8 | thethreepennycarmenproductionnote The Threepenny Carmen WRITTEN BY
Julia Brown Simmons “So this is how liberty dies. With thunderous applause.” While Padmé Amidala says this in Star Wars: Episode III upon the announcement of the emergence of the first Galactic Empire, she could have just as well been describing Bizet’s Carmen. The opera epitomizes personal liberty, and the titular character essentially personifies freedom— nobody can control Carmen or pin her down; she will always be her own artist. So, when Carmen dies at the opera’s conclusion, liberty dies—and for over a century, as the curtain closes, audiences have responded with thunderous applause. In a way, Georges Bizet himself exemplifies the same personal liberty he writes into his opera: despite push-back regarding the subject matter of the work, Bizet forged ahead to create his artistic vision. Bizet composed Carmen at the request of the directors of the Opéra-Comique in Paris. The opera is based on Mérimée’s novel of the same name—a foundation which received criticism both before and after the opera’s premier. The controversy began with one of the directors, who thought the story was unsuitable for the opera house, particularly its portrayal of sexual promiscuity, rowdy women, and a staged death. The criticism continued through the first staging of the opera in 1875, which received outraged responses from press and audience alike. Bizet received objections not only for the subject of the work, but also for the liberties he took in his compositional style. The orchestra complained about his style of scoring. The chorus took issue with Bizet’s demand that they act
