Bizet, The Flower Song (from Carmen)

The music of Georges Bizet’s Carmen (1875) has gained a popularity that few operas can match. People with little exposure to opera are likely to recognize the Toreador Song and the Habanera. There are many other great moments in the opera, including this Flower Song.

In Act I, Carmen flirts with Corporal Don José during her arrest and throws him a flower. She convinces him to free her hands and then escapes. As a result, he is imprisoned for two months.

In Act II, Carmen and Don José are reunited upon his release from prison. The bugle sounds and Don José must return to the barracks. But Carmen insists that he prove his love for her by deserting and joining her band of smugglers. He sings this aria, showing Carmen the flower, which he has carried as a reminder throughout his time in prison. Carmen is not impressed.

Things are not going well for Don José and he seems well aware that Carmen spells doom, as indeed she does. Things will only get worse. You can’t generate too much sympathy for the hapless Don José. He could have married the nice girl next door, Micaëla, especially after she shows up in Act I with a letter from his mother suggesting he do just that. But Carmen proves too great a temptation.

A couple of years ago, I wrote about the quirky staging of Carmen by the Erfurt Opera in Drive-In Opera. But I have better news this time: Professor Carol will present a free webinar “Getting to Know Bizet’s Carmen” as part of our Night at the Opera series on February 16. (Just in time for Valentine’s Day, although we hope yours turns out better.)