THE highly acclaimed Russian State Opera is bringing a mix of fierce passion and gorgeous melodies in one the most powerful operas – Carmen.

With music by Georges Bizet, Russian State Opera is heading to Weymouth Pavilion on Monday, September 26 for a stunning performance.

Sung in French with English subtitles, Carmen features an impressive cast accompanied by a large live Orchestra with over 30 musicians.

Feel the thrill and passion of love, jealousy and violence in 19th Century Seville in one of Bizet’s most popular pieces.

The nail-biting dramatic confrontations and musical wit has found favour all over the world since its first performance in 1875.

Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by Carmen, free-spirited femme fatale. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo.

The music of Carmen has been widely acclaimed for its brilliance of melody, harmony, atmosphere and orchestration, and for the skill with which Bizet represented musically the emotions and suffering of his characters. The Toreador Song is among the best known of all operatic arias.

The rich and colourful vigour of the gypsies’ scenes will have you on the edge of your seat and the vibrancy, enthusiasm and intensity of the performance will last long after the final curtain.

If you’ve never tried opera before, this is a great opportunity to experience a full orchestra experience. Love, treachery, passion and betrayal, Carmen has it all.

Producer Alexej Ignatow, of Amande Concerts Ltd, said: “We are constantly on the lookout for new challenges, to ensure that our opera and ballet audiences get a chance to experience a wide spectrum of classic pieces.”

Amande Concerts has over 15 years of experience. The company specialises in promoting Russian culture and aims to bring a vast variety of shows from the most popular repertoire of classical ballet and opera.

Over the years the company has entertained audiences in London and all over the UK with performances by world-class dancers and singers. Since 2001 it have presented the ballets Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and operas such as Carmen, La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme and Rigoletto as well as shows like Big Ballet, Russian Cossacks and many more.