Carmen comes to Chesterfield

The Dnipro Opera will present Carmen, which will be sung in French with English surtitles, at the Winding Wheel Theatre on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

Feel the thrill of love, jealousy and violence of 19th Century Seville in one of Bizet’s most popular operas. Naive soldier Don José falls under the spell of the gypsy Carmen, abandoning his childhood sweetheart and deserting his military duties. But when he loses Carmen to a handsome bullfighter Don José flies into a jealous rage and kills her.

Its mix of fierce passion, gorgeous melodies, nail-biting dramatic confrontation and musical wit has found favour all over the world almost since its first performance in 1875. Back in the 19th century, Carmen was considered highly controversial with its immoraility, lawlessness and the death of the main character on stage, breaking new ground in opera.

The Toreador Song in Carmen is among the best known aria of all operas, with Carmen’s entrance song Habanera also being a much-loved creation. The music throughout the opera includes brilliant melodies and enthralling atmosphere and orchestration, showing the skill with which Bizet musically represented the emotions and suffering of the characters.

Ihor Puchkov, who is conducting the company on its UK tour, said Carmen is one of his favourite operas to conduct. More than 30 musicians will be accompanying the production in Chesterfield.

Dnipro Opera are back in the UK following a successful tour last year. The company have carried on creating and working in their war-torn country when Ukraine suffered missile attacks.

Asked who he would take to dinner, Ihor said: “If today, then President Zelensky. This is a man who made a historical turning point in the history of our country, a turning point in the attitude towards human values. I had the honour of conducting one of his official receptions and receiving some pleasant words from him regarding our performance. It seems to me that he is a very open person with a wonderful sense of humour. I think it would be an unforgettable meeting.”

Standard tickets cost £38.20 to see Carmen in Chesterfield. Go to www.chesterfieldtheatres.co.uk