Final Dress Rehearsal Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

at the Academy of Music

and the School District of Philadelphia present

Georges Bizet’s

Carmen

Opera Company of Philadelphia

OperaThe Opera Company of Philadelphia believes the family is the most important foundation to

learning. Let your kitchen table become a classroom where your children can build their knowledge ofopera and the humanities. As you join in the teaching and learning process with your children, watchtheir eyes sparkle. Opera is a communal celebration, so too should be your children’s education.

Pennsylvania’s standards in education call for students to demonstrate what they know and areable to do and children need to share what they have discovered or learned. Thus, the title of our pro-gram is Sounds of Learning™. It reflects our belief that children must actively be engaged in sharing ideas.

The Sounds of Learning™ workbook and teacher guide will integrate with the local core literacy curriculum in many ways. Just as opera is a uniquely integrated art, combining orchestra, voice, literature, drama, and dance, Sounds of Learning™ is an interdisciplinary, student-centered program. Thegoal of the Active Learning sections is to have your children engaged in the process of self-teaching. They will be able to show how they have gained insights into their learning by drawing, writing, and discussing the issues most relevant to them. In this way, students demonstrate what theycan do with what they know.

In reading the libretto, or script, we suggest that you and your family members take turns reading particular roles. Dr. Ellen Winner of Harvard’s Project Zero found that “drama helps to build verbal skills that transfer to new materials,” and helps improve not only students’ reading skills but also“oral and written language development.” (Journal of Aesthetic Education, v34, #3/4, Fall/Winter, 2000.)

In preparing for the opera, we suggest you purchase one of EMI Classics’s excellent audio orvideo recordings of this opera. We are grateful to EMI Classics for offering us their libretti for use in ourprogram. Together, we hope to build future audiences for, and performers of, the arts. Visit EMI on theweb at www.emiclassics.com.

Goals and Objectives of Sounds of Learning™• Improve literacy achievement by using the opera’s libretto to teach lessons across the curriculum• Understand the plot, characters, and their motivations of the opera• Learn something about the composer and others involved in writing the opera• Make a connection to the historic and social context of the story• Know some key musical elements, recognize certain melodies, differentiate between voices• Understand the role music plays in expressing emotions and heightening the dramatic experience• Understand the various elements of producing opera and the functions of those involved;

e.g. conductor, director, set designer, technical crew, etc.• Develop the ability to make inferences about the opera, production, and performance.• Relate incidents in the opera to those of the present day

Best Practices in Arts Education is sponsored by Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts Education,Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

A Family Guide to

Contents Opera 101: Getting Ready for the Opera

2 Opera Company of Philadelphia3 Philadelphia’s Academy of Music4 Tips for Your Trip5 Opera - Online!5 The Language of Opera5 Opera’s Road Map6 The Then and Now of Opera

Relating Opera to History: The Culture Connection10 The Man Behind the Music: Georges Bizet11 What in the World? A Timeline of Important Events12 The Romani Life: Carmen’s Gypsies13 The Danger and Drama of Bullfighting

Libretto and Production Information14 Carmen: Disaster to Triumph 15 Carmen: Synopsis16 Carmen: Libretto

A Student’s Story38 Discovering My Inner Conquistador!

By Hanna Smith, Wilmington Friends School

Glossary 39

Table of

Check out our website for additional content! Here you’ll find more informationon the opera, its themes, lessons, and links to even more fascinating material.See page 5 for more details.

left: mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham as Carmenproduction photos courtesy Tim Matheson, Vancouver Opera

2 Opera Company of Philadelphia

Right: SopranoErmonela Jaho and

tenor RogerHoneywell in JunKaneko’s stylized

production ofPuccini’s Madama

Butterfly.

Below: TenorWilliam Burden

stars as Hippolyt inHans Werner

Henze’s Phaedra.

Photos: Kelly &Massa Photography

For over 30 years the Opera Company ofPhiladelphia has brought audiences outstandingproduction quality, artistry and educational oppor-tunities. A strong blend of traditional and innovative programming will continue to ensure theexcitement of opera in Philadelphia.

Each season over 5,000 students from thePhiladelphia area attend an opera through the Soundsof Learning™ program. The Company also hosts community recitals and lectures, internet events, and more.

Opera has played a vital part in Philadelphia’shistory. The first known opera staged in Philadelphiawas Midas in 1769. Since then, opera has been so popular here that there have been several opera companies in the city at the same time! The OperaCompany of Philadelphia was created when thePhiladelphia Grand Opera Company and thePhiladelphia Lyric Opera Company joined in 1975.Since then, the Opera Company of Philadelphia hascontinued the city’s operatic traditions.

Each season, the Opera Company presentsfive different operas with singers from all over theworld. Three of the operas are given in the beautiful, large-scale Academy of Music. With just under 2,900seats, the Academy is the Opera Company’s home forgrand opera. Two smaller, more intimate operas arestaged in the Perelman Theater. Located in theKimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the PerelmanTheater has only 600 seats, making it the perfectvenue for chamber and modern operas.

Today, the Opera Company’s mission, or corepurpose, is three-fold:

1. Deliver outstanding productions of classic operas,giving them in original and cutting-edge ways, andcreate exciting new operas that people inPhiladelphia’s diverse communities will like.

To do this we hire the best stage designers.Sets might be built in the Company’s ProductionCenter in the Tacony area of Philadelphia. Sometimesthe Opera Company partners with another companyto create sets and costumes, or rents a productionfrom another company.

The Opera Company also supports creatingnew American operas. In recent seasons five newoperas have been seen at OCP: Margaret Garner byRichard Danielpour, Cyrano by David DiChiera,Ainadamar by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov,and Phaedra by Hans Werner Henze. Tea: A Mirror ofSoul by Chinese composer Tan Dun, of Crouching TigerHidden Dragon fame, had its East Coast premiere atOCP in February 2010.

