(TOP image) © Michiharu Okubo
Feel free to enjoy! Life with concerts
File.5 Bizet Opera "Carmen"
(Saburo Morimitsu / music writer)
Carmen, who works at a tobacco factory in Seville, Spain, is the target of men's admiration for her bewitching charm. When she starts singing during intermission, the men around her and her co-workers yell at her. Carmen provokes Jose and throws bright red flowers at him.
Carmen is caught by the police after injuring her colleague in a fight. The person responsible for escorting him to the prison is the earnest Jose. He easily falls for Carmen, who tries to lure him away by letting him loose the rope.
"Oh, do you really love me!"
After that, Jose cannot return to the army due to a conflict with his superiors, and joins a dubious smuggling group with Carmen.
But Carmen is fickle. Her love interest is the handsome bullfighter Escamillo.
A corner of the bullring. Jose stabs Carmen to death when he stubbornly refuses even though he tries to reconcile with a knife.
French composer, Bizet's masterpiece opera "Carmen".
It is truly a miraculous opera in which the music, the story, and the characters of the characters are united.
"Habanera ~ Koi wa Wild Bird" sung by Carmen during the factory break.
Chasing and running away, if you run away they will chase you
That's what love is, I'm a wild bird
No matter how many times I listen to it, my heart is pounding and thrilling.
"It's dangerous if you fall in love with me"...! 
© Michiharu Okubo
The song of Escamillo's bullfighter, who is extremely heroic and too cool.
José's fiancée Mikaela sings the sadness of an earnest and unfulfilled love.
Passionate flamenco scattered everywhere.
Prima Plisetskaya, a former member of the Bolshoi Ballet, asked Shostakovich and Khachaturian, the great composers of the Soviet Union at the time, to compose a new piece when producing the ballet version of "Carmen." However, it is a famous episode that Bizet's music was so perfect that both of them refused to compose it because they were afraid of the high degree of recognition of "Carmen" as music.
You can't make bad songs... 
© Michiharu Okubo
and climax.
Jose urges him to reconcile with his overly imposing effeminateness.
In the background, the hustle and bustle of the bullfighting arena, where Escamillo is probably active, and the music with a somewhat ominous atmosphere intersect.
"Carmen obeys no one, born free and dies free"
Carmen speaks up.
The ending is tragic, but it doesn't feel sad.
A strange sense of relief, as if it was finally over.
Characters who lived well, loved well, and died well.
This spring, "Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Opera Project XVII ROHM CLASSIC SPECIAL" will be performed at the Yokosuka Arts Theater.
© Michiharu Okubo
Anyway, I would like you to visit the theater once and see it.
Surely, a parade of famous songs that you have heard somewhere!
Someday my heart will go to the city of Seville. Become a crowd surrounding Carmen and Escamillo and start flapping freely!
This event has ended.
Seiji Ozawa Music Academy Opera Project XVII ROHM CLASSIC SPECIAL
Bizet: Opera "Carmen "
Date: March 21 (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.
