{"id":4762,"date":"2019-11-11T20:06:27","date_gmt":"2019-11-12T02:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/?p=4762"},"modified":"2019-11-11T20:07:15","modified_gmt":"2019-11-12T02:07:15","slug":"americanizing-bizets-carmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.stolaf.edu\/americanmusic\/2019\/11\/11\/americanizing-bizets-carmen\/","title":{"rendered":"Americanizing Bizet’s “Carmen”"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I first scrolled through all the genres listed on the Alexander Street Jazz Music Library, the \u201cOpera and Operetta\u201d category immediately caught my eye, as jazz and opera rarely intersect. Only three results popped up, once of which was titled \u201cModern Jazz Performances from Bizet\u2019s Carmen\u201d by American jazz guitarist Barney Kessel [1<\/a>]. The album, released in 1986, takes popular motifs from Bizet\u2019s opera and transforms them into jazz tunes, featuring guitar, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.<\/span><\/p>\n

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was a French composer who wrote the opera <\/span>Carmen<\/span><\/i> three months before dying [5<\/a>]. <\/span>Carmen<\/span><\/i> takes place in Seville, Spain and places heavy emphasis on the exoticisms of both Spain and the gypsy world. Bizet was drawn to the exotic cultures and music of non-Western European countries, and additionally wrote operas set in Sri Lanka and Egypt [4<\/a>]. Habanera, or \u201cHavanan Dance,\u201d is sung by the title character Carmen as soldiers in the town square flirt with her and other female workers [3<\/a>]. The aria frequently repeats the words \u201cL\u2019amour est enfant de b<\/span>oh\u00e8me,\u201d or \u201clove is a gypsy child.\u201d <\/span>While Bizet allegedly believed the Habanera to be a folk song, he actually stole it from Spanish composer Sebastian Iradier. Bizet was forced to acknowledge Iradier after this was brought to his attention.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I decided to focus on comparing Bizet\u2019s famous \u201cHabanera\u201d with Kessel\u2019s version, titled \u201cFree as a Bird.\u201d Habanera begins with a simple, pulsating cello ostinato that continues throughout the entire aria, against the soprano\u2019s descending chromatic line. The rest of the strings join in pizzicato, along with the flute. The triangle and tambourine provide percussive elements.<\/span><\/p>\n