<P> Carmen (French pronunciation: ​ (kaʁmɛn); Spanish: (ˈkarmen)) is an opera in four acts by French composer Georges Bizet . The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée . The opera was first performed by the Opéra - Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its breaking of conventions shocked and scandalized its first audiences . </P> <P> Bizet died suddenly after the 33rd performance, unaware that the work would achieve international acclaim within the following ten years . Carmen has since become one of the most popular and frequently performed operas in the classical canon; the "Habanera" from act 1 and the "Toreador Song" from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias . </P> <P> The opera is written in the genre of opéra comique with musical numbers separated by dialogue . It is set in southern Spain and tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by the wiles of the fiery gypsy Carmen . José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen's love to the glamorous matador Escamillo, after which José kills her in a jealous rage . The depictions of proletarian life, immorality, and lawlessness, and the tragic death of the main character on stage, broke new ground in French opera and were highly controversial . </P> <P> After the premiere, most reviews were critical, and the French public was generally indifferent . Carmen initially gained its reputation through a series of productions outside France, and was not revived in Paris until 1883 . Thereafter, it rapidly acquired popularity at home and abroad . Later commentators have asserted that Carmen forms the bridge between the tradition of opéra comique and the realism or verismo that characterised late 19th - century Italian opera . </P>

The main character of bizet's carmen is a