Carmen connections

Damiano Michieletto’s new production of Carmen for the Royal Opera House brings a renewed focus on relationships and psychology to Bizet’s renowned score

Stephen Johnson

Mezzo sensation Aigul Akhmetshina will be the undoubted star of the Royal’s Opera’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen when it opens in April, but she will be joined on stage by a character never normally seen – one who represents a direct threat to her sultry eponymous heroine. That figure is Don José’s mother. She’s not in the cast but is always present in the libretto, sending letters, money and kisses to her absent son. Director Damiano Michieletto believes her passive-aggressive manipulation is the key to Don José’s behaviour and to his eventual murder of Carmen. He says: ‘It’s a tragedy linked to man’s immaturity, to Don José’s inability to accept his own reality, eventually leading him to a tragic act, emblematic of his persistent infantilism.’ Michieletto will introduce an…

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Opera Now (Digital) - 1 Issue, Summer 2024

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