"Carmen" is a short story written by French Prosper Mérimée, which later became the theme of the famous opera "Carmen".

The opera "Carmen" is an opera in four acts. It premiered on March 3, 1875 at the Opéra Comique in Paris. The plot describes Carmen, a beautiful and strong-willed gypsy girl who falls in love with the sergeant José. José therefore abandons his original lover and leaves the army to join Carmen's smuggler ranks. But at this time Carmen fell in love with the bullfighter Escamilio. As a result, the conflict between José and Carmen became increasingly fierce. In the end, the stubborn Carmen flatly rejected José's love and finally died under José's sword. This is an opera that is famous for its chorus.

The opera "Carmen" has become the most popular and most performed work in all opera houses. It has also been transformed into dance dramas and musicals, and has spread to thousands of households through movies and television. The famous pieces in the opera, including the provocative "Habanera" and "Segedia", "The Song of the Matador" and the overtures of the first and fourth acts have become well-known.

However, "Carmen" in 1875 was regarded as a failure. One critic thought the band's playing was "a mess", while another commented that the music lacked "innovation and character".

To modern eyes, the Parisian critics' denigration of this opera with its beautiful melody, brilliant orchestration, and astonishing creativity illustrates their ignorance and malice. However, critics at the time simply expressed the widespread view that the opera's subject matter was intolerable to Parisian high society.

Today, "Carmen" has gained both critical acclaim and popular popularity, and has become one of the few operas of the 19th century that can be compared with the works of the great genius Mozart.

Guan Yu's review of the opera "Carmen":

The opera "Carmen" is Bizet's culmination of opera art, and it is still the most frequently performed repertoire in the world!

The famous aria "Love is a Free Bird" from the opera Carmen: At the beginning of the plot, the sexy Carmen slowly appeared on the stage, and a large group of handsome men immediately surrounded Carmen to show their attentiveness. The squinting sentinel Don José then follows the rhythm of Habanera, seducing Don José and showing him love. The lyrics are full of Carmen’s self-confession of love concepts.

What kind of woman is Carmen?

Carmen longs for love, not only dares to love, but also dares to pursue love, dares to confess her love, and at the same time dares to express her non-love and get rid of her non-love.

p>