2. Find the best young, up-and-coming singers andgive them the chance to perform with some of the bestprofessionals in the world.

We find the brightest young singers in ourown backyard at two of the best opera schools in theworld - The Curtis Institute of Music and the Academyof Vocal Arts. Singers from both schools have sungright along side stars like Denyce Graves and NathanGunn.

3. Create informative student and adult programs thatwill introduce opera to newcomers, and enjoyment toboth long-time and new opera fans.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Find out more about the Opera Company of Philadelphia at our website: www.operaphila.org.

2. Check out www.frankhamilton.org for a ton of information about the history of opera in Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia’s

Academy of Music

The Academy ofMusic’s restored chandelier.Photo by Michael Bolton

You will attend the operaat Philadelphia’s Academy ofMusic, which is the country’soldest grand opera house still

used for its original purpose - performing opera! It isa very grand opera house with a huge chandelierhanging from the ceiling. Its four-level design wasbased on the famous La Scala opera house in Milan,Italy.

Finding the money to build an opera house inPhiladelphia was difficult, but enough money wasraised by 1854. On October 13th a plot of land wasbought on the corner of Broad and Locust Streets tobuild the opera house.

In the fall of 1854 fifteen architects entered acompetition to see who would design the Academy.On February 12, 1855, the team of Gustav Rungé andNapoleon le Brun won the contest, which included a$400 prize, or about $150,000 today! Within fourmonths, the ground-breaking took place. The projectwas so important that President Franklin Pierce,along with the governor and mayor, laid the cornerstone on July 26, 1855.

The Academy opened on January 26, 1857with a Grand Ball and Promenade Concert. The firstopera presented in the brand new opera house wasGiuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore on February 25, 1857.Two of many operatic highlights throughout the theater’s history include the American premiere ofCharles Gounod’s opera Faust on November 18, 1863and a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s MadamaButterfly on February 14, 1907, with the composer in attendance.

Numerous presidents have visited theAcademy, including Ulysses S. Grant, TheodoreRoosevelt, and Richard Nixon. Prince Charles ofWales visited the Academy in 2007. Thousands ofworld-famous performers have also appeared on itsstage, like Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff,George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky, Arturo Toscanini,Marian Anderson, Maria Callas, and LucianoPavarotti.

The Academy was made a Registered NationalHistoric Landmark in 1963. Since that time, a fewimprovements have been made to its structure. The“Twenty-First Century Project”, begun in 1996,replaced the stage floor, rigging system, and restoredthe historic ceiling. During 2008, the famous

chandelier was rebuilt to how it looked in 1857. Allof these renovations have helped the Academyremain as grand as ever. We hope you find it grandas well!

Academy of Music Facts› The auditorium seats 2,897; 14 columns support the Academy’s tiers; the auditorium is encased within a three footthick solid brick wall.

› The Academy Chandelier is 25 feet high, 50 feet in circumference, almost 17 feet in diameter, and 3,500 poundsin weight. It has 23,000 crystals on it, which, if laid out, couldreach from Broad Street to Rittenhouse Square and back.

› The red and gold pattern on the Academy’s stage curtain simulates that of a pineapple, a Victorian-era symbolfor “welcome.”

› The first-ever indoor football game was held on theAcademy’s Parquet level on March 7, 1889 between theUniversity of Pennsylvania and Riverton Club of Princeton. Athalftime, tug-of-war matches were held as entertainment.

› 1,600 people attended the first-ever motion picture screening on February 5, 1870. The audience saw a coupledancing, a gymnastics routine and more during the silent film.

› Air conditioning was installed in 1959.

› There was no elevator for the general public in the Academy until 1990!

For more information on the Academy of Music, go to thelibrary and take out Within These Walls, by John FrancisMarion or go online to www.academyofmusic.org.

President Franklin Pierce1804-1869

Tips for Your Trip

You may notice several computer monitors anda large table spread out over the seats in the centerof the first floor of the auditorium. Seated in this areais the production team: Director, Assistant Director,Costume Designer, Lighting Designer, and SetDesigner, among others. They’ll be taking notes andcommunicating via headsets with the many peoplebackstage who help make all of the operatic magichappen. They’ll be able to talk to the crew sochanges can be made right away. Should things goeswrong, the rehearsal might be stopped or a partrepeated to make sure that it is perfect.

SHOW SOME R.E.S.P.E.C.T.Unlike actors on television or in the movies, performers onstage are very aware of the audience. Theywant to share their love of performing with you.Everything you do in the audience affects what happens on stage. You can show them how much youappreciate their work and the opportunity to come to therehearsal by being as quiet as possible. Show your respectfor the cast, musicians, the production team, and everyonein the theater by not talking. Give the artists and the production your full attention!

ACTIVE LEARNING The picture on this page shows several patrons and famousopera characters on their way to attend an opera at the theater. Now picture yourself in their shoes. On a separate piece ofpaper, write a story as if you are one of these people. Thinkabout your trip to the performance. What will the opera belike? You may want to mention going to the Academy of Musicor attending the opera. What will you wear? How will you andyour classmates act? At what time will you meet your classmates? How many classmates will attend? Will you have aspecial dinner before the opera? If so, where? Will the opera beexciting and entertaining? Share your thoughts here and compare your stories with your classmates.

Here’s a list of DOs and DON’Ts so that everyone in the theater can enjoy the opera:

Please Do...› Use the bathrooms before the rehearsal begins or

at intermission.

› Enter and exit the theater in an orderly fashion.

› Turn off your cell phones and all electronic devices.

› Applaud after the arias; you can shout “Bravo!” for the men and “Brava!” for the women.

› Enjoy the rehearsal. You’ve worked too hard preparing for the rehearsal not to!

Don’t Forget...› No food, gum or beverages are allowed inside the

theater.

