Information AboutCarmen |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CARMEN | |
| operas by georges bizet | |
| french-language operas | |
| opéras comiques | |
| 1875 operas | |
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''Carmen'' is a French Opera by Georges Bizet . The Libretto was written by Meilhac and Halévy , based on the novel by Prosper Mérimée . The opera was premiered at the Opéra Comique of Paris on March 3 , 1875 . For a year after its premiere, it was considered a failure; denounced by critics as 'immoral' and 'superficial'. Today, it is one of the world's most popular operasTanner, pg 237. The story concerns the eponymous Carmen, a beautiful Gypsy with a fiery temper. Not careful with her love, she is responsible for the downfall of many men. She woos the Corporal Don José, leading him to Mutiny against his superior. His infatuation causes him to join a band of smugglers, of which Carmen is a member. He is happy with Carmen for a brief period, but is driven to madness when she turns from him to the bullfighter Escamillo. Several well-known pieces from this opera have taken on a life separate to the work: the Prélude (overture), the ''Toréador Song'', and the '' Habañera ''. HISTORY was the original ''Carmen'']] Du Locle , the artistic director of the Opéra-Comique commissioned Bizet to write an opera based on the Mérimée's novel in early 1873 to be premiered at the end of the year. However, difficulty in finding a leading lady caused rehearsals not to begin until August 1874 . Bizet bought a house at Bougival on the Seine , where he finished the piano score in the summer of 1874, and took a further two months to do complete a full orchestrationThis is still record time to complete such a large orchestration project. The difficulty in casting the title role arose from the Scandal that erupted when the libretto was published. The artistic community almost universally condemned the story, denouncing it as "immoral". The scandal led at least one famous (unnamed) singer to refuse the role. However, the famous Mezzo-soprano Galli-Marié accepted it in December without having seen the score. During rehearsals, Du Locle's assistant De Leuven voiced his discontent about the opera's plot, and pressured Bizet and the librettists to alter the tragic ending. De Leuven felt that families would not dare to go to see such a 'debauched' opera. The Comique had a reputation as a family-friendly theatre, with many boxes used by parents to interview prospective sons-in-law. The librettists agreed to change the ending, but Bizet refused, which led directly to De Leuven's resignation from the production in early 1874. Full rehearsals finally began in October, and continued for an unexpected five months. The Comique's orchestra declared the score unplayable, and the cast were having difficulty following Bizet's directions. However, the greatest opposition came from Du LocleDean, ''Bizet, Georges'', who liked Bizet personally, but hated the opera. At this stage, the Comique was in dire financial straits, leading Du Locle to believe the opera would topple the ailing company, which had failed to produce a true success since Gounod 's Faust . The librettists, for whom ''Carmen'' was merely a sideshow, secretly tried to induce the singers to over-dramatise in order to lessen the impact of the work. However, much to Bizet's delight, the final rehearsals seemed to convince the majority of the company of the genius of the opera. The first performance took place on March 3 , 1875 the same day Bizet was presented with the Légion D'honneur . The four principals were:
According to Halévy's diary, the premiere did not go well. Act I was fairly well received and the entr'acte to Act II was applauded. However, with the exception of Micaëla's aria in Act III, the Acts II, III and IV were greeted with deafening silence. The critics were scathing, claiming that the libretto was inappropriate for the Comique. Bizet was also condemned by the musical community for following Wagner in making the orchestra more important than the human voicesFor instance, the Gypsy Song (No. 12), relies for effectiveness on strong rhythmic and melodic support from the orchestra, and is essentially unperformable otherwise, while parts of the famous ''Toréadors'' song later in Act II, cannot be heard clearly over the orchestra, even with a powerful bass singing Escamillo's part, if the conductor is careless. As can be seen, dedication of the performers overcomes any such criticism to which any large work is open.. However, a few critics, such as the poet Théodore De Banville , praised the work for its innovation. Banville lauded the librettists for writing characters that were more realistic than those normally acted at the Comique. Nevertheless, the negative reviews caused the opera to only have 48 performances in its first year. Towards the end of its run at the Comique, the management was selling tickets wholesale in a vain attempt to make a profit. Afterwards, the principals, particularly Galli-Marié, became unemployable. Bizet did not live to see the success of his opera: he died On June 3 , just after the thirtieth performance. Over the following century it has become a staple of the Standard Operatic Repetoire . Although the title role was written for a Mezzo-soprano , many famous Soprano sincluding Leontyne Price who also overcame institutionalized racism along the way have performed and recorded the