Carmen Synopsis

Act I
Seville Square, Spain
Sergeant Morales and a group of soldiers are passing time in the square (“Sur la place”). A peasant girl, Micaëla, enters searching for a sergeant named Don José. She learns that Don José will be replacing the current guard soon. The soldiers invite her into their quarters, but Micaëla runs away. The changing of the guard is signaled by a trumpet call, and a group of children imitate the soldiers as they march into the square (“Avec le garde”).

Morales tells Don José that a girl was looking for him while Zuniga, the lieutenant now in charge, tries to gather information about the cigarette factory. Zuniga has never been to Seville and is curious about the women. The break bell rings and the square is flooded with women from the cigarette factory (“la cloche a sonné”). After much anticipation, Carmen enters entertaining her fellow workers as well as the soldiers with her philosophy of love (“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”).

Carmen’s interest is peaked by one soldier who will not look at her, Don José. She approaches him and drops a rose at his feet, planting the seed of seduction. The women return to work as their break ends, and Micaëla arrives with a note for Don José from his mother. Micaëla runs away again knowing that the letter instructs Don José to marry her.

Just as Don José is considering his instructions a fight breaks out in the factory. The women again flood the square with differing accounts of what happened. Carmen defies Zuniga’s authority, not answering any of his questions. Zuniga orders Don José to arrest her and take her to prison. Zuniga exits and Carmen convinces Don José that he loves her and promises to meet him at Lillas Pastia’s place if he will untie her. Carmen flees and Don José is arrested for aiding the criminal.

Act II
Lillas Pastia's Tavern
About a month has passed and Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercedes are entertaining customers. Zuniga is among them (“Les tringles de sistres tintaient”). As the crod anticipates the arrival of the toreador Escamillo, Zuniga tells Carmen that today Don José will be released from prison. The bullfighter Escamillo arrives in grand fashion, painting a picture of his conquests for the crowd in one of opera’s most recognizable arias (“Votre toast, je peux vous le render”).

Carmen’s friends ask her to join them in a smuggling scheme they have devised, but Carmen wards off their pressure by telling them that she is in love. Don José arrives and Carmen begins to dance for him.

Bugles sound, and Don José must go back to the barracks. Carmen mocks his duty to his job, and challenges his love for her. He responds passionately to her challenge telling her of his month in prison waiting for her (“La fleur que tu m'avais jetée”). Carmen still rejects his love, saying that if he truly loved her, he would follow her to the mountains. Don José is torn and begs Carmen to understand.

Zuniga enters and sees Don José. He tells Carmen that it is a shame she picked a soldier when she could have had an officer. Don José attacks Zuniga but the quarrel is broken up by Carmen, Dancairo and Remendado. Having attacked an officer, the only choice for Don José is to join the smugglers in the mountains.

Act III
Scene 1 - Mountain pass at night
The smugglers prepare their contraband to be moved (“Ecoute, compagnon”), while Carmen and Don José quarrel over their relationship. Frasquita and Mercedes are reading their fortunes on cards and they see riches and love. When Carmen takes her turn she sees death for both her and Don José.

The smugglers leave to transport their goods, and they choose Don José to look after their camp. Micaëla arrives at camp hoping to find Don José and is nervous to meet the woman who has changed the man she knew (“Je dis que rien ne m’épouvante”). She spots him aiming a gun, so she hides and hears a shot ring out. Escamillo appears with a bullet hole in his hat, and identifies himself (“Je suis Escamillo”). He explains he is in search of Carmen and has heard she ran off with a soldier. Don José explains that he is that soldier and the two resort to blows. Carmen and the smugglers return in time to break up the fight. Escamillo chooses to depart and invites all to his next bullfight. Micaëla comes out of hiding and Don José demands she leave. She explains that his mother is dying and he agrees to leave to be by his mother’s side, vowing to return to Carmen.

Scene 2 - Entrance to an Arena
The day of Escamillo’s bullfight has arrived. He enters with Carmen, who has abandoned Don José for the toreador, and they exchange loving words before he enters the arena (“Si tu m’aimes”). Frasquita and Mercedes warn Carmen that Don José is here and might harm her. Carmen states that she is not a woman that will tremble before him, and she remains to face him. Don José arrives and begs Carmen to return to the love they shared. She tells him she is not in love with him. He persists, passionately professing his love. Carmen tells him that she will never give in, she was born free and she will die free. The crowd in the arena roars its approval of Escamillo. Carmen heads for the entrance, but Don José stops her. He asks again if she will love him, and she denies him once more, throwing the ring he gave her on the ground. Carmen tries to flee and Don José stabs her. He throws himself on her body confessing he has killed her as Escamillo and others come upon the scene.