Carmen is an opera comique in four acts, written by French composer Georges Bizet, and premiered in 1875. The libretto, written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy, is based on a nouvelle of the same name by Prosper Merimé. It tells the story 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 toreador Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage. The opera was controversial and, although it did not enjoy much success in its first runs, it eventually achieved a repertoire status, with some of its arias being among the best known opera fragments. The music and the story were adapted into countless versions, though Bizet died before the work acquired celebrity.