role, causing much debate over the best vocal type for the role. Not only must the singer have a great range, capable of frequently going to the bottom of her voice range, but also exhibit superior dramatic skills in order to portray Carmen's complex character, and beyond all that be an extremely good dancer. SYNOPSIS conducted by James Levine , the grand production reminiscent of Franco Zeffirelli 's in the 1970s and 1980s.]] Setting: Seville , Spain c. 1830 ''Note: in the Oeser version, Acts III and IV are played as Act III scene i and Act III scene ii respectively'' Act I A beautiful square in Seville with bridge. Morales and the soldiers are on guard, very bored ("Sur la place, Chacun passe"). Micaëla appears seeking José, her fiancé, but is accosted by the impudent soldiers who desire her company, causing her to run away . As José approaches with the new guard, he and the soldiers are imitated by the street-children ("Avec la garde montante"). The cigarette girls emerge from the factory, greeted by their men ("La cloche a sonné"). Carmen appears, wooed by all, ("L'amour est un oiseau rebelle"). When asked to choose a lover, she throws a flower in front of José ("Carmen! sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous!"). José is temporarily transfixed until Micaëla brings him a letter and greeting from his mother ("Parle-moi de ma mère!"). As soon as she leaves, screams are heard from the factory and the women run out, singing chaotically. Don José and his superior, Zuniga find that Carmen has been fighting with another woman, and slashed her face with a knife ("Au secours!"). Zuniga attempts to interrogate Carmen who impudently sings a folk song, ignoring him. Zuniga instructs José to arrest her, and escort her to the gaol. Carmen seduces José with a Seguidilla ("Près des remparts de Séville"), and convinces José to let her escape. Act II Evening at Lillas Pastia's inn, frequented by smugglers. Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercedes sing and dance ("Les tringles des sistres tintaient" - Gypsy Song). Zuniga attempts to woo Carmen, but she can only think of José. The Matador Escamillo is greeted with great enthusiasm by the patrons ("Vivat, vivat le Toréro"). He sings the Toreador song ("Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre") and also attempts to woo Carmen. The smugglers Dancairo and Remendado discuss plans with Carmen and her gypsy friends ("Nous avons en tête une affaire" - Quintet). Carmen refuses to accompany them, for she only can think of José. José arrives singing a folk song ("Halte là! Qui va là! Dragon d'Alcala!"), and he and Carmen are left alone. Carmen vexes him with stories of her dancing. She then dances for him alone ("Je vais danser en votre honneur"), but is interrupted by the trumpets calling the soldiers to the barracks. Carmen's temper flares when José begins to leave, causing him to pledge his devotion to her in the Flower Song ("La fleur que tu m'avais jetée"). Carmen asks him to join the smuggler's if he really loves her. He refuses and begins to leave when he is surprised by Zuniga. He draws his sword upon his superior officer, but the gypsies disarm both of them and take away Zuniga. José is forced to flee with Carmen. Act III A rocky gorge, where the smugglers ply their trade. José arrives with the smugglers ("Écoute, écoute, compagnon"), but Carmen loves him no longer. Her inconstant heart now turns to Escamillo. Carmen, Frasquita and Mercedes read the cards ("Mêlons! Coupons!"). Frasquita and Mercedes foresee love and romance, wealth and luxury in their cards; but Carmen's cards foretell death for her and José ("En vain pour éviter les réponses amères"). The smugglers plan their actions ("Quant au douanier, c'est notre affaire"). Micaëla arrives with a guide seeking José ("Je dis, que rien ne m'épouvante"), and hides in the rocks. Escamillo arrives and tells José that he is infatuated with Carmen. A fight between José and Escamillo over Carmen is narrowly averted by the smugglers ("Holà, holà José"). Escamillo leaves, but invites Carmen and the smugglers to the bullfights. Micaëla emerges and tells José that his mother wishes to see him. At first he refuses to go ("Non, je ne partirai pas!"), until Micaëla tells him that his mother is dying. Vowing that he will return to Carmen, he leaves. As he is leaving, Escamillo is heard singing in the distance. Carmen rushes to the sound of his voice. Act IV A square before the arena at Seville. The general populace prepare for the bull fight ("A deux cuartos!") and they see the cuadrilla arrive ("Les voici! voici la quadrille"). Carmen promises herself to Escamillo if he returns victorious ("Si tu m'aimes, Carmen"). Frasquita and Mercedes warn Carmen that José is in the crowd, and that he intends to kill her. Before she can enter the arena she is confronted by the pale and despairing José ("Cest toi! Cest moi!"). For the last time he demands her love and fidelity. When she throws back the ring that he gave her, he stabs her to the heart and she dies at the moment that Escamillo triumphs in the arena. The spectators exit the arena and José, completely broken, confesses his action to all, exclaiming: "Ah! Carmen! ma Carmen adorée!". DRAMATIC ELEMENTS ''Carmen'' was extremely innovative in its drama: no longer was French Opera confined to one-dimensional comic characters. The two lead characters in the work are some of the most profound in all operatic