Frasquita and Mercédès are keen to help them, but Carmen refuses, since she wishes to wait for José. When only Carmen, Frasquita and Mercédès remain, smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado arrive and reveal their plans to dispose of some recently acquired contraband (“Nous avons en tête une affaire”). Lillas Pastia hustles the crowds and the soldiers away. Invited inside, he introduces himself with the “Toreador Song” (“Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre”) and sets his sights on Carmen, who brushes him aside. Outside, a chorus and procession announces the arrival of the toreador Escamillo (“Vivat, vivat le Toréro”). Carmen is delighted to learn of José’s release from two months’ detention. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès are entertaining Zuniga and other officers (“Les tringles des sistres tintaient”) in Pastia’s inn. José is arrested for dereliction of duty. Confused yet mesmerised, José agrees to free her hands as she is led away she pushes her escort to the ground and runs off laughing. Left alone with José, Carmen beguiles him with a seguidilla, in which she sings of a night of dancing and passion with her lover-whoever that may be-in Lillas Pastia’s tavern. When challenged, Carmen answers with mocking defiance (“Tra la la … Coupe-moi, brûle-moi”) Zuniga orders José to tie her hands while he prepares the prison warrant. Zuniga, the officer of the guard, learns that Carmen has attacked a woman with a knife. Just as José declares that he is ready to heed his mother’s wishes, the women stream from the factory in great agitation. He reads that his mother wants him to return home and marry Micaëla, who retreats in shy embarrassment on learning this. The men plead with her to choose a lover, and after some teasing she throws a flower to Don José, who thus far has been ignoring her but is now annoyed by her insolence.Īs the women go back to the factory, Micaëla returns and gives José a letter and a kiss from his mother (“Parle-moi de ma mère!”). Carmen enters and sings her provocative habanera on the untameable nature of love (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”). José arrives with the new guard, who is greeted and imitated by a crowd of urchins (“Avec la garde montante”).Īs the factory bell rings, the cigarette girls emerge and exchange banter with young men in the crowd (“La cloche a sonné”). She declines, saying she will return later. Moralès tells her that “José is not yet on duty” and invites her to wait with them. On the left, a guardhouse.Ī group of soldiers relax in the square, waiting for the changing of the guard and commenting on the passers-by (“Sur la place, chacun passe”). On the right, a door to the tobacco factory.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |