Why a transnational history of Carmen? Because Carmen is intrinsically born of – and about –migration and linguistic fluidity, and because Bizet’s opera has been transcended by the myth or symbol of Carmen, taken to mean many things in multiple contexts. This chapter lays the foundations for the rest of the book by highlighting the main sources – Mérimée’s novella, the opera libretto, its first stagings and scores – as well as challenging the precepts of a transnational history of opera, and attempts to weave the individual chapters together, draw out overlapping themes, challenge expected narratives, point up contradictions. In short, whether in relation to genre, singers or binary oppositions of geography, identity, morality and progress, the chapter outlines the main debates addressed and synthesises the kaleidoscopic nature of the findings of all contributors. From Spanish gypsies to French Hispanomania in music and dance, from Parisian reception to transnationalism in opera studies, from Parisian opéra-comique to international hybrid spectacle, this chapter signals the issues that are omnipresent in the performance and reception of Carmen at home and abroad.

Following its premiere and two revivals (in 1883 and 1890), Carmen was given a fresh staging by the director of the new third Salle Favart, Albert Carré. Following the fatal and tragic fire of 1887, Carré’s mandate in the new theatre was to alternate works from the repertoire with world premieres. Thus Carmen and Manon inaugurated the new season (December 1898). By way of research, Carré journeyed to Spain, to Madrid, Seville and Grenada, accompagnied by the Opéra-Comique’s costume designer Charles Bianchini. The scenery, designed by Lucien Jusseaume, was also the fruit of the documents brought back by Carré in order to better portray the atmosphere of Mérimée’s novella. Carré’s production then held the Opéra-Comique stage, with only small modifications until c. 1972. Nevertheless, the 1875 production was performed in the provinces and abroad, most notably in French colonies in North Africa by the ‘Tournées d’Orient’ (1910–1920). This chapter demonstrates, therefore, how the two productions – both the original and Carré’s 1898 staging – rubbed shoulders over a long period, presenting co-existing images of Carmen: one, more dated, with scenery inspired by multiple sources; the other, more modern, where the protagonist confirms a model of modern woman.