Analysis of Bizets Carmen - Essay Example

Name: Tutor: Course: Date: An Analysis of Bizet’s Carmen Act 1 is set in the street of Spain, which is very noisy with a lot of movement and activities taking place. This Act is introduced with an energetic melody of intensely marked beat, but the dragoons interrupt with a refrain of unique form. Micaela’s entrance is accompanied by a simple expressive music meant especially for her, in pursuit for her Jose. The lively scene continues with the combatants offering chivalry and even though Micaela does not accept, she joins in an interesting march-like refrain that the soldiers chant. The military started marching as the guard was to be relieved. A crowd of boys started singing behind them and making big steps to keep in pace with the dragoons as they sing, ‘’When the soldiers mount on guard, We march with them, man for man; Trumpets! ring out our reward, Plan, rataplan, plan, rataplan.’’ This produces a wonderful tone-picture, depicting the scene with exquisite vividness. The traditionalist may certainly object to the clichéd tune as well as the uneven staccato of the beat, however, the yells of the boys at the scene while accompanied by soldiers are not normally a highly creative order. The entrance of Carmen, which is the climaxing point of this Act, is marked by appearance of cigarette girls, singing a gay chorus of sharp rhythm to praise the lighted cigarettes they are holding in their hands. Thus, they sing, ‘’See, white cloudlets rising.’’ To note is their coquettish tune of the soloists, with its soothing undulations. Carmen arrival is received with applauses by an extraordinarily kind melody of the tenors. Carmen sings a melody to charm the unlucky Jose, as she sings, ‘’When shall I love you? I do not know. Perhaps never, perhaps tomorrow. But not today, that is certain’’. Carmen is characterised by these phrases as the language she uses is indifferent as she talks her heart out, giving a vague promise, more like a desire which gives some hope. The song ‘’Habanera’’ plays a great role in the opera. It serves to clearly show the kind of tension that exists between Jose and Carmen. When Micaela arrives with the message from the mother of Jose, the mood of the music is interrupted. It is like Bizet had previously perceived the idea that musical correctness and virtue were not separable and here he approaches the traditional form of opera more strictly. Carmen begins the captivating scene of allurement using another song, the Seguidilla one. This Act ends brusquely with Carmen’s flight. Act II is mainly concerned with smugglers and other lawless people and hence, has a huge amount of what can be appropriately termed as gipsy music. The Act begins with a ‘’Canzoma Boema’’ song, which is sung by Carmen and two of her friends helping her in the chorus. The march-tune in the prelude plays a significant part and is alternately sung by the Toreador, Escamillo and his companions. The song of Toreador is a highly coloured orchestration with a strong breadth of phrase and remarkable march-like movement of its chorus. The concerted music that follows has a graceful theme, whereby Carmen and her friends brag of their charms and seductions in commanding innocent manhood. The duo between Carmen and Jose is an extraordinarily capable art of workmanship, that astonishingly brings out the clear difference between the strong-willed girl and her wavering though passionate lover. It has a smooth-flowing melody, ending on a sad note and this is quite different from the other melody associated with the duo. In the Flower Song, Jose constructs images of heated longing and horror as he visualizes Carmen as demon and subsequently as an object of longing. While the music acts as though it is restricted, it has a lyrical urgency. This Act ends in an intricate finale centred on the music of the previous duo and working up to an intense culmination using a high C for the soloists. The sing, ‘’Away to the mountains’’, and Jose takes off while Carmen and the others assembles together with the smugglers. Act III starts with a short refrain intoned by the basses and tenors, accompanied by a sextet whereby the refrain then follows. Following is an opera between Jose and Carmen, where Jose is thinking desolately and sorrowfully of his mother being away amid the mountains of Navarre and Carmen promising her decreasing affection through biding Jose haste from his mother as he is unsuitable to act as a smuggler. Next are a terzetto or else a solo switching with a duo that is sung by Carmen and her two friends, Frasquita and Mecerdes correspondingly. Frasquita and Mercedes consult the cards so as to know their fortunes as well as express joys at the opportunity of more lovers in a graceful air. However, when Carmen consults the cards to know her fortune, she discovers she will die an unexpected and violent death. Here, the music remarkably brings out a clear difference between the inconsiderate amusements of Frasquita and Mercedes and the serious tone of Carmen reflections. As the smugglers and Carmen and Frasquita and Mercedes are about to depart, the latter together with Micaela sings a pleasing trio whereby the smugglers join in the refrain. Act IV begins with a boisterously festive music just as the same as the one found in the prelude of Act 1. There are tragic issues taking place in this part as Jose pleads with Carmen not to stop loving him as his love for her has turned him into an outcast as well as a criminal. At long last, Jose kills Carmen due to jealously. The characters of Jose and Carmen are commendably shown in the music. Carmen is throughout the opera depicted as sexy and expert in the area of seduction whereas Jose is directly the opposite of this. In this Act, Bizet mingles joy and terror, in a way that it brings tears in one’s eyes when playing it. Generally, the whole of Bizet’s work is dramatic, with a variety of music, orchestral colouring and great strength and skills of characters. The vast tones of the music scenic scale make for an outstanding absolute truth and life. Bizet impresses more by capably presenting his characters musically. Every person acts, moves, lives while maintaining his/her distinct characteristics, his/her very apparent and decided character, with none falling away or with no sacrificing of the reality of the kind to the pressures of the unexpurgated, of a melodiously suitable phrase, for a single moment. Thus, the great feature of the opera can be said to be the exuberance of life and of movement without attentive listeners missing out. There are three people who standout with amazing vigour in the opera: The first one is Carmen, who is depicted as having no heart or conscience and second, the unfortunate Jose, who as a character lacks strength and force. The third one is Escamillo, who is depicted as handsome and strong and hence women find hard to resist him. Micaela also standouts as a winning figure as she is depicted as gentle, sweet and affectionate. Hence, Bizet’s work contains a world of exquisiteness characterized by wonderful orchestration, exceptional usage of Spanish beats and complete musicianship indicated on each sheet of the score. The way Bizet plots the opera gives him strong situations, outstanding opportunities for local colouring as well as effective contrast, which he fully took advantage off. Carmen can be considered as one of those exceptional compositions that appear to reveal most intensely in itself the melodic trends of the entire generation. This has made this opera to remain the most popular in the world up to today. Works Cited Susan MacClary. Georges Bizet: Carmen. Cambridge Opera Handbooks. Cambridge University Press, 1992. Read More