Carmen: Washington National Opera Look-In

With members of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program and the WNO Orchestra Conducted by Christopher Ocasek Production directed

by E. Loren Meeker Presented in the Kennedy Center Opera House

Opera in the Bullring!

Welcome to an Opera Look-In, where singing can happen anywhere—a city, a mountaintop, even a bullfighter’s arena. But watch your back: In Carmen, danger lurks around every corner.

Major support for WNO is provided

by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David and Alice Rubenstein are the Presenting Underwriters of WNO.

Cuesheet

Carmen featuring scenes from Georges Bizet’s

Performance Guide

Opera Look-In

Creating a Classic Y

ou may not know it yet, but you can probably hum a lot of the tunes from Carmen already without any help.

The songs are that famous. What goes into creating a musical masterpiece that leaves people singing after more than 100 years? Read on to find out.

What Is an Opera Anyway?

An “opera” is a story told through music.

Instead of speaking, the characters sing through their thoughts and emotions (though, in Carmen, you may hear a few spoken words on occasion). Sometimes the characters sing by themselves (this is called an “aria,” AR-ee-yah), and sometimes they sing in groups of two or more. There’s also an orchestra that plays with the singers and uses different combinations of instruments at different times.

What’s the Story?

Carmen follows the tale of a rocky relationship between a feisty gypsy woman and a naive soldier named Don José who falls hopelessly under her spell. Though he’s all but engaged to be married to a sweet village girl named Micaëla, José abandons the army and his old life to follow Carmen from the city into the mountains.

When Carmen starts to spend too much time with a dashing young bullfighter named Escamillo, however, José’s jealousy starts to get the better of him—and Carmen realizes that her freedom and her life may be at stake.

Meet the Cast Operatic music calls for many different kinds of singing, from the very high to the very low, and singers tend to fall into separate categories, based roughly on how high or low they can sing.

Carmen has several characters that showcase some of the many different types of voices.

Things to listen for:

R how the musicians help set a mood by playing or singing extra fast, extra slow, extra loud, or extra soft

R how the solo songs feature instruments that support the singer but that sometimes play their own special melodies underneath

R how some tunes or “themes” can be heard more than once in connection with a specific character, feeling, or place

Main Characters Carmen, a gypsy (mezzo-soprano— a middle-range female voice) Don José, a brigadier soldier (tenor—the highest male voice) Micaëla, a village girl (soprano— the highest female voice) Escamillo, a toreador or bullfighter (baritone or bass—middle-to-low range male voices) Zuniga, a captain (bass—the lowest male voice) Frasquita (soprano) and Mercedes (mezzo soprano), gypsy girls

Gypsies, Soldiers, and Musical Magic E

nter a world filled with Spanish rhythms and highstakes adventure as you meet Carmen, a dazzling gypsy woman who wants nothing more than to be free to do as she pleases. But what happens when this untamed spirit meets a man who wants to keep her all to himself? It’s a fiery tale set to some of the world’s most recognizable tunes.

The Story Behind Carmen

A Bohemian Scandal

When two directors of a famous 19th-century Paris opera house asked composer Georges Bizet (pronounced zhawrzh bee-ZEY) to write a new opera, Bizet turned to a wellknown author’s story about a band of gypsies for inspiration. Though the tale was set in Spain (while this performance moves the action to Latin America), Bizet used a few ideas from French opera—including a large chorus and a small ballet—to create a Frenchlanguage masterpiece. But listen carefully; some of the most famous melodies in Carmen have Spanish roots that spring from popular dances like the “habanera” (hah-bah-NEH-ra).

At the time of Carmen’s premiere in 1875, not many opera composers were brave enough to tackle a complicated plot with a sassy female character. In fact, the story, which centered around gypsies or “bohemians” (meaning so-called carefree people who traveled from place to place) and featured scenes of violence and crime, so scandalized the opera world that Carmen went through many trials before finally taking the stage. Despite many revisions, however, the tragic story of a gypsy woman and a young soldier who falls dangerously in love with her eventually became one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas of all time.

On Stage and Behind the Curtain It takes a lot of work and a lot of people to create an opera—both on stage and off. As you watch today’s performance, keep some of these key players and important aspects of the show in mind:

In the Spotlight: Singers The ladies and gentlemen that are the stars of the production. Their voices are the most responsible for telling the story and expressing the emotions of the characters.

