“L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (“Love is a rebellious bird”) confesses Carmen, who is capable of driving men crazy with a single beck. Though far from constant in her feelings, a moment with her can change her lover for years. Who is she? Is she only a cunning seductress lavishing her charms, or perhaps a woman aware of her value, who lives her life against rules and patterns of behaviour?
Carmen, the titular heroine of Bizet’s opera, inspired numerous composers. Let us thus get familiar with the various faces of the woman who – though not easily yielding to description – had a simple goal in life: love. “Love is a rebellious bird,” and free, like Carmen herself, one should like to add.