› Photographs or video footage may not be taken duringthe performance.

› No talking or whispering during the performance.

› No shoving, jumping, running, or spitting in the theater.

› Please obey the theater ushers and staff.

› Keep all objects to yourself. If you throw something, you might hurt someone and cause a disruption in the rehearsal. It is grounds for removal from the auditorium.

› MAKE YOUR SCHOOL PROUD!

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There’s nothing as exciting as attending the opera in a theater like the Academy of Music. You’ll be a guest at the

final dress rehearsal of Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen. Here’swhat you’ll need to know about attending the opera!

You might study music in your schools or take lessons privately. Butwhere do you go if you want to learn more about Carmen, opera singers,opera-related topics and experience opera more frequently?

Visit OCP’s website at:operaphila.org/community/sol-prod1.shtml

5

Also, you can download extra copies of the Sounds of Learning™ guide andpast guides from this page as well. All of this content is provided for free!

If you’re online, check out our facebook, twitter and YouTube pages.Just search for Opera Company of Philadelphia!

Here you can find more information about Carmen and all the operas presented by the Opera Company, for FREE!

Opera Right in Your Email Inbox!

Another great way to learn more is to sign up for the freeweekly Sounds of Learning™ email list. Email your name,school and age to education@operaphila.org and eachweek we’ll send you an opera video “clip of the week”with famous opera singers singing great arias and ensemblesall throughout the summer. Some will be funny, some willbe thrilling, some will be dramatic, and all will be exciting! Alsoincluded in the email will be the website of the week.We’llfeature links to singers’ websites, music links, other greatmusic and opera websites. You can build a whole library ofvideo clips to go back to again and again! Share the clipsand links with your family and friends.

Sounds of Learning™ Student BlogDon’t forget to check out our Sounds of Learning™

blog at http://operaphillysol.blogspot.com. The blog willallow you to discuss the opera with students throughoutthe tri-state area! Log onto the blog and share yourthoughts and views about the opera, the music, the set,the singers, the Academy of Music, coming to center cityPhiladelphia, the email list “clip of the week” andmore! Other students participating in Sounds ofLearning™ from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, andDelaware want to hear what you have to say! Post yourcomments by going to: operaphillysol.blogspot.com.

Behind-the-ScenesPhotos

See photos of the singers in rehearsal on our

website: operaphila.org and click on the

“Behind the Scenes” link in the lower right corner of the screen. Check out this area to see how a productiondevelops from the

first day of rehearsal toopening night!

Opera Online!

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Act - main sections of a play or opera

Aria - a solo song sung in an opera

Audience - people who watch a performance and sit in the “house” orauditorium

Ballet - dance set to music within in an opera

Blocking - action on stage

Character - person who is part of the opera’s story

Chorus - music composed for a group of singers or the name of a group ofsingers in an opera

Conductor - person who rehearses and leads the orchestra

Duet - a song performed by 2 singers

Orchestra - a group of musicians who play together on various musical instruments

Overture - a piece of instrumental music played at the beginning of an opera

Program - booklet that contains information about the opera, composer,performers, the opera company, and includes advertisements

Recitative - words that are sung in the rhythm of natural speech - a bitlike the 18th century version of rap

Rehearsal - time when singers/actors practice with or without the orchestra; time when musicians practice together with the conductor

Scene - segments of action within the acts of an opera

Types of Singers:

Soprano - highest pitched female voice

Contralto - low pitched female voice

Tenor - highest pitched male voice

Baritone - male voice between tenor and bass

Bass - lowest pitched male voice

The Language of Opera

4. Continue straight to Act II.The next act uses the same elements as Act I to continue thestory (arias, choruses, ensembles,and recitatives). Operas may haveseveral acts and intermissions. Insome operas there are four intermissions and five acts!

5. Continue straight across tothe Finale. The finale is the lastmusical piece in the opera and isoften sung by the entire cast.Some operas have a big finale foreach act. After the finale the curtain goes down.

6. You have arrived at theCurtain Call. The curtain calloccurs at the very end of theopera. The curtain will come backup and the chorus, dancers, individual singers, and orchestrawill be recognized for their work.The audience shows their appreciation for the show by clapping or shouting “Bravo!”,“Brava!”, or “Bravissimo!!”

7Opera’s Road MapAn opera tells a story by taking you on amusical journey. Like a class trip or vaca-tion, this journey can be separated into

land marks and pit stops. Whileevery opera is different,they all follow a similar

road map.

Opera Map Directions1. Head to the overture. Before the curtain comes up the orchestra plays theoverture. The overture is the musical introduction to the opera. It will often havemelodies in it that you might hear duringthe opera.

2. Continue straight to Act I. After the overture the curtain will rise, and various characters will appear, signaling the start ofthe opera.

Once the opera begins the map begins tovary. Depending on the opera, the musiccould go one of four ways. Be on the

lookout for recitatives, arias or choruses.You might even find a duet or largerensembles like trios, quartets, quintets,

or sextets!

3. Make a left at the Intermission. The intermission is a 15-25 minute break in the performance when the audience can stretchor use the bathroom. It allows the stagecrew to change the scenery for the next actand the singers to change costumes.

Use the Opera Map Directionsbelow with the Conductor Map

on the lower right to tracethis musical journey.

OVERTUREThe musical

introduction playedby the orchestra.

ARIA

RECITATIVE ACT IA group of scenes with a common theme.

Intermission

ACT IIA group of scenes that

continues the story from Act I.Act II has the same musicalelements as Act I (chorus,

recitative, etc.).

FINALEThe last piece of music performed in the opera.

CURTAIN CALLAfter the curtain closes, the cast and the orchestra stand and take a bow.The audience shows their appreciation by clapping or yelling "Bravo!"

ENSEMBLEDuet, Trio,

or Quartet

CHORUS

The Then and Now of

Opera8

Theatrical performances that use music, song and danceto tell a story can be found in many cultures. Opera isjust one example of music drama.

