In anticipation of the upcoming Los Angeles Opera production of Bizet’s Carmen, my presentation for the Opera League of Los Angeles will look at how Bizet and his collaborators sharpened the class, race, and gender frictions of the original story by Prosper Merimée, creating a dramatic and musical trajectory that make Carmen’s death inevitable. I will also discuss the changed ending of the 2018 Maggio Musicale production of Carmen in Florence, Italy, which was a very conscious response to headline-making increases in femicide in the years leading up to the production.

About the Opera League of Los Angeles
Founded in 1981, the nonprofit Opera League of Los Angeles is the primary volunteer support organization, and co-founder, of LA Opera, the resident opera company for the City of Los Angeles that was established in 1986.

The Opera League produces an array of educational programs including seminars, gatherings, musicales, master classes, and much more, all with the common aim of expanding the appreciation of opera by bringing people together to celebrate this timeless art form.