Operafest Lisboa 2023

Carmen

Georges Bizet

Great Classics

18, 19, 21, 23 and 25 AUG | 21h00

Jardim do Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga

Opera in 4 Acts

Subtitled in Portuguese and English

Length: 2h30 with intermission

The opera Carmen, by George Bizet, based on Prosper Mérimé’s novel of the same name, was premiered in 1875 at the Opéra-Comique and was a resounding flop. An opera whose main character is a gypsy who prizes her freedom above all else and refuses to bend to male power, was considered an affront to bourgeois society of the time.

Bizet died three moths later at the age of 37, believing he had failed with what he rightly considered to be his masterpiece. The year immediately after, the opera’s success spread to Europe’s major theatres and, since then, Carmen has been the second most performed opera ever.

For this fearless woman "love is like a wild bird that on one can trap". Don Jose brigadier falls into the beautiful gipsy’s web and soon his life falls from heaven to hell, since he deserts from the army to join Carmen smugglers’ band, ultimately murdering her in front of the arena where she was about to meet her new lover, the toreador Escamiglio.

A masterpiece from the start to the end filled with musical hits, clearly appealing to women emancipation, presented in a new version directed by actor and stage director Tónan Quito marking his opera debut. Starring acclaimed Portuguese Mezzo of warm powerful timbre, Cátia Moreso, as D. José fiery Mexican tenor Rodrigo Porras Garulo and powerful Columbian Baritone Christian Luján as Escamiglio.

Musical direction: Jan Wierzba

Stage direction: Tónan Quito

Set design: Pedro Azevedo

Costumes: Rita Moniz Pereira

Light design: Pedro Santos

Carmen: Cátia Moreso

D. José: Rodrigo Porras Garulo and Leonel Pinheiro (21 and 23)

Escamiglio: Christian Luján

Micaela: Alexandra Bernardo

Frasquita: Filipa Portela

Mercedes: Ana Rita Coelho

Zuniga: Ricardo Rebelo Silva

Morales: Leandro Moreso

Dancaire: Tiago Amado Gomes

Remendado: João Barbas

Operafest Lisboa Chorus

Ensemble MPMP Orchestra