literature. The descent of Don José from a faithful lover and soldier to an obsessed lunatic is wonderfully portrayed through both music and libretto. The music also ensures that Carmen does not become a destructive figure like , Carmen became a difficult character to understand (or portray on stage). She is Fatalistic and Hedonistic , living entirely in the present moment. Her beauty unintentionally entraps men, who are then led to their downfall by their own misguided ideas of love. Carmen's character is best illustrated in the card-playing scene, in which she accepts the premonition of death as unavoidable. José is ill-suited to Carmen's whims, desiring constancy in the form of fidelity: upon hearing that Carmen danced for the men in Act II, he becomes greatly distressed. The inconstancy of her character is anarchy to José, and being a soldier, he removes it. Carmen and José have three duets, which represent three stages of their relationship. The first in Act I is the seduction, the second in Act II is the conflict, and the last in Act IV is the tragic resolution. Musically, the duets are not in the style of the traditional French or Italian duets, where two voices become one. They show the incompatibility of Carmen and José, as they almost never sing together. The supporting characters, Micaëla and Escamillo, are not as developed as the two protagonists, and are used to reflect upon the leads. Micaëla represents José’s naïve past, whereas Escamillo represents Carmen's exciting future. Micaëla is from Gounod 's lyric operas, whereas Escamillo is from the traditional Opera Buffa . Micaëla has a slight aria in Act III which shows her significance in the story is not great: she was created to be Carmen's opposite. Escamillo has the most well-known song in the score. Bizet knew that the song would be popular, but he secretly despised it, saying “They want their trash, and will get it”. MUSICAL ELEMENTS When asked if he would visit Spain to research his score, Bizet replied "No, that would only confuse me." Bizet elegantly works elements of Spanish music into the score, though keeping the music obviously French. However, several pieces, especially the Seguidilla and the Gypsy Song make great use of the elements of Flamenco music. Also, the Act IV entr'acte seems to be influenced by a Spanish song by Manuel Garcia , incorporating elements of gypsy music. Bizet worked several popular Spanish songs directly into the score. These include ''El arreglito'' which became the habanera, and the folk-song Carmen impudently sings when interrogated by Zuniga; both written by Yradier Better known as the composer of another habanera "La Paloma", written about 1860 shortly after a visit to Cuba, which was an extremely popular song in Spain, Latin America, and also the USA . The Habanera was written to replace an aria that Galli-Marié disliked, and Bizet supposedly wrote over ten revisions. Bizet uses a very slight Leitmotif system, preferring to use new material for each scene. There are two motifs associated with Carmen. The first is Carmen Fate motif, and owes its augmented 2nds to Spanish music. It is ominously heard directly after the Prelude, and predetermines the ending of the opera. It is heard in this form when Carmen chooses José as her lover , at the beginning of the Flower Song, and during the opera’s final moments. It is also heard in a sped up form, first heard at the entrance of Carmen. This theme is more often heard in the strings, and is used when the slower version would stop the flow of the music. It is notably heard during the card playing scene (No.20). The other theme associated with Carmen represents her influence over José. It is heard after José is chosen as Carmen’s lover, and when Carmen is taken away by the police to José and Zuniga. This soaring theme is, like Carmen, both beautiful and tragic. In a sequence cut from the original edition, placed in the frenzied chorus of women in Act I, the two themes are played Counterpunctually . Revisions Bizet’s original design of ''Carmen'' had dialogue in place of Recitative . When the opera became popular, the musical community felt it would be more appreciated in the form of Grand Opera rather than ''Opera Comique''. Bizet’s friend Ernest Guiraud wrote recitatives for the Vienna premiere performance in 1875, that were used up until the 1960s. They are today seen as damaging to the work as a whole. The recitatives destroyed Bizet’s careful pacing, and disrupted the process of characterization significantly. A new edition in 1964 edited by Fritz Oeser claimed to have restored Bizet’s original vision by including material previously cut from the premiere as well as restoring the dialogue. Unfortunately, Oeser did not realise that a great deal was cut by Bizet himself, and subsequently included several sections that were not required. He also made great changes to the stage directions and rewrote some of the libretto. Today, the only adequate score is a vocal score by Bizet himself, published in 1875. There is still no accurate full score, and each production is judged on the skills of the conductor in choosing a score. In 2003 , a new recording was made with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna that features two previously unrecorded pieces. The first is a pantomime with Morales and the second is Carmen's entrance aria, which comes after the habanera. CHARACTERS ''As listed in the ''New Grove Dictionary of Opera.''
