CARMEN

Carmen, in the Naked Arena of her Soul

A literary myth rooted in Prosper Mérimée’s novel of the same name, transcending picturesque exoticism to focus instead on the struggle between social order and individual freedom. Its protagonists are, unknowingly and unwillingly, portrayals of absolute and tragic free will, preferring death to submission. Faithful to Mérimée, this Carmen becomes the heartbeat of a tormented Spain that ceases to be a geographical place and instead emerges as a psychological state of constant tension, harshness and destiny; a sharp modernity in which tragedy unfolds with devastating and contemporary clarity, seemingly in continual psychological transformation.

The career of Ted Huffman, the stage director who redefines the preconceptions of opera, continues its unstoppable rise after his appointment as General Director of the Aix-en-Provence Festival. The New York-born director premieres at Les Arts a forward-looking Carmen, far removed from cliché, and profoundly theatrical. The performers gradually construct their identities on a stage that becomes alive, where setting and costume changes take place in full view of the audience, who thus become participants in an immersive experience. Vasilisa Berzhanskaya makes her Valencia debut after being acclaimed in Vienna and at Covent Garden as the finest contemporary Carmen. Alongside her appears a magnificent Don José in the form of tenor Charles Castronovo, the acclaimed Ruth Iniesta as Micaëla, and the innovative Escamillo portrayed by Davide Luciano, who will make his Salzburg Festival debut in 2026 — all under the wise baton of Michele Spotti.