Carmen takes a bow

A brilliant semi-staged performance of Bizet's Carmen at the Proms last night. This was the Glyndebourne Opera production from their 2024 season and the soloists and chorus were in great voice, ably backed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Anja Bihlmaier. Rihab Chaieb, shown here acknowledging the applause of the audience, was an excellent Carmen embodying the free-spirit of the character. The mezzo-soprano was born in Tunisia and, according to the programme, has a repertoire ranging from Handel, Monteverdi and Mozart to Bizet, Verdi and Philip Glass. Bizet wrote Carmen in 1873-74 with a libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac, It was based on an 1845 novella by French author Prosper Mérimée. A very Spanish setting realised by a French composer and French writers. The opera contains several very memorable tunes which lose nothing in their impact, notwithstanding their familiarity. It was the first time I have "prommed" for years and although my legs were aching by the end I really enjoyed the experience. We were so close to the stage that, at times, Carmen appeared to be looking directly at me when she was singing - "l'amour" indeed! At the interval we discovered the Kensington Gardens Bar, which we found when leaving the arena to stretch our legs, and appears to be not that well known as there was hardly anyone there. It is quite lavishly decorated and furnished as the extra photo shows and was a very pleasant place to relax for 20 minutes before the second half of the concert started. Carmen had its premiere in 1875 - so look out for 150th anniversary celebration performances next year. Sadly, Bizet did not get to appreciate the enduring popularity of his opera as he died in June 1875 , aged 36, after bathing in the Seine. Plus ça change!