La Révolution de Carmen
3 Sep - 14 Sep
Music
150 years after its premiere, OPERA2DAY presents a revolutionary rendition of the most beloved opera of all time: Carmen. Bizet’s music will resound in all its glory during the first Dutch performance of the opera on historical instruments, performed by the renowned Flemish orchestra B’Rock. At the heart of the production is mezzo-soprano Tania Kross.
A Turbulent Era
Bizet composed Carmen in 1875, shortly after the turbulent period of the Paris Commune. Women played a crucial role in this idealistic uprising, which was ultimately crushed with 25,000 casualties. It was an era of struggle for freedom and equality, but also one of conservatism and fear. As a citizen-soldier, Georges Bizet witnessed this turmoil firsthand and had to decide where he stood. In Carmen, he seems to have (perhaps unconsciously) woven many elements of this period into his work—depicting factory workers rising up, soldiers in the streets, and a rebellious fighter heading toward an epic confrontation.
The ‘True Story’ of Carmen
In La Révolution de Carmen, OPERA2DAY brings this hidden historical context to light. The story is reimagined in the era of the Commune, with Bizet’s masterpiece presented in its original opéra comique form, including spoken dialogue, and accompanied by an entirely new libretto. The result is the true story of Carmen—an opera that reveals how polarisation can lead to radicalisation and even civil war. At Amare, the performance becomes an unmissable immersive experience.