These theaters had elaboratestage machinery to create special effects like flying actorsor crumbling buildings. Noteveryone embraced the new form of theater. Somecritics thought that all of the stage antics in operadetracted from the music and drama. Some peopleeven believed that seeing too much comedy in operacould make you immoral!

During the Baroque period (about 1600 to1750), Italian opera spread all over Europe. The Italianstyle of opera was so popular that even non-Italianswrote in this style. For example George Frederic Handel(1685 – 1759) was a German-born composer who livedand worked in England. His operas, like Julius Caesar(1724), were written in the Italian language and usedan Italian style of music. The only nation to create its’own national operatic style was France. Ballet playeda large role in the French culture, and operas oftenincluded ballets in the middle of the opera. The mostfamous French Baroque opera composers were Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) and Jean-Philippe Rameau(1683 - 1764).

The eighteenth century was full of change forboth Europe and opera. This time period was knownas the Age of Enlightenment. People were starting totalk about new forms of government and organizationin society, especially the ever-growing middle class.Music displayed this new thinking as composersdropped the Baroque era’s complicated musical stylefor simpler, more emotional music. In less-flashymusic, characters could express their thoughts andfeelings more believably. One of the first operas touse this new style was Christoph Willibald Gluck’sOrfeo ed Euridice (1762).

In 1776 the American Revolution changed theworld. A few years later the French had their ownrevolution (1789) and the first modern democracieswere born. To match the times in which they were created, audiences wanted to see characters likethemselves on stage, not gods and goddesses. Theyalso wanted to see issues that were important tothem. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage ofFigaro (1786) featured a timely story of aristocraticclass struggles that had both servants and nobility inlead roles. The ideals of the Enlightenment also cameto the stage in Ludwig van Beethoven‘s only opera,Fidelio, a story about equality and freedom.

Have you ever wondered where opera got itsstart? Back in the late 1500s during the height of theRenaissance, a group of men called the FlorentineCamerata got together to create a new and moving theatrical experience. They wanted to recreate whatthe ancient Greeks did during their legendary dramas.The result was something entirely new – opera!

Most of the early operas were based on Greekmyths. The first opera that we know of was calledDafne by Jacopo Peri in 1598, but the most famousopera of this early period that is still performed todayis Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607). Certain basicingredients were included in opera: songs, instrumentalaccompaniments, costumes, dance, and scenery. Westill use all of these ingredients today!

The early operas were first performed in thegrand courts of Italian nobility, but soon operabecame popular with the public, too. As it becameall the rage, productions became more lavish! Soon,theaters began to be built just to mount operas.

Claudio Monteverdi1567-1643

Top: mezzo-soprano Ruxandra Donose as the hero in Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice; Above: Prisoners in their cells in Jun Kaneko’s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio.

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In the 1800s opera continued to grow. TheItalian tradition continued in the bel canto movement, which literally translates to “beautifulsinging”. These operas asked performers to sing complicated groups of fast notes in the melodies. Themost famous bel canto composers were GioacchinoRossini (1792 –1868), Gaetano Donizetti (1797 – 1848),and Vincenzo Bellini (1801 –1835). Their operas, likeRossini’s popular comedies The Barber of Seville (1816)and Cinderella (1817), are still some of the most popularoperas performed today.

By the middle of the century, the RomanticMovement led many composers to champion theirown national identities. As a result, operas in languages other than Italian became more common;new works often reflected pride in a country’s people, history, and folklore. German operas like CarlMaria von Weber’s Der Freischütz (1821), Russianoperas like Mikhail Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar (1836)and French operas like Giacomo Meyerbeer’s LesHuguenots (1836) started to be performed acrossEurope. By using nationalism in his operas likeNabucco (1842), Italian Giuseppe Verdi became anational hero. In Germany Richard Wagner tookRomanticism to the extreme in a four-part operaticminiseries based on Norse mythology, The Ring of theNibelung (1876), which takes over 15 hours to perform! The operatic stereotype of the singer in theViking helmet comes from these operas.

Opera in twentieth century became even moreexperimental. Composers like Giacomo Puccini (Labohème, 1896), Claude Debussy (Pelléas et Mélisande,1902), Richard Strauss (Salome, 1905), and BenjaminBritten (Peter Grimes, 1945) evolved their nationalstyles. Others, horrified by the destruction of WorldWar I (1914-1919) and other aspects of modern life,created music that was new and drastically dissonant.These operas often explored either dark psychologicaltopics (Wozzeck by Alban Berg, 1925), or simple and

absurd (The Rake’s Progress by IgorStravinsky, 1951). Americanopera had a huge hit with Georgeand Ira Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess(1935) which included jazz andblues musical styles. Not onlydid American composers embracepopular music in opera but also arepetitive, hypnotic style calledminimalism. American composerPhilip Glass’s Einstein on the Beach(1976) is the popular example ofminimalism in opera.

Today, opera is still growingand expanding. The Opera

Company of Philadelphia helps to shape the future ofopera by producing important new works likeRichard Danielpour and Toni Morrison’s slavery-inspired Margaret Garner (2005), OsvaldoGolijov’s flamenco-themed Ainadamar(2003), and Hans Werner Henze’sPhaedra (2007), which interprets Greekmythology through the eyes of a WorldWar II survivor. This year the OperaCompany of Philadelphia is proud topresent Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters (2011)which is set in the American Southwestexplores the lives of a group of womenwho live in a polygamist community.

Although opera is one of the oldest musical art forms, it still remainsand expands today. From the oldfavorites to the new experimental worksopera continues to be a moving art formof the people.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Choose a composer noted above and research two other

operas by that composer.

2. Can you find the story of the Greek myth Daphne?

3. How did Lully die? 4. What does the acronym Verdi stand for in the

phrase Viva Verdi?