Sets and Props Things that give the opera a sense of place, including the tables and chairs of the tavern in the mountains and the red flower Carmen uses to attract Don José.

Costumes Anything the characters wear, including coats, hats, boots, and even Escamillo’s bullfighting cape.

Lights Special lights that are set up all around the theater. These help you see the action onstage and give you hints about the story, such as the time of day. Plastic “gels” are used to change the color of the lights and metal “gobos” are used to create different shadows or textures.

Behind the Scenes of Carmen: Orchestra Players Located in the dark pit at the foot of the stage. Their instruments keep the opera on its musical feet and provide the singers with muchneeded support.

The Conductor In charge of all things musical. He or she keeps the instruments and singers in time by maintaining a beat and also by giving clues as to how the music should sound (i.e., loud, soft, or furious).

The Technical Director Oversees technical (electrical or mechanical) elements of the production, from lighting and sound systems, to moving set pieces, and beyond.

The Costume Director Takes care of how the singers look and feel in their costumes, shoes, and accessories. The costume director also decides who wears what and when.

The Choreographer Responsible for the opera’s coordinated movements, such as dances or fights.

For Teachers Dear Teachers: Here are some thoughts and activities to share with students before the curtain rises and a little bit of homework fun for when it comes down.

Before the Look-In Pre-Opera Prep Ask students what they think the experience of opera might be like. What sights and sounds do they expect? Be sure to point out that operas are similar to movies; they have something for everyone (comedy, action, thrills).

Playlist Shuffle Have students consider what type of music they enjoy. Do any of their favorite songs tell a story? Are the songs about love or broken hearts? Ask them to think about how these ideas can apply to an opera.

Fun with Instruments Today, students will hear a full-sized orchestra. Can students list the four orchestra families? (Hint: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.) Ask students what instruments they can identify by ear. Listen for these unique sounds during the show.

After the Look-In Back to the Beat Though Carmen arias like the “Habanera” are among the most famous melodies ever written, many of them can be boiled down to very simple and distinct rhythms. Have students choose a favorite song (from the opera or from elsewhere) and see if they can clap in rhythm to the underlying beat of the music. Can they find other songs that use the same pattern? Why do they think Bizet focused so heavily on creating catchy beats for his opera?

Spoiler Alert Carmen includes some of the liveliest and most upbeat music in all of opera, but with Carmen’s wandering ways and José’s petty jealousy, it’s a safe bet things may not end on a happy note. How do students think the story will end? What clues, if any, do they see on stage or hear in the music? (Hint: The spooky music at the end of the overture that replays when Carmen first enters, or the way characters talk about staying on their guard.)

A Few Things to Know Before Exiting the Ring About the composer…

Georges Bizet

The only child in a family of gifted musicians, Georges Bizet (1838–1875) was born in Paris and entered a prestigious music school at the age of nine. Though he composed several operas over the course of his short life, he has gone down in history as the man responsible for creating Carmen. Bizet’s ability to conjure up images of faraway places like Spain and India with special rhythms and colorful orchestrations has made his uniquely realistic style a favorite in opera houses across the globe. His Carmen and Les pêcheurs de perles are often seen on stage in the U.S. and in Europe.

About our guest storyteller…

Does the Look-In host look familiar?

That’s because she’s Andrea Roane, anchor for Washington D.C.’s WUSA TV, Channel 9 and host of the morning news. A broadcaster for more than 30 years, Ms. Roane has received many awards and honors.

Andrea Roane

Explore More!

Go to KC Connections on ARTSEDGE artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections

David M. Rubenstein Chairman Deborah F. Rutter President Mario R. Rossero Vice President, Education

Michael L. Mael Executive Director Francesca Zambello Artistic Director WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

General Dynamics is the Presenting Sponsor of WNO’s 2015-2016 Season.

WNO’s season is presented with the support of Daniel and Gayle D’Aniello.

Support for Carmen is provided by the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Support for Opera Look-Ins is provided by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation.

The Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program is made possible through the generous support of The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, with additional funding provided by Judy and Billy Cox. Events for Students is made possible

by Mr. James V. Kimsey; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David and Alice Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts and the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts.

www.kennedy-center.org/artsedge Cuesheets are produced by ARTSEDGE, an education program of the Kennedy Center.

Learn more about Education at the Kennedy Center at www.kennedy-center.org/education The contents of this Cuesheet have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

© 2015 The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts