Carmen Is the Feb. 11, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The Feb. 11, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is Carmen, a four-act tragic opera by French composer Georges Bizet.

Bizet's Carmen airs as the Feb. 11, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 23, 2017

Carmen, a four-act tragic opera by Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875) concerning a fiery gypsy whose passions are in flux, is the Feb. 11, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast.

French librettist, novelist and playwright Ludovic Halévy (Jan. 1, 1834-May 7, 1908) and French dramatist and librettist Henri Meilhac (Feb. 23, 1830-July 6, 1897) collaborated on the French libretto. The literary source is Carmen, a novella first published by French archaeologist, historian and writer Prosper Mérimée in 1845 in la Revue des Deux Mondes (“Review of Two Worlds”), an ongoing French language literary and cultural affairs magazine.

The premiere took place March 3, 1875. The venue was Opéra-Comique, then housed in the Parisian opera company’s second of three buildings, all known as Salle Favart, at its current site in Place Boïeldieu, in the 2e arrondissement de Paris (2nd arrondissement of Paris).

French architect Jean-François Heurtier (March 6, 1739-April 16, 1822) designed the first Salle Favart, whose inauguration April 28, 1783, was attended by France’s last queen, Marie Antoinette (Nov. 2, 1755-Oct. 16, 1793). In 1840, French architect Louis Charles Théodore Charpentier (Sept. 2, 1797-April 13, 1867) designed a second Salle Favart to replace the first, which was destroyed Jan. 14-15, 1838, by a fire.

French architect Stanislas-Louis Bernier (Feb. 21, 1845-Feb. 3, 1919) designed the current, third Salle Favart to replace the second, which was destroyed May 25, 1887, by a fire caused by defective gas lighting. On Dec. 7, 1898, Félix François Faure (Jan. 30, 1841-Feb. 16, 1899), sixth of the 14 presidents of the Third French Republic (Troisième République, Sept. 4, 1870-July 10, 1940), attended the inauguration of the third Salle Favart.

The composer and librettist place Carmen’s tempestuous life in the early 19th century. The setting is the exotic city of Seville in southern Spain and the surrounding hills and mountains.

The Saturday matinee broadcast of Carmen begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (6 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). The estimated run time for the performance is about 3 hours 17 minutes.

The performance, sung in the original French, comprises four acts and one intermission.

Acst I and II are timed at 100 minutes. A 34-minute intermission follows Act II.

Acts III and IV are timed at 63 minutes. The Saturday matinee broadcast performance ends with Act IV’s final notes.

Asher Fisch conducts most performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of Carmen. His birthplace is Jerusalem, Israel. The Israeli conductor debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2000 production of The Merry Widow by Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár (April 30, 1870-Oct. 24, 1948). This season Asher Fisch also conducts Tristan und Isolde by German composer and librettist Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

This season Asher Fisch shares the Carmen conductor’s baton with Derrick Inouye and Louis Langrée. Born in Vancouver, western Canada, Derrick Inouye debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2003 production of Benvenuto Cellini by Hector Berlioz (Dec. 11, 1803-March 8, 1869). Derrick Inouye conducts the Jan. 27 performance.

Born in Mulhouse, Alsace, northeastern France, Louis Langrée debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2007 production of Iphigénie en Tauride by Christoph Willibald Ritter von Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787). Louis Langrée conducts the Feb. 15 and Feb. 18 performances.

Clémentine Margaine appears in the title role as an alluring, tempestuous cigarette factory worker who also smuggles. She was born in Narbonne, Occitanie, south central France. The French mezzo-soprano’s appearance as Carmen marks her Metropolitan Opera debut.

Roberto Aronica appears as Don José, a corporal whose military career and life are ruined by his all-consuming passion for Carmen. His birthplace is Civitavecchia, Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, west central Italy. The Italian tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1998 as Alfredo in La Traviata by Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Roberto Aronica appears in most of the February performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He shares the role of Don José this season with Marcelo Álvarez and Rafael Davila.

Born in Córdoba, central Argentina, Marcelo Álvarez debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1998 as Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. He appears in most of the January performances of Carmen. The Argentinian lyric tenor also appears this season as des Grieux in Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Born in Chicago, Cook County, northeastern Illinois, to Puerto Rican parents, Rafael Davila makes his Metropolitan Opera debut with his appearance as the anguished Don José. The Puerto Rican tenor’s appearances in the Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 performances mark his move from understudy to principal role while Marcelo Álvarez recovers from a respiratory infection.

Maria Agresta appears as Micaëla, who loves Don José and transmits messages to him from his mother. She was born in Vallo, Campagna, southwestern Italy. The Italian soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2016 as Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème.

Maria Agresta appears in all January performances and most February performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. She shares the role of Micaëla this season with Janai Brugger, who appears in the Feb. 3 performance.

Janai Brugger’s birthplace is Darien, DuPage County, northeastern Illinois. The American operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2012 as Liù in Puccini’s Turandot. This season Janai Brugger also appears as Jemmy in Guillaume Tell by Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868) and as Pamina in The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Kyle Ketelsen appears as Escamillo, the captivating bullfighter who replaces Don José in Carmen’s volatile affections. He was born in Clinton, east central Iowa. The American bass-baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2006 as Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca.

Kyle Ketelsen appears in all January and most February performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast. He shares the role of Escamillo this season with Michael Todd Simpson, who appears in the Feb. 15 performance.

Born in Gastonia, Gaston County, southwestern North Carolina, Michael Todd Simpson debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2009 as Hermann/Schlémil in Les Contes d’Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819-Oct. 5, 1880). The American operatic baritone also appears this season as Jaufré Rudel in L’Amour de Loin by Finnish composer Kaija Anneli Saariaho and as Leuthold in Rossini’s Guillaume Tell.

Operabase, an online database, places Georges Bizet at number 7 in a ranking of 1,281 most popular composers for the five seasons from 2011/2012 to 2015/16. Carmen holds third place in the list of 2,658 most popular operas.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 Repertory Report gives performance statistics through Oct. 31. Carmen holds third place, with 1,001 performances, for the period from first Met performance, Jan. 5, 1884, to last performance, March 7, 2015. The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016-2017 season falls outside the report’s parameters.

The takeaway for Carmen as the Feb. 11, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is the fiery music that captures the sparks of Carmen’s tempestuous love triangles and Micaëla’s empowering aria (“Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante”) as she seeks to rescue Don José from his fate.

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season premiere of Bizet's Carmen marked Met Opera debuts for Clémentine Margaine (Carmen), Rafael Davila (Don José) and Shirin Eskandani (Mercédès): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 19, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Bizet's Carmen airs as the Feb. 11, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 23, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158246583645533/

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season premiere of Bizet's Carmen marked Met Opera debuts for Clémentine Margaine (Carmen), Rafael Davila (Don José) and Shirin Eskandani (Mercédès): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 19, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158221347490533/

For further information:

"Composers: Composers Ranked by the Number of Performances of Their Operas Over the Five Seasons 2011/2012 to 2015/16." Operabase > Opera Statistics.
Available @ http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en

“Debuts: Louis Langrée, Sasha, Cooke, Michele Losier, Jacqueline Antaramian, Mark Capri.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352202 Iphigénie en Tauride {6} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/27/2007.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352202

Metropolitan Opera. "Richard Eyre's Stunning Production of Carmen." YouTube. Feb. 18, 2015.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkUxIJ8ohRs

The Metropolitan Opera (metopera). "Carmen is on stage tonight, Jan 23. Performances through Feb 11. Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera." Instagram. Jan. 23, 2017.
Available @ https://www.instagram.com/p/BPn87ZQBHJ3/?taken-by=metopera

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Bizet's Carmen opens tonight, 1/19! Mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine makes her Met Opera debut in the title role as Bizet's immortal heroine. On stage through Feb 18: bit.ly/2j6SKAH Photos by Jonathan Tichler/Metropolitan Opera." Facebook. Jan. 19, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158221347490533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera."Clémentine Margaine in the title role of Bizet's Carmen is on stage tonight, 1/23. Performances through Feb 18: bit.ly/2j6SKAH Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera." Facebook. Jan. 23, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158246584170533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera."Clémentine Margaine in the title role of Bizet's Carmen is on stage tonight, 1/23. Performances through Feb 18: bit.ly/2j6SKAH Photo by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera." Facebook. Jan. 23, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158246583645533/

Opéra de Paris @operadeparis. “Elle fait ses débuts à l'Opéra de Paris dans le célèbre rôle-titre. Retrouvez bientôt Clémentine Margaine sur scène!” Twitter. Feb. 27, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/operadeparis/status/836218106372587520

“Performances Statistics Through October 31, 2016.” MetOpera Database > The Metropolitan Opera Archives > Repertory Report.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Database%20Opera%20Statistics.xml