Editing Carmen (section)

===Early revivals===
Shortly before his death Bizet signed a contract for a production of ''Carmen'' by the [[Vienna State Opera|Vienna Court Opera]]. For this version, first staged on 23 October 1875, Bizet's friend [[Ernest Guiraud]] replaced the original dialogue with recitatives, to create a "[[grand opera]]" format. Guiraud also reorchestrated music from Bizet's [[L'Arlésienne (Bizet)|''L'Arlésienne suite'']] to provide a spectacular ballet for ''Carmen''{{'}}s second act.<ref name=C426 /> Shortly before the initial Vienna performance, the Court Opera's director [[Franz von Jauner]] decided to use parts of the original dialogue along with some of Guiraud's recitatives; this hybrid and the full recitative version became the norms for productions of the opera outside France for most of the next century.<ref>Dean 1965, p. 129(n)</ref>

[[File:VariousCarmens.jpg|thumb|left|Many distinguished artistes sang the role of Carmen in early productions of the opera.]]
Despite its deviations from Bizet's original format, and some critical reservations, the 1875 Vienna production was a great success with the city's public. It also won praise from both Wagner and [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]]. The latter reportedly saw the opera twenty times, and said he would have "gone to the ends of the earth to embrace Bizet".<ref name=C426>Curtiss, p. 426</ref> The Viennese triumph began the opera's rapid ascent towards worldwide fame. In February 1876 it began a run in Brussels at [[La Monnaie]]; it returned there the following year, with Galli-Marié in the title role, and thereafter became a permanent fixture in the Brussels repertory. On 17 June 1878 ''Carmen'' was produced in London, at [[Her Majesty's Theatre]], where [[Minnie Hauk]] began her long association with the part of Carmen. A parallel London production at Covent Garden, with [[Adelina Patti]], was cancelled when Patti withdrew. The successful Her Majesty's production, sung in Italian, had an equally enthusiastic reception in [[Dublin]]. On 23 October 1878 the opera received its American premiere, at the New York [[Academy of Music (New York City)|Academy of Music]], and in the same year was introduced to [[Saint Petersburg]].<ref name=C427 />

In the following five years performances were given in numerous American and European cities. The opera found particular favour in Germany, where the Chancellor, [[Otto von Bismarck]], apparently saw it on 27 different occasions and where [[Friedrich Nietzsche]] opined that he "became a better man when Bizet speaks to me".<ref>Nietzsche, p. 3</ref><ref name=C429>Curtiss, pp. 429–431</ref> ''Carmen'' was also acclaimed in numerous French provincial cities including [[Marseille]], [[Lyon]] and, in 1881, [[Dieppe]], where Galli-Marié returned to the role. In August 1881 the singer wrote to Bizet's widow to report that ''Carmen''{{'}}s Spanish premiere, in Barcelona, had been "another great success".<ref>Curtiss, p. 430</ref> But Carvalho, who had assumed the management of the Opéra-Comique, thought the work immoral and refused to reinstate it. Meilhac and Hálevy were more prepared to countenance a revival, provided that Galli-Marié had no part in it; they blamed her interpretation for the relative failure of the opening run.<ref name=C429 />

In April 1883 Carvalho finally revived ''Carmen'' at the Opéra-Comique, with [[Adèle Isaac]] featuring in an under-rehearsed production that removed some of the controversial aspects of the original. Carvalho was roundly condemned by the critics for offering a travesty of what had come to be regarded as a masterpiece of French opera; nevertheless, this version was acclaimed by the public and played to full houses. In October Carvalho yielded to pressure and revised the production; he brought back Galli-Marié, and restored the score and libretto to their 1875 forms.<ref>Dean 1965, pp. 130–131</ref>