5. Visit the Opera Road Map on page 7 to learn more about opera.

Right: the cast ofRossini’s Cinderella;

Below: Puccini’sloveable bohemians;

Bottom: DenyceGraves and GreggBaker in Danielpourand Morrison’sMargaret Garner.

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The Man Behind the Music:Georges BizetCarmen’s composer, Georges Alexandre Cesar

Leopold Bizet, was born in Paris, France, on October25, 1838. His father was an amateur singer and composer, and his mother was the sister of a famoussinging teacher. He entered the Paris Conservatoire inOctober 1848 just before his tenth birthday and whilethere became an outstanding pianist, organist, andscore reader while there. Bizet would use those skills working as a rehearsal pianist and musical arranger toearn extra money. In the process he learned aboutmusical trends in Paris, knowledge that would shapehis own music, as demonstrated in the Symphony in CMajor, which he wrote at the age of 17.

He wrote his very first opera, a one-act comedy,La maison du docteur (The Doctor’s House), in 1855 as ahomework assignment. His second opera, Le DocteurMiracle (Dr. Miracle), was a light one-act operetta writtenin 1856 for a competition sponsored by the operettaking, composer Jacques Offenbach. Bizet’s work tiedfor first place and was performed at Offenbach’s theater, the Bouffes-Parisiens. It was Bizet’s professionaldebut, but didn’t seem to catch the public’s interest.

Bizet soon won the Prix de Rome composition competition and went to study in Italy for threeyears. He learned about the Italian style and wasinfluenced by Gaetano Donizetti’s operas. Althoughnot performed until 1906, Bizet’s next opera, thecomedy Don Procopio (Mr. Procopio) (1859), showedthis influence.

Returning to Paris in 1860, the Théâtre Lyriqueoffered Bizet the libretto to Les pêcheurs de perles(The Pearl Fishers). Premiered on September 30, 1863,this romantic opera is set in Ceylon (today known asSri Lanka), and shows Bizet’s gift for writing operas with exotic backgrounds, dramatic story lines, and brilliantly colorful orchestrations. The opera was not

a huge success andwas not performedagain until severalyears after his death.

Despite thisfailure, Bizet found an ally in Leon Carvalho, directorof the Théâtre Lyrique, who continued to offer Bizetwork during the 1860s. Despite often postponing orburying the works Bizet created, Carvalho was con-vinced of Bizet’s talents. In July 1866, he offered BizetLa jolie fille de Perth, based on Sir Walter Scott’s novelThe Fair Maid of Perth. Premiered in December 1867,this was also a flop, even with several numbers thatthe audience liked.

The Opéra-Comique offered Bizet a chance towork with two of France’s leading librettists, HenriMeilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Bizet suggested theshort novella Carmen written by Prosper Mérimée in1845. Work began in late 1873, but was interruptedtwice by the Opéra-Comique who wanted Bizet towork on other material. He finally completed Carmenin the summer of 1874.

While in rehearsal the opera was subjected toedits that did not meet Bizet’s approval. Nonetheless,he created a work which reflected everything he hadlearned throughout his life. It premiered March 3,1875 and received a hostile reception from audiencesand critics.

Bizet died three months later, at the age of 36,from a heart attack brought on by complicationsfrom a throat infection. It was only after his deaththat Carmen traveled the world, returned to Paris intriumph and became one of the most beloved operasin history. Bizet died believing his greatest work wasto be forgotten.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Read page 12 to learn more about Carmen’s premiere.2. Use a web translator to find out what the words

“bouffes” and “parisiens” mean. What do you think the operettas presented there were like?

3. What is the Prix de Rome?4. Find Sri Lanka, where Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers is

set, on a map. Find a video clip of this opera onYouTube, Vimeo, or Google Video.

5. Can you find Offenbach’s famous “Can-Can” online?

Jacques Offenbach1819 – 1880

Henri Meilhac1831 – 1897

Ludovic Halévy1834 - 1908

11What in the World??Personal and Historic Events during Bizet’s Life

Listed below are some historic and cultural events that took place during Bizet’s life. Events in boldface type are things that happened toBizet; an asterisk (*) indicates events of local interest. What might it have been like to be alive at this time?

1838 Georges Alexandre Cesar Leopold Bizet was born in Paris on October 25.

1839 First recorded use of "OK" [oll korrect] in Boston's Morning Post.

1842 Bizet began to learn the names of the various musical notes at the same time that he began to learn the alphabet.

1845 Edgar Allan Poe’s poem "The Raven" was first published.

1845 Irish Potato Famine destroyed the valuable potato crop in Ireland, ruining lives.

1846 After noticing signs of remarkable aural memory, Bizet’s father began formal music lessons with his son.

French writer Prosper Mérimée wrote the novella Carmen, which would ultimately inspire Bizet’s biggest hit.

1847 The first doughnut with a hole in it was created.

1848 Bizet entered the Paris Conservatoire to study music.

1849 California’s Gold Rush began.

1850 * The first women's medical school, the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, opened.

1853 Levi Strauss began selling tough pants to California gold miners. The first pair sold for $1.12.

1855 Bizet was recommended by Jacques Halévy Bizet to the director of the Opera Comique as a composer, pianist and accompanist.

While at the Conservatoire, Bizet won first prizes in organ and fugue.

Bizet wrote his first symphony, the Symphony in C, at the age of 17 as part of a homework assignment.

1857 His one-act operetta, Le docteur Miracle, awarded Bizet a tie for first place in a prize offered by Jacques Offenbach.

Bizet won the Prix de Rome music scholarship which required him to study in Rome for three years.

* Philadelphia’s Academy of Music opened with a concert conducted by Tchaikovsky.

1858 In preparation for the Prix de Rome, Bizet arrived in Florence on January 12 and continued to Rome on the 28th.

1860 On hearing of his mother's serious illness, Bizet cut short his Italian travels and returned to Paris in September.

1861-65 American Civil War took place.

