Over a century ago, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a Russian composer, accurately predicted that Georges Bizet’s Carmen would one day become “the most popular opera in the world.”1 Today, the music can be found throughout pop culture and directors love to recreate Bizet’s opera in their own image, while opera-goers flock from all over, drawn to the seductive plot and mesmerizing music. Yet, many producers have differing visions for their portrayal of the tragedy. Despite the reputation of Carmen, my roommate was unfamiliar, yet, as soon as the orchestra played the opening prelude, “L’ouverture”, her eyes grew wide with recognition. Through an analysis of the Boston Lyrics Opera’s (BLO’s) Carmen, with regards to the altered setting, a comparison…show more content… However, Ceuta is known to have an equal population of both Spanish & Muslims, and a strong Romani prescence cannot be found within the modern city (cite). While the opera lacks references to Muslim culture, the city suits the opera’s intentions and Spanish setting, viewed in the frequent use of the Spanish flag and beloved sport of bullfighting. This adaptation also supports exoticism and the tragedy, enhancing the hamartia of Don Jose and Carmen. Bizet had set his opera in Spain, a place he had never visited, and romanticized gypsy culture in Spain. In Ceuta, a woman like Carmen would also be deemed as exotic. Thus, it becomes clear that Calixto aimed to make the opera more relatable to a modern audience and to intensify the…show more content… The stagings, which include sets, lighting, and costuming, indicate the producers’ perspective on the opera and enrich the significance of the plot. In all three works, there are similarities, such as in the use of the stage: secondary characters occupy the back of the stage and the primary characters perform in the front. Furthermore, lighting highlights each scene’s main focus, with white lighting identifying main characters and warm lighting cast on the background characters. For example, the productions’ act finales—excluding the film—always dramatically ended with lights gradually darkening except for a bright light remaining on one character. It is also used to indicate the mood of the scene, such as darker lighting in the evening. Additionally, in all three portrayals, Carmen wears a red bodice, holding significance toward the juxtaposed themes of fate and bullfighting. Red signifies both Carmen’s bloody fate and her resemblance to the bull, as red cloth is traditionally used in bullfights. All three final shows depicted the juxtaposition of Carmen dying at the same time as the
