Carmen (Dec. 13, 1975)

Composer: Georges Bizet
Librettist: Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

Lewis; Ricciarelli, Crespin, Lewis, Van Dam

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 30 min.

Bizet’s enticing gypsy has seldom been as earthy and Gallic as when Régine Crespin unleashed her feminine wiles to capture the heart of every man in her path. Don José (William Lewis) doesn’t really stand a chance of resisting her allure. Katia Ricciarelli is the innocent Micaela and José van Dam sings Escamillo, the charismatic bullfighter who turns Carmen’s head and ultimately seals her doom.