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Born free, die free...la la la carmene

自由に生まれて、自由に死ぬ…ラ・ラ・ラ・カルメーン♪

(TOP image) © Michiharu Okubo

Feel free to enjoy! Life with concerts
File.5 Bizet Opera “Carmen”
(Kozaburo Mori/Music writer)

Carmen, who works at a tobacco factory in Seville, Spain, is the object of men's admiration for her bewitching charm. When she starts singing during breaks, the men and co-workers around her burst into laughter. When Jose, a serious soldier, shows an innocent look on his face, Carmen provokes him and throws a bright red flower at him.
Carmen injures a colleague in a fight and is arrested by the police. The person who was responsible for taking her to the prison was the serious Jose. He easily falls for Carmen, who tries to seduce him with her lewd glances in an attempt to get him to break the rope and let her escape.

"Oh, do you really love me?"

Afterwards, Jose is unable to return to the army due to his superiors, and takes refuge in a shady smuggling ring with Carmen.
But Carmen is fickle. Her love interest is the handsome bullfighter Escamillo...
A corner of the bullring. When Carmen stubbornly refuses to get back together with a knife in hand, Jose stabs her to death.

French composer Bizet's masterpiece opera ``Carmen''.
This is truly a miraculous opera, where the music, story, and characters come together as one.

"Habanera - Love is a Wild Bird" is sung by Carmen during breaks at the factory.
If you chase me, I'll run away, if you run away, I'll chase you
That's what love is, I'm a wild bird
No matter how many times I listen to it, it still makes my heart pound and tingle.
It's dangerous if you fall in love with me...! ©Michiji Okubo

Escamillo's bullfighter's song is extremely heroic and cool.
Micaela, the serious-minded fiancée of Jose, sings about the sadness of a single-minded and fruitless love.
Passionate flamenco is scattered throughout.

When the Bolshoi Ballet's former prima Plisetskaya produced the ballet version of ``Carmen,'' she reportedly asked Shostakovich and Khachaturian, the great Soviet composers of the time, to compose new pieces. However, it is a famous story that Bizet's music was so perfect that they both refused to compose it because they were intimidated by the high level of recognition of the music for ``Carmen.''
You can't make bad songs... ©Michiji Okubo

And the climax.
Jose, who is too dignified and feminine, presses her to get back together.
In the background, the hustle and bustle of the bullring where Escamillo is likely to be active is mixed with music that has an ominous atmosphere.

“Carmen obeys no one, she was born free and she dies free.”

Carmen declares.
The ending is tragic, but I don't feel sad.
I felt a strange sense of relief, as if it was finally over.
Characters who lived well, loved well, and died well.

This spring, ``Seiji Osawa Music School Opera Project XVII ROHM CLASSIC SPECIAL'' will be performed at Yokosuka Arts Theater.
©Michiji Okubo

Anyway, I would like you to go to the theater and see it.
A parade of famous songs that you've probably heard somewhere!
Before I knew it, my heart was in the city of Seville. A crowd surrounds Carmen and Escamillo, and they begin to fly freely!

This event has ended.

Seiji Osawa Music School Opera Project XVII ROHM CLASSIC SPECIAL
Bizet: Opera "Carmen "

Date: March 21st (Thursday/Holiday)
Venue: Yokosuka Arts Theater (Yokosuka Arts Theater Grand Theater)
Start: 15:00 (doors open at 14:00)
Price: S seat ¥25,000 / A seat ¥21,500 / B seat ¥17,000 / C seat sold out / D seat ¥8,000
*Preschool children are not allowed to enter.

 

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