Onwards

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Zuniga asks José about the young women who work in the cigarette factory, but José is not interested in them. Zuniga then teases José about his interest in Micaëla; José admits that he loves her. Carmen and José enter with the smugglers and their booty ("Écoute, écoute, compagnon"); Carmen has now become bored with José and tells him scornfully that he should go back to his mother. Frasquita and Mercédès amuse themselves by reading their fortunes from the cards; Carmen joins them and finds that the cards are foretelling her death, and José's.
He is instantly drawn to Carmen and introduces himself with the "Toreador Song". Zuniga, Frasquita and  [[https://youciali.com|buy xanax without prescrition]] Mercédès are among the crowd awaiting the arrival of the bullfighters ("Les voici! Voici la quadrille!"). Escamillo enters with Carmen, and they express their mutual love ("Si tu m'aimes,  Carmen").
The opera opens outside a cigarette factory in Seville, where soldiers have gathered and a sweet Micaëla arrives looking for José, her childhood sweetheart. The factory bell goes and the workers, including Carmen, head out into the streets and converse with the soldiers. As the factory bell rings, the cigarette girls emerge and exchange banter with young men in the crowd ("La cloche a sonné"). Carmen enters and sings her provocative habanera on the untameable nature of love ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"). 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.
As Escamillo leaves he invites everyone to his next bullfight in Seville. Micaëla is discovered; at first, José will not leave with her despite Carmen's mockery, but he agrees to go when told that his mother is dying. Escamillo is heard in the distance, singing the toreador's song. José begs Carmen to return to him but she tells him that their relationship is over and throws down the ring he gave her. As the noise of the crowd roars, José stabs Carmen and kills her. Suddenly an uproar begins as women fly back out of the factory as they have accused Carmen&nbsp; of threatening someone with a knife.
Set in Spain and sung in French, George Bizet’s Carmen has some of the most famous melodies and characters in any opera. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès are entertaining Zuniga and other officers ("Les tringles des sistres tintaient") in Pastia's inn. Carmen is delighted to learn of José's release from two months' detention. Outside, a chorus and procession announces the arrival of the toreador Escamillo ("Vivat, vivat le Toréro"). 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.
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. The opera has been recorded many times since the first acoustical recording in 1908, and the story has been the subject of many screen and stage adaptations. 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"). Frasquita and Mercédès are keen to help them, but Carmen refuses, since she wishes to wait for José.
As 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!"). He reads that his mother wants him to return home and marry Micaëla, who retreats in shy embarrassment on learning this. Just as José declares that he is ready to heed his mother's wishes, the women stream from the factory in great agitation. Zuniga, the officer of the guard, learns that Carmen has attacked a woman with a knife. When challenged, Carmen answers with mocking defiance ("Tra la la&nbsp;... Coupe-moi, brûle-moi"); Zuniga orders José to tie her hands while he prepares the prison warrant. 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.
Georges Bizet: The Pearl Fishers
The smugglers depart to transport their goods while the women distract the local customs officers. Several months later, Carmen, José and the smugglers enter a mountain pass. Carmen has grown tired of José and his controlling behaviour, and says he should return to lie with his mother. The women read their fortunes which foretell love and riches for Frasquita and Mercédès, but death for Carmen.
BIZET, Carmen – Bruxelles
The opera is written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue. It is set in southern Spain and tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen's love to the glamorous torero Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The depictions of proletarian life, immorality, and lawlessness, and the murder of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial.

Lillas Pastia hustles the crowds and the soldiers away. We acknowledge, celebrate and respect all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first story tellers who carry the cultural wisdom, traditions and dreaming of this ancient land. Two surprise arrivals, Escamillo and Micaëla, turn up. Micaëla hides while José fights Escamillo, after which Esacamillo invites everyone to his next bullfight. Micaëla tells José that his mother is dying and he must return home. He agrees but vows to Carmen that they will reunite.