1862 Following his mother’s death in 1861, Bizet consoled himself with his parents' maid, Marie Reiter, who gave birth to a Bizet's illegitimate son, Jean.

First United States paper money was issued in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000.

1863-71 Bizet composed the opera Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers) for the Théâtre Lyrique.

1865 The 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery throughout the United States.

1867 Bizet’s next opera, La jolie fille de Perth (after Walter Scott's novel The Fair Maid of Perth), premiered in the Théâtre Lyrique. Although not overwhelmingly successful, it helped establish Bizet as an important composer.

1869 On 3 June, Bizet married Geneviève Halévy (1849–1926), the daughter of his late teacher Fromental Halévy.* Charles Elmer Hires sold his first root beer in Philadelphia.

1870 * The first section of the famous boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., opened to the public.

1872 Bizet wrote incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s play L'Arlésienne (The Girl from Arles).

* The Republican National Convention, the first such to include African Americans, was held in Philadelphia’s Academy of Music.

1874 Bizet and his wife separated for two months, causing a delay in the composition of Carmen, which had begun the previous year.

1874 * The first United States zoo opened in Philadelphia.

A United States child labor law took 12 year olds out of work force.

1875 Carmen premiered on March 3rd at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. While not well-received, it ran for 37 performances over 3 months.Bizet did not live to see Carmen's success. He died from a heart attack at the age of 36. Bizet died on his sixth wedding

anniversary, exactly three months after Carmen's first performance.

Cultural and historical dates and information researched at http://timelines.ws.

12

In our opera Carmen is a gypsy. The origin ofthese wanderers is shrouded in mystery. Historians,like detectives, have pieced together clues, like theirlanguage and history, to trace them back to India. Itappears that the gypsies roamed to the Persiancountries (modern-day Iran) in the 5th century C.E.They made a name for themselves as excellent musicians, entertainers and metalworkers. Afterpassing through Egypt they found their way toEurope, first to Greece and the Balkans in the 1200s,and then Eastern and Western Europe in the following centuries.

Following their own traditions, gypsies continued to entertain and do metalwork as theytraveled around Europe. Some historians havethought that they wandered to find work; however,the gypsies may have simply liked the excitement ofa nomadic, wandering life. Although their valuableand various talents helped make European cultureeven better, people began to be suspicious of themand accused them of robbery, sorcery, and fraud. Inorder to flee these charges, they restarted their oldtradition of moving from place to place. It was a difficult life, filled with stress and uncertainty.Because of this, the clan members were extremelyclose and had a very strong bond between them. Thegypsy language and culture held these extended family units together.

Gypsies’ bad reputation is a combination ofmisunderstanding and reality. It could have been thata few of the gypsies, in order to earn much neededmoney, were small scale thieves; however, theirinvolvement in witchcraft, of which they were oftenaccused, is pretty far fetched. In the opera, Carmen

The Romani Life:

Carmen’s Gypsies casts a spell on Don José with acassia flower, “the witch’sflower.” In Spain at that timethere were many accusations of witchcraft andheresy that had little or no facts to back them up.Whatever petty crimes some of the gypsies may havecommitted, the sentence handed down to them wasgenerally far worse than simple punishment for criminal activity. Judges abused their powers, andpunishment became worse, fueled by anti-gypsyprejudice. As a result, the gypsies as a group wereforced to fight for their own survival on a daily basis.

In spite of persecution, the gypsy culture hasmade many contributions to several cultures aroundthe world. Through their travels the gypsies wouldpass different ideas and goods from one country toanother. This cultural diffusion often gave birth tonew traditions and ideas across cultures. For example,the gypsies of Spain gave the country one of its mostrespected dance forms, the flamenco. This danceuses castanets which the gypsies brought intoEurope from Egypt.

During World War II, the Nazis persecuted thegypsies as they did the Jews. It is important for us inthe twenty-first century to recognize the injusticesthat were perpetrated in the past and also those thatcontinue today. There certainly much we can learnregarding tolerance and the acceptance of people different from us.

We need to recognize our own prejudicesand the dangerous behaviors they can produce. Ifyou dislike someone because of their race, religion,language or culture, you are denying yourself theopportunity to learn from that person. Each of us hasa rich ethnic culture of which to be proud. Escapingthe cycle of prejudice enables us to enjoy the manywondrous ways people are alike and different.

ACTIVE LEARNING

1. To learn more about the Romany gypsies, visit peshasgypsyblog.blogspot.com

2. September 15 - October 15 is Hispanic-American Heritage Month. Find a video on YouTube featuring one of the following musical types to share with your classmates: Bolero, Habanera, Seguidilla, Cha-Cha, Flamenco, Fandango, Rumba, Jota, Malagueña, Mambo, Pasodoble, or Conga.An 1853 painting by Yevgraf Sorokin depicting the Romani people.

Two photos from National

Geographicmagazine in

1917.

Above: ASpanish

Romani girlfrom Granada.

Above right:The girls andwomen "tellfortunes,"

and those whorefuse to havetheir fortunes

read arecursed!

13

The Danger and Drama of

Bullfighting Bullfighting is one of the best known of

popular Spanish customs. It is also one of the mostcontroversial. Most Spanish festivals (fiestas) couldnot exist today without the inclusion of a bullfightamong the events. However, this practice and tradition has come upon much public outrage andopposition in recent years.

Since prehistoric times, bulls have played animportant part in the cultures of many civilizations.Bull cults existed on the Greek island Crete. TheBible tells of sacrifices of bulls in honor of divine justice. Bulls also played an important role in the religious ceremonies of the Iberian tribes of Spain.The origins of the bullring have been traced to theCeltic-Iberian temples where bulls were sacrificed tothe gods.

