Whose opera is Carmen?

Carmen premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. Its libretto, by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, was based on an 1845 novella by Prosper Mérimée. Set in Seville, it tells of the free-spirited Carmen, the soldier Don José who falls for her, and the bullfighter Escamillo, ending in tragedy. The first reception was mixed, and Bizet died on 3 June 1875, aged just 36, only three months after the premiere and before the opera became a worldwide hit. Its Habanera and Toreador Song are among the most recognisable melodies in all opera.