approx. running time 3 h 5 min, one intermission

Georges Bizet’s opera

October 5 Cast

SEB presents

Georges Bizet’s opera to Henri Meilhac’s and Ludovic Halévy’s libretto, based on the eponymous novelette by Prosper Mérimée 
World premiere: March 3, 1875 at Paris Opéra Comique 
Premiere at the Estonian National Opera on September 27, 2024

Music Director and Conductor: Arvo Volmer
Conductors: Henri Christofer Aavik, Kaspar Mänd
Stage Director, Set and Costume Designer: Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau (France)
Lighting Designer: Gilles Gentner (France) 
Estonian National Opera Chorus, Orchestra and Boys’ Choir

When “Carmen” was first staged in France (1875), it received negative feedback: its plot was considered immoral and characters vulgar. Bizet shocked the audience by portraying ordinary people on stage – villagers, factory workers, gypsies, smugglers, and by showing the death of the main character on stage. Pyotr Tchaikovsky understood the greatness of this piece and predicted a brilliant future for the opera: “Ten years from now it will be the most popular opera in the world”. And he was right, because “Carmen” shortly became one of the most popular operas with the Toreador’s song and the main character’s Habanera becoming the symbols of opera music for many generations.

Bizet’s passionate music is brought to life on stage by the stage director Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau: “Carmen is a woman haunted by fate and destiny that run between men and superstitions, religion and paganism. To communicate this, I want to return to the sources of the Carmen “myth”: rediscover the harsh and uncompromising spirit of Mérimée’s heroine. In a cigar factory, a no man’s land and an arena, Carmen plays, dances, summons the spirits, and trembles. From the start, she must be aware of her imminent and inevitable death, like an animal that senses danger and the hunter. Carmen is also a figure of anarchy, of the refusal of the established order, of total and deadly freedom, who, through her attitude and her behaviour, challenges bourgeois morality. This figure of a woman like a black sun will find in Don José the instrument of her destiny. Don José is already a murderer; he joined the army to flee from the consequences of his actions and his village. He is broken, dangerous and very unstable. The witch in Carmen will sense that at an instant. She will use José, drive him crazy, and lead him to kill her, because that is his destiny. This is what I want to show in my production of “Carmen”, in the midst of the sand of the bull fighting arena, Madonnas, bandits, sweat, dances, chairs, and bullfighting”.

Performed in French with subtitles in Estonian and English

Recommended age 12+

 

Cast:

Carmen: Marie Gautrot, Helen Lokuta, Aule Urb
Don Jose: Mario Rojas, Thomas Birch
Michaela: Perrine Madoeuf, Elena Brazhnyk, Kadri Kõrvek
Escamillo: Raiko Raalik, Gagik Vardanyan
Morales: Tamar Nugis René Soom
Zuniga: Priit Volmer, Rauno Elp
Mercedes:Janne Ševtšenko, Karis Trass, Merit Kraav
Frasquita: Kristel Pärtna, Kadri Nirgi, Maria Leppoja
Le Remendado: Mart Madiste, Heldur Harry Põlda
Le Dancaire: Reigo Tamm, Mehis Tiits

Music director and conductor

Arvo Volmer

Stage Director, Set and Costume Designer

Pierre-Emmanuel Rousseau

Lighting

Gilles Gentner

Costume Assistants

Achille Jourdain

Assistant to the Stage Director

Silva Valdt

Chief Pianist and Repetiteur

Ave Wagner

Pianist and Repetiteurs

Tarmo Eespere

Riina Pikani

Jaanika Rand-Sirp

Chorus Master

Heli Jürgenson

Assistant to the Chorus Master

Ksenija Grabova

Stage manager

Rein Lepnurm

Riina Airenne

Wed

09. October 2024 19:00

Show times

Wed

09. October 2024 19:00

Fri

11. October 2024 19:00

Fri

20. December 2024 19:00

Sun

22. December 2024 15:00 Hendrik Krumm 90

Thu

09. January 2025 19:00

Sat

11. January 2025 19:00

Wed

02. April 2025 19:00 Harjumaa Theatre Day

Sat

05. April 2025 19:00