ARIAS, DUETS, CHORUSES ETC. The more popular pieces from the opera include:
RECORDINGS , one of this century's most popular Don Josés]] ADAPTATIONS Fantasies A number of classical composers have used themes from ''Carmen'' as the basis for works of their own. Some of these, such as Pablo De Sarasate 's '' Carmen Fantasy '' (1883) for violin and orchestra, Franz Waxman 's '' Carmen Fantasie '' for violin and orchestra and Vladimir Horowitz 's ''Variations on a theme from Carmen'' for solo piano are virtuoso showpieces in the tradition of Fantasia s on operatic themes. Ferruccio Busoni wrote a Sonatina (No.6) for piano named ''Fantasia da camera super Carmen'' (1920), which uses themes from the opera. There are also two Suite s of music drawn directly from Bizet's opera, often recorded and performed in orchestral concerts. Film In 1915, Cecil B. DeMille directed a 59-minute Silent Film version of the opera. In the United States , it was adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II into an African-American setting as '' Carmen Jones '', which was a success both as a stage production and in 1954 as a feature film. In 1983, Jean-Luc Godard directed another film version, '' Prénom Carmen ''. In the Oscar -winning 1944 film, '' Going My Way '', opera star Risë Stevens has a small role as an old friend of Father O'Malley ( Bing Crosby ) whom she meets briefly backstage during a break in her performance in ''Carmen'' singing the ''Habanera''. The Tijuana Brass album ''Herb Alpert's Ninth'' contains a unique version of ''Carmen''. It includes well-known portions of the opera performed in the Mariachi style, built around the ''Habanera'' and also mixing in bits and pieces of some of the Brass' major hits. In 1984, A Film Version was produced. This motion picture stars Julia Migenes as Carmen and Plácido Domingo as Don José, with Lorin Maazel conducting the Orchestre National De France . The powerful cast and traditional direction made it popular with audiences. It was the first film version to use Bizet's spoken dialogues in place of the Recitative s. '', starring Beyoncé Knowles as Carmen, in 2001 . A recent adaptation was '' U-Carmen E-Khayelitsha '' (2005), set in Khayelitsha , South Africa ; and sung in Xhosa . The film received the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival . Another African adaptation ''Karmen Gei'' (2001), set in Dakar , Senegal was sung in French and Woluf . Other Rodion Shchedrin wrote a ''Carmen'' Ballet (1967) directly based on the opera. The 1976 movie The Bad News Bears , a movie about little league baseball in Southern California, uses Carmen incidental music throughout, primarily the Toréadors song. In , the song "Garden Boogie" is a remix of ''Carmen''. In the 1988 Winter Olympic Games ladies' Figure Skating competition, both Katarina Witt and Debi Thomas employed portions of ''Carmen'' in their finales, winning gold and bronze medals respectively. Witt later starred in an HBO special called ''Carmen on Ice'', a condensed version of the opera performed entirely on skates except for the Bullfighting scenes. The late-90's-early 2000's Nickelodeon cartoon Hey Arnold! had an episode ("What's Opera, Arnold?") that was based almost entirely on ''Carmen''. The "Toreador" song was once used as an advertising jingle for STP .It is also used as background music for the champagne spraying ceremony after the podium ceremony for each Formula One race. In the 2006 movie The Benchwarmers , most if not all of the background music is from Carmen. MEDIA NOTES REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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