Greek and Roman influences converted thebullfight into a glorious but gory spectacle. TheRoman amphitheatre influenced the design of thebullring. During the Middle Ages, Roman aristocracywould amuse itself by circling the bulls while ridingon horseback – a custom known as toreadoring. Inthe eighteenth century, this practice was abandoned;the lower classes, however, retained bullfighting as aground-based sport, and developed rules of conduct.The bullfight was an adventure in which you couldlose your life or win glory. The rewards were fame,wealth, and popular admiration for the best of thebullfighters. They lived the lives of heroes. Today,however, this romantic aura is much diminished.The bullfighter is looked upon as the relic of abygone age and dying sport.

A corrida de toros (bullfight) starts with thegrand entrance, the paseillo, in which everyoneinvolved in the bullfight enters the ring and presentsthemselves to the spectators. Two alguacilillos onhorseback look up to the “president’s box” and symbolically ask for the keys to the puerta de lostoriles (the bullpen door). Behind this door, the bullsstand waiting. The door opens, and the first bullenters the ring.

The spectacle consists of three tercios, orparts, signaled by bugle calls. There are three toreros,the correct term for bullfighter. (The term toreador,used in our opera, is no longer a part of the modernSpanish vocabulary). Each torero is allotted twobulls. In the first tercio, the bullfighter uses a capote,a large cape colored pink on one side and yellow on

the other. The bull and bullfighter engage in a sort ofballet, the bull passing the torero who gingerly side-steps his charging companion.

Two picadros enter on horseback, each armedwith a wooden lance. They are followed by threebanderilleros, whose task it is to stick a pair of banderillas into the charging bull’s back. The bullstands with these metallic objects sticking out hisneck, a gruesome sight indeed. Now comes thefinale, the suerta suprema. The torero use a muleta, asmall red cloth draped from a stick. He shows hismasterful domination of the bull, and establishes asymbolic union of man and beast. Then, he plungeshis sword into the bull’s neck, killing the animal.

The bullfight’s appeal is based largely on thedanger and thrill of man versus bull. The bulls areraised for their roles from the moment they are born.They are symbols of the quest for human dominationover the beasts of the earth. The spectacle of managainst bull is mirrored in Carmen as men seek dom-ination over women.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Look up two articles on bull fighting, one positive and

one negative.

2. Write a persuasive paragraph or speech about your views on bullfighting.

Three images from the opera's premiere: (top) Galli-Marie, the first woman to sing Carmen,

(middle) A poster for the opera’s premiere, (bottom) original set sketch for Act 1 of the original 1875 production.

14

Even more shocking was how a gypsy, smokingonstage no less, used her womanly charms to lead anupstanding member of the social upper class to his downfall. Don José, our non-hero, is a low ranking armycorporal, but the title “don” refers to a Spanish noblemanor gentleman. That such a high-brow person was portrayedas a low-ranking, hot-headed soldier (and a poor one, atthat) disturbed the audience. The contrast and class struggleof the opera’s two leading characters is vividly evident inboth music and text. Don Jose and Carmen aren’t really inlove; their attraction is strictly physical and even animalistic.Their relationship is doomed from the moment they meet.

Bizet died of a heart attack on June 3, 1875, on thenight of Carmen’s thirty-third performance in Paris. Afterhis death the opera was reworked. Some of the music cutduring rehearsals was put back and the original spokendialogue was set to music by Bizet’s friend ErnestGuiraud. The version with Guiraud sung dialogue wasfound in every published score from 1875 until 1964.

The opera first achieved public acceptance during arun of performances in Vienna in October 1875, and didnot become a true “hit” in France until 1883. Carmen wasfirst produced in New York City on October 23, 1878, andwas seen in Philadelphia for the first time at theAcademy of Music just one day later. Critics’ comments for both presentations were quite harsh.

Today, almost every opera lover – and critic – agreesthat Carmen is a masterpiece. There have been several filmversions, including a 1954 all-black-cast modernization,Carmen Jones, and the MTV update for Beyoncé, Carmen:A Hip Hopera. The opera’s music is instantly recognizableeverywhere; various sections are highly popular fixtures asprogram music for Olympic figure skating competitions.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Discuss what Parisian audiences experienced at Carmen’s

premiere. Would audiences today be shocked? Think of a recent situation where something similar happened. Can you think of a young actress who did something shocking to change her image? How did it affect her career?

2. On YouTube, find the “Habanera” from Carmen and “Dat’s Love” from Carmen Jones. How are the songsdifferent and the same? Opera star and Pennsylvanianative Marilyn Horne provided the voice for Carmen in the film Carmen Jones.

Carmen is a French opera by a French composerbased on a French story with a Spanish plot that’s filledwith Spanish folklore and music. Sounds confusing, right?Well, it was for opening night audiences. Yet, after a muddleddebut, Carmen would become one of the three most popular operas in the world. With Giuseppe Verdi’s Aidaand Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème, Georges Bizet’sCarmen helps make up the “A-B-C” of Opera.

Carmen had a scandalous premiere, or opening night, and the audience’s reaction was almosthostile! First produced in Paris, France, on March 3,1875, it was one of the first operas to show real life situations and characters on the opera stage. Mostoperas up to that point celebrated the victories andromances of their heroes and heroines.

With its horrible opening night, there wereonly 47 more performances and the opera closed inJanuary 1876. Ticket sales were so bad after the premiere that the theater gave away tickets to fill thehouse.

So why all the hullabaloo about theopera? Early audiences weren’t used to therealistic portrayal of the lives, loves, and problems of average and lower-class people.Yet in Carmen, gypsies, cigarette makers,smugglers, and soldiers were the stars of theshow. To make matters worse, the opera wasperformed at the Opéra-Comique, a theaterknown for its wholesome family entertainment.Parisians were shocked to see these seedy characters on the stage of the theater.

