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A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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This is a short introduction on the music of the opera Carmen focussing on the most recognisable musical material that has made this opera one of the most performed in the world. I have included a short musicological analysis of the drama. The music shows brilliant melodies and a means of economy of orchestration that is second to none.If you see the score unclear is because of the HTML5 Scribd optimisation and presents some problem with musical scores only. The PDF uploaded is above 300 DPI, therefore with high resolution. Once downloaded onto your hard-drive it will be fine. If not, you can email me and I will send a PDF directly.
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A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen Osvaldo Glieca © 2015 osvaldoglieca
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Page 1: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera

Carmen

Osvaldo Glieca

© 2015 osvaldoglieca

Page 2: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

Introduction

The composer Georges Bizet died at the age of thirty-six just three months after the

premiere of Carmen (Paris 1875) having no gratification that his last work would have been

one of the most admired and popular operas of all time. As often happens with

masterworks, Carmen to begin with was a failure and Bizet, seriously ill, probably had his

pride wounded as an artist and died disconsolate.

His premature death may have left many questions. Would Bizet have been later the French

Opera composer to be fairly compared in rivalry to the German Wagner and the Italian

Verdi ?

Page 3: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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Characters of the Opera:

Carmen (Mezzo Soprano) Don Jose’ (Tenor)

Escamillo (Baritone)

Zuniga (Baritone)

Micaela (Soprano)

Frasquita (Soprano)

Mercedes (Soprano)

The Smugglers (Tenor)

Morales (Baritone)

Orchestration: Flutes

Piccolo

Oboes

Clarinets

Bassoons

Horns

Trumpets

Trombones

Tympani

Cymbals

Triangle and Castanets

Harps

Violins

Violas

Cellos and Double Basses

Page 4: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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Act I

The score of Carmen opens with the brilliant Prelude in A major that immediately shows

the great skill of Bizet in terms of Orchestration. The music establishes a festive

atmosphere with a four bar phrase played fortissimo by the winds and violins. Crashing

hand cymbals dictate the cadence at the beginning of each phrase giving the taste of a

popular triumphant march. Suddenly, a contrasting section in F major begins, and the

strings play the melody accompanied by the brass pianissimo. This section, variations on

the theme, surges in crescendo towards the opening phrases, and a fermata suggests that the

piece is finished, but again, without transition, another presentation of a motive sounding

fortissimo on clarinet and bassoon gives a dark orchestral colour. This is the most used

motive during the Opera, and through variation technique, identifies the exoticism that

symbolizes Carmen (see music example 1). The Overture concludes with melodic

sequences of this motive. The music that opens the first act captures perfectly the feeling

of a hot and lazy day; bored soldiers are watching people passing by. A distinctive

ascending and descending melody played by the winds and then imitated by the violin,

forms the introduction for the male chorus that creates the atmosphere, until a romantic

four bar solo in triplets repeated with variations in the flute and violins goes towards a

light descending movement that introduces Micaela’s entry (2). Her character is

perceived as a simple woman, and the soldiers, try to importune her during this first

appearance. She resists their advances; Micaela is shy, and a pure innocent girl, but she is

direct and not distracted from her mission of looking for Don Jose’ who will arrive with

the changing of the guard. Upon her exit the music returns to the male chorus of the

beginning. A charming, martial trumpet melody announces the arrival of Don Jose and

the soldiers (3). Shortly after a bell rings, and from the tobacco factory’s opening doors,

the female workers enter on the scene. The orchestra plays smooth lines and a relaxed

rhythm describing the seductive and provocative behaviour of

Page 5: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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the cigarette smoking women. With an instant change of key from E major to Ab major,

another scene opens with the strings playing Carmen’s theme. The dynamic level rises

and all the men in the square sing passionately the name of Carmen as they ask only for

her. Both the faster tempo and the short phrases indicate their excitement. She sings for

the first time the famous Habanera (4). The cello enters playing an ostinato line on a low

D through all the piece suggesting not only the Cuban style, but reminiscent of the

Bolero too. When Carmen has finished, the people surround her in the square; the music

becomes dramatic with a tremolando in the strings and clarinets play Carmen’s theme

again giving more significance to this first confrontation with Don Jose (5). She

approaches Don Jose, looking at him provocatively, and on a dissonant chord by the

brass, she throws a flower at him and runs away with all the people in the square,

laughing and singing. The factory bell rings again calling the women back to work. Don

Jose it is absorbed; he picks up the flower appreciating its fragrance. At this time Micaela

enters singing a duet accompanied by harp arpeggios rather like quasi-religious music

(6). During this, a small but significant change in orchestration happens when Don Jose

sings the word demon; (against the temptations of the devil woman identifying Carmen)

imitative passages of the theme which represent her are played by the violins (7).

Shortly after, violin trills played in forte break out and the speed of the music increase

again; the factory-women come out onto the stage describing a quarrel between Carmen

and Manuelita in rumbling choruses. Zuniga, the lieutenant, sends Jose into the factory

to investigate. He reappears later with the guilty Carmen with an intense tune, marked by

a countermelody in the violas and cellos, leaving the listener captured until the next

scene and aware that something serious is happening next. Zuniga questions Carmen in

recitative about the scuffle; she refuses to answer and impertinently sings a tune instead.

