Under the direction of conductor Lex Wiersma, the Breda Opera will perform the world-famous opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet on 9 May 2025 at the Chassé Theatre. The first performance took place in Paris on 3 March 1875; thus, in 2025 this opera celebrates its 150th anniversary!
Uniquely, the Breda Opera will present the seldom-performed version from 1874, a version in which the famous aria ‘Habanera’ sounds different. The Breda Opera is the first choir in the Netherlands to perform this version.
Carmen is the story of a gypsy woman who sets many a man's heart racing. She encounters and seduces Don José, a corporal on duty at the cigarette factory.
He initially dismisses her. But with her unabashed sensuality, Carmen possesses an irresistible charm, allowing her to effortlessly wrap Don José around her finger. Madly in love, he helps her escape from prison, resulting in his own arrest and demotion.
Carmen manages to persuade Don José to join a smuggler gang. However, their good relationship is soon disrupted when she becomes infatuated with the famous bullfighter Escamillo.
When Don José returns from a visit to his dying mother, he finds that Carmen has given her heart to Escamillo. Driven by jealousy, Don José fatally stabs his beloved Carmen with a dagger.
