It is the same Carmen who tells her story, without prejudices and without justifications.
Carmen was commissioned by the Paris Opera House to go on stage, after many difficulties, on March 3, 1875. It was a failure, as the audience and the respectable critics considered the subject too licentious. Bizet died shortly after the premiere, at the age of 37, also because he was deeply affected by the failure.
Today Carmen is the second most performed opera in the world.
"This Carmen is born in a difficult moment of my life: each of us exorcises suffering as best as we can, I did it by writing, an activity that still today represents the umbilical cord with my mother. I wanted Carmen to return as a woman, free from labels and judgments, because we all live from the inside trying to survive, but we are judged and we easily judge, forgetting how harmful superficiality can be. I wanted this woman not to happen..."
Lucia Margherita Marino
In this case, it is proposed in a chamber version, performed by a clarinet ensemble to which a reciting voice is added that guides the audience through the character of Carmen: the thoughts, memories, and sufferings of the beautiful Spanish cigarette maker are alternated with the virtuosity and sensual charge of Bizet's music.
Alessia Donadio – actress
OttoClarinet Ensemble
Luciano Meola – piccolo clarinet
Alessandro Dorella, Angelo Vinai, Lucia Margherita Marino, Diego Losero, Marco Lasagna – clarinets
Edmondo Tedesco, Andrea Sarotto – bass clarinets
Michele Consueto – transcriptions from Carmen by G. Bizet
Show written by Lucia Margherita Marino
Duration of the show: about 60' (plus a surprise encore...)
