Carmen

On March 3rd, 1875, the opéra comique Carmen debuted to controversy and mixed reviews. Starring the titular Carmen, who seduces and causes the downfall of the naive soldier Don José, he abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts the army, only for Carmen to run away for another lover, the bullfighter torero Escamillo. In a fit of jealous rage, Don José kills Carmen on stage, and turns himself in afterwards in shame.

Georges Bizet died before he could see his work achieve international recognition. Carmen is now part of the standard repertoire for opera, and has since become one of the most widely performed and beloved operas in the western opera canon. It has even achieved diffusion into popular culture. Even if one has not seen the opera directly, one may recognize the melody from the aria L'amour est un oiseau rebelle, also known as Habanera, which has become famous as a motif for seduction, and Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre, also known as the Toreador Song.