Carmen Synopsis
Opera Integra
Act 1. A square in Seville, May 1992.
A group of Guardia Civil officers idly comment on the passersby during a slow day. Micaëla appears, looking for her friend José. Morales eagerly invites her to wait with them, as José is not yet on duty. Suspicious of Morales’ intentions, Micaëla decides to return later.
Some women from the nearby factory take a break in the square, becoming the highlight of the officers’ day. They quickly notice that their favorite, Carmen, is absent. Just then, Carmen appears on a nearby balcony, fully aware that she was expected. As the men clamor for her attention, she playfully teases them. When they persist, she mocks them by tossing a carnation, which lands near the newest recruit, José. Uncertain of its meaning, he picks it up.
As the women return to work, Micaëla comes back, just in time to reunite with her childhood friend. She has come on behalf of José’s mother, who sends him money and a letter, in which she forgives him and urging him to return home. As José processes this, screams ring out. The factory women rush back into the square, followed by Morales and Zúñiga, José’s superior officers. A fight has broken out—Carmen has injured another woman, Manuelita. The workers take sides, some defending Carmen, others supporting Manuelita. Exasperated, Zúñiga orders José to bring in both women to clarify what happened. Surprisingly for him, Carmen arrives of her own accord, unfazed by the commotion. When José returns empty-handed, Zúñiga instructs him to arrest Carmen on the spot while he heads to the barracks to handle the paperwork. Left alone, Carmen playfully fantasizes about being consoled by a lover with whom she’d spend nights at Lillas Pastia’s tavern. José, yearning to be that lover, gives in and sets her free. As they start to leave together, Carmen suddenly shoves him aside and runs off. Mesmerized, José watches her disappear—until Zúñiga returns with the arrest order, only to find José has let her go. Furious, Zúñiga arrests José instead.
Act 2. Lillas Pastia’s Tavern, July 1992.
Carmen and her friends, Frasquita and Mercédès, are enjoying a girls’ night out under the watchful eyes of Morales and Zúñiga. Zúñiga, hoping to impress Carmen, informs her that José was released earlier that day. A rowdy group of bullfighting fans bursts in, led by the celebrated matador Escamillo, who is footing the bill. Basking in the spotlight, he introduces himself and immediately sets his sights on Carmen. She, unimpressed, ignores him. With a shrug, Escamillo and his entourage move on to another bar.
Dancaïre and Remendado, the women’s associates in their occasional smuggling ventures, arrive with plans for a new job that night. Frasquita and Mercédès are eager to join, but Carmen, excited at the prospect of seeing José, hesitates. He soon arrives, and their reunion quickly turns passionate. However, duty calls—he must return to the barracks by nightfall. Carmen is appalled and tries to persuade him to stay. Feeling mocked, José snaps, revealing that the carnation she gave him was the only thing that got him through his time in prison. Carmen urges him to leave the Guardia Civil so they can be together freely. Drunk and emboldened, Zúñiga returns, hoping to find Carmen alone. When he discovers José still there, a fight breaks out. Carmen calls for her gang, who quickly overpower Zúñiga. Now an accomplice in an assault on his superior, José has no choice but to join Carmen’s crew.
Interval (20 minutes)
Act 3. A service area by the motorway, later that month.
Carmen and José, now fully immersed in their new life, share a fleeting moment of intimacy before Remendado interrupts—tonight’s smuggling operation must go on. Increasingly wary of José’s jealousy and unpredictability, Carmen turns to Frasquita and Mercédès for a tarot reading. The cards confirm her worst fears: José is dangerous—perhaps even capable of killing her.
Meanwhile, Micaëla has returned with urgent news for José. As she spots him in the distance, a gunshot rings out, forcing her to hide. On guard duty, José has caught an intruder—Escamillo, who has come to see Carmen. Furious, José challenges him to a knife fight. Carmen rushes in to stop them, and Escamillo seizes the moment to invite everyone to his next bullfight before departing. The gang soon discovers Micaëla. She brings devastating news: José’s mother is dying. Reluctantly, José decides to leave Carmen and the gang behind and return home.
Act 4. The bullring of La Maestranza, Seville, a few months later.
Bullfighting aficionados await the show excitedly. Carmen and Escamillo, the latest ‘It couple’, arrive and he greets his fans before the bullfight commences. Frasquita and Mercédès, also in attendance, warn Carmen—they’ve seen José lurking nearby. Carmen, unshaken, dismisses their concerns.
José finds her alone, convinced that today is the day she will return to him. Carmen, firm in her resolve, tells him she has moved on. Unable to accept the truth, José stabs her. As the crowd cheers for Escamillo, Carmen dies. José, coming out of his trance, realizes what he has done—just as Zúñiga arrives.