Opera has evolved throughout the ages and will continue to perpetuate as the population and culture do. When I was assigned to watch any Opera created before 1920, I was a bit overwhelmed, considering the infinite amount of pieces and different composers that exist in our world. I decided to research what some may call the greatest opera of all time, Carmen, by the French composer Georges Bizet. The opera, Carmen, was first performed March 3rd,1875, and consisted of four acts. The performance took France by storm; everyone loved the show!

While watching this opera I discovered the importance of the acts to tell the story behind the song. The opera exposes the naive soldier, Don Jose, who was seduced by the evil gypsy Carmen who enjoys breaking hearts. The mise en scene of, Carmen, is important to the message of the opera. The music beautifully depicts the emotions felt by the lovers: betrayal, delight, lust, euphoria, melancholy, etc. The colorful sets and costumed allowed the music to sing to color. The musical numbers were interrupted by the dialog which put a unique twist on opera.

This piece is important to the chronology of opera because it introduces the setting and musical language to opera. In the late 1800’s technology was scarce and Georges Bizet’s creative mind went to work, resulting in the masterpiece we call, Carmen. If I were a 21st-century director, I would create an animated video game of the characters of the opera Carmen. The men try to win over Carmen's heart by shooting a cupid arrow as fast as possible. Another player or level would be the task of keeping the wife from walking in on her cheating husband by completing a maze.
Of course, the opera would play in the background.