Carmen

Disaster to Triumph

15

ACT I It’s a blistering hot day in sunny Seville, Spain. Hot and tired, a group of soldiershangs out watching people go by. The shy, pretty Micaela comes looking for Corporal DonJosé, but he’s not there. The soldiers try to get Micaela to stay by flirting with her, but sheleaves. Soon after, Don José arrives as the guards change shifts. A bell from the cigarette factory chimes, and the women come out for their smoke break. The men flirt with the factorygirls, too. Carmen comes in last, and everyone is drawn to her, except Don José. Seeing a challenge, the gypsy sets her eyes on him and sings, "Love is a rebellious bird that no one cantame” and throws a flower at Don José. Laughing, she and the other women return to the factory. He hides the flower in his uniform. Micaëla returns with a letter from Don José’s mother,who begs him to marry Micaëla. As he reads the letter to himself Micaela leaves. Suddenly, horrible screams come from the factory. Carmen has gotten into a fight with another girl and slashedher face with a knife. Lieutenant Zuniga questions Carmen, but her only reply is the mockingresponse “tra-la-la.” Don José is ordered to guard Carmen while Zuniga gets a warrant for herarrest. Alone with Don José, Carmen seduces him into making a plan that will let her escape. Zunigareturns with Carmen’s formal arrest orders. As she’s being led away to prison, Carmen pushes Don José andescapes through the confused crowd.

ACT II A few months later, Carmen and her friends Frasquita and Mercédès have fun singing and dancing for the soldiers late at night in Lilias Pasta’s tavern. Carmen hears that Don José, who was sent to prisonbecause he let her escape, got out the day before. The famous bullfighter Escamillo arrives, and everyone is starstruck. He sings about his adventures in the bullring and flirts with Carmen, but she’s not interested. The soldiersand Escamillo leave as the smugglers Dancaïre and Remendado join Carmen, Frasquita and Mercédès. They need todeliver their smuggled loot and want the three women to join them. Carmen says she can’t go because she’s in love.Nobody believes her as Don José’s voice is heard outside. They leave Carmen and Don José alone. He tells her how muchhe loves her. A trumpet signals that the soldiers must report back to the barracks. Don José says he must leave, but Carmenmocks his loyalty to the military. Don José proves his love by pulling out the flower she threw at him at their first meeting.That’s not enough for Carmen; she wants him to ditch the army and join her gypsy life. Don José tells her he could neverleave the military. Zuniga shows up to see Carmen and orders Don José to leave. José refuses and draws his sword. Beforetheir fight progresses, the smugglers burst in and tie up Zuniga. Don José has no choice but to flee with the gypsies.

ACT III Late at night in a deserted place outside of Seville, the smugglers carry their goods through the mountains.Carmen’s love for Don José is fading and the two bicker. She tells him to go home to his mother. Frasquita and Mercédèsread their fortunes in cards, but when Carmen tries, she only sees her death and Don José’s. The women join the smugglerson their trip to the city to distract any guards. Don José stays behind to watch the camp. Micaëla has found her way to thesmugglers’ site. She will take Don José away from Carmen. Afraid, she hides after seeing Don José shoot his gun. The bullethas barely missed Escamillo who is there to see Carmen. The Toreador claims the two of them are in love. Don José challenges him to a duel, but the fight is cut short when the smugglers return. After Escamillo leaves, Remendado findsMicaëla hiding. She tells Don José that his mother is dying. As Don José rushes off with Micaëla, Escamillo’s voice is heardin the distance.

ACT IV Outside the bullfighting ring in Seville, the street sellers are busy hawking their wares. Zuniga tells Frasquita thatan order has been issued for Don José’s arrest, although he has yet to be found. The crowd cheers Escamillo as he enters,and he and Carmen express their love for each other. As the throng enters the arena, Frasquita warns Carmen that Don Joséis somewhere in the crowd. Carmen says that she is not afraid and stays behind to confront him. Disheveled and crazed, hecomes out of the shadows and begs Carmen to start a new life with him. Carmen says everything is over between them.Carmen tries to go into the arena and Don José blocks her way. Carmen says she’s in love with Escamillo. Enraged, Don Joséstabs Carmen and she falls to the ground dead. The crowd exits the arena with a victorious Escamillo to find Don José standing over Carmen’s lifeless body.

Carmen

Synopsis

38

Lazy from the hot Andalusian sun, I wrapped myself in a towel and stood up. I was in Seville, the fourth largest city in Spain,on a school trip. I had been living abroad in Spain for my junior year of high school, learning a new language and a new way of life.My view from the terraza was filled with the chaotic beauty of Sevillian rooftops. Clay tiles covered the top of each building, contrast-ing the cloudless sky. The small gardens and jutting apartment balconies added to the city’s random charm. I looked down from the

spectacular view and at my watch; it was already three in the afternoon.

I had been tanning with my friends and didn’t want to leave Seville withoutexploring the sights. My friends continued their sun worship unapologetically. I set off tosee Seville on my own.

Our hotel, Don Paco, was conveniently located near the heart of the casco viejoand the famous cathedral. Just the day before, I had herded my lost friends to the hotel,being careful not to get caught up in the small, winding, and often un-named streets.However, my excitement to play conquistador and explore the unknown landscape gotthe best of me, and before I realized it, I was lost.

With every turn, I discovered something new. Aging two story buildings painted soft yellows and blues surrounded me as Iweaved myself deeper into the casco. Laundry hung from tiny windows to dry. The barks of dogs, zooming of scooters, calls of 'Guapa!'from old men brought the neighborhood to life. Although the sun was unforgiving, the contagious spirit of the city got to me and I wentwhere my feet led me. I strolled the tiny sidewalks and felt like one of the luckiest girls in the world. I saw the Seville that often wentunnoticed, not the popular one made of bullfights and flamenco music. I glanced at my watch and it read