Zuniga is irritated, and orders Jose to imprison her. Carmen’s motive sounds again

pianississimo by flutes and imitated by the clarinets. When the first act closes, Carmen

knows that the only way to escape is to try and convince Jose in any way. The Seguidilla

dance shows this scene with a Duet opening with a seductive romantic-baroque melody

played pianissimo

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by the flute and sustained by long notes in the strings (8). The Seguidilla suggests a

Flamenco dance; the rhythm of the strings is related to physical movement alluring to

sexuality. This tune is the introduction to this crucial seductive scene, which puts the

tragedy of the Opera in motion. Carmen wants to manipulate Jose and conquer him

initially by flirtatious signals, then promising to become his lover. When she sings the

Seguidilla Jose gradually becomes persuaded by Carmen, then he sings a declaration of

love in with a climatic A sharp. When she is sure of him, she sings her song of seduction

once more, but this time in a triumphant full voice, and the orchestra plays more

rhythmically and louder. When Zuniga reappears, she sings a refrain of the Habanera

now accompanied by sustained string notes that generate suspense; Carmen finally

pushes Jose away and escapes; the full orchestra plays a tutta forza exuberantly closing the

first act.

Example 1 Carmen’s motive. The intervals of the scale used may be analyzed as the Hungarian minor

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Example 2 The entrance of Micaela. The melody is romantic in comparison to the exotic one of Carmen.

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Example 3 The arrival of Don Jose and the soldiers with a marching melody.

Example 4 The Habanera. Bizet borrowed this material from the Spanish-American composer Yradier refining the

melody by prolonging the chromaticism and adding the triplets in the forth bar producing a

sensuous magnetic dance.

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Example 5 Carmen throws the flower to Jose. The violins plays vibrato to increase the anxiety. Note the final

dissonant chord in the brass.

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Example 6 Micaela’s duet. Winds, brass and strings surround the harp arpeggios.

Example 7 Jose calling Carmen. As he sings “Demon!” Carmen’s motive sounds rapidly.

Page 12: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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Example 8 The Seguidilla. The flute plays a relaxed rhythm.

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Act II

Act two opens with a softly played march without the verve and vigour characteristic of a

martial theme. After some imitative points between the strings and the winds, the music

becomes cabaret-like in form with a double-line solo between clarinet and bassoon

transforming this entracte into a sort of comique piece with staccato techniques by the

bassoon (1). The gypsy song officially opens the act; flutes playing in thirds quietly

introduce rapid figures of gipsy dances. The harp and pizzicato strings imitate a guitar

accompaniment, and passing dissonances add a touch of Spanish/Flamenco idioms. This

entire piece accelerates in a crescendo and closes with frenetic dances. After a recitative

with Zuniga, Carmen learns that Jose has been released from prison after two months.

This part leads to the entrance of Escamillo, the Toreador. The orchestra accompanies

his entrance playing a 6/8-meter at high dynamic level supporting the triumphal entrance

of this charismatic fourth protagonist. The lyrics of the song describe the bullfight, the

chorus is a refrain of the Prelude sung in five parts and the bombastic music portrays the

vanity and self-confidence of the Toreador, despite of Jose (2).

Afterwards Carmen, Frasquita and Mercedes welcome their fellow smugglers and

conduct a delightful quintet. The orchestration that accompanies the voices marks the

cadencie points mainly with the strings that, harmonically does not interfere with the

singers leaving to the wind contrapuntal melodic colorations. It is a style reminiscent of

the Opera Buffa or Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”; there is use of rapid declamations and

shifting groups of the voices. After this Jose enters the scene, and by contrast with

Escamillo; he sings a simple unaccompanied military tune at the back of the stage. (he is

not yet actually on the scene). After two months in prison he still desires Carmen. The

melody that he sings fluctuates between G major/G minor and the instability of the key

suggests his weak and vulnerable personality (3). They start a duet calmly and Carmen,

with mock formality, announces that she will dance for Jose to calm his jealousy at the

Page 14: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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idea that she entertained the other soldiers at the tavern. She performs a wordless tune

with an ostinato pattern accompanied by castanets (4). Important in this part is this

meaningless and wordless repeated pattern accompanying her dance, indicative that she

is not interested in Jose at all. Midway through her singing, two cornets offstage play the

call to barracks, meaning Jose has to leave. The counterpoint of these two musical

elements symbolises Jose’s embarrassing and difficult situation whether to choose love or

duty. This love duet degenerates into a quarrel; Jose forces Carmen to listen to him as he

sings the poetic and smooth Flower Song. She introduces a similar strategy used already

in the Seguidilla; she paints a seductive picture of a vagabond life together. Jose protests

weakly against her tune and surrenders. The final scene begins immediately as Zuniga

knocks on the door and enters uninvited asking Jose to leave. Jose refuses and fights

against Zuniga who will later be disarmed by the smugglers. In fake gallantry they invite

Zuniga to leave; their pretended courtesy is emphasised by the impertinent flute part and

a comic bassoon line (5). Now Jose is forced to join the smugglers, and the music

becomes triumphant, increasing in tempo, finishing with rousing chorus that evokes

freedom (la liberte). Jose has chosen love over duty as a consequence of his jealousy and

uncontrollable temper.

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Example 1; Entracte of the second act.

Example 2 The Toreador song: the representation of Escamillo.

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Example 3 Jose enters; his tune is pretty folkloristic.

Example 4 the meaningless and improvised song to calm Jose down.

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Example 5 The fake courtesy of the Smugglers: the bassoon portrays this most.

Page 18: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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Act III

The Act three opens with the poetic evocation of peaceful countryside; a sweet melody

give a distinctive colour to the woodwind, the piece becomes more contrapuntal, and a

secondary melody develops in the strings while the orchestration continues to have its

transparency (1). This texture fades to pianissimo marking the first entrance that

accompanies the smugglers asleep on the ground with a rhythmically stressed melody by

the flute, and a C minor ascending scale by the cello and viola that creates a sense of

darkness and the rowdy lifestyle of the gypsies (2). Jose and Carmen have another

argument; at this point she sings with Mercedes and Frasquita while amusing themselves

by reading the cards. When Carmen picks the cards everything changes; low brasses and

strings give a signal of death for her, and her theme reappears as she reads it again (3).

After this, a spirited ensemble releases the tension. Carmen leaves to join her friends in

their illegal traffics. Micaela enters alone looking for Jose and sings an aria while she

prays for protection; the rushing cello and violin arpeggio illustrates her fear (4). She is

discovered by the smugglers, and finally meets Jose’.

Carmen wants Jose’ to leave with Micaela; he refuses and loud trombones accents with

rapid ascending triplets in the wind intimidate her from this idea (5). Micaela then reveals

that Jose’s mother is dying and she wants to see his son; he is now convinced, but before

he warns Carmen that he will find her again, her motive sounds twice in the woodwind.

This is the moment in the opera that detonates all the drama, and the act is closed setting

everything for the tragic finale.

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Example 1 the opening of Act. III another example of appealing and singable melody.

Example 2 the opening of the first scene. The ascending melodic lines in the cellos and the viola increase the tension.

Page 20: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

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Example 3 Carmen reads death from the cards.

Example 4 Micaela’s aria. She invokes protection and the tremolos arpeggios illustrate her fear.

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Example 5 Carmen is intimidated by Jose

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Act IV The final Act is introduced by an entracte based on a Spanish traditional folk song by

Manuel Garcia: this is the second and last piece of borrowed material used by Bizet. The

stage now is settled in Seville, again in a crowded square with people waiting for the

bullfight and Escamillo. Vibrant and energetic rhythmic string parts illustrate the

excitement of the crowd. The approaching parade builds up in the woodwind with the

refrain of the Prelude’s theme in long sustained notes by the horns; here Escamillo

declares his love for Carmen. Frasquita and Mercedes warn Carmen that Jose’ is hiding

in the crowd; a four bar melody scored for flutes in thirds with the bassoon moving in

contrary motion is repeated over and over, while a trumpet indicates a sense of danger

(1). They meet and Jose appears with a chromatic descending movement on the strings

from mezzo forte to pianissimo, while Carmen is presented with her theme very softly from

pianissimo to diminuendo. (2) The final duet could be divided in three sections that

correspond with increasing levels of emotion. It begins quietly when Jose offers Carmen

to forget the past and renew their love elsewhere. Carmen refuses on a regular steady

rhythm. The second section opens with Jose’s emotional realization of something that he

cannot save his love; violins and timpani express this agitation and anxiety (3). Then a

dissonant chord illustrates his despair as he sings the third and climatic section. Carmen

attempts to leave proclaiming love for Escamillo; Jose makes his final ultimatum, and

Carmen’s theme sounds four times in the orchestra, and shortly after, fanfares proclaim

Escamillo’s victory. Carmen now throws down the ring that Jose had given her refusing

any connection with him. He reacts screaming “ Damnee ” to a high F sharp and stabs her

to death as Escamillo is acclaimed. The crowd come into the square discovering Jose

next to Carmen’s body as he finishes singing the last passionate outburst “ma Carmen

adoree” (4).

The curtain falls and the tragedy is now complete; Jose is destroyed, and Carmen dead.

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Example 1 Carmen is warned that Jose is hiding in the crowd.

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Example 2 Carmen and Jose meet. In this part of the opera the music presents the protagonists; Jose first,

Escamillo with the refrain of the Prelude, and finally Carmen with her motive.

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Example 3 Jose’s emotional agitation. He understands that Carmen does not want him.

Example 4 Jose’s final passionate outbursts.

Page 26: A Brief Musical Introduction to the Opera Carmen

© 2015 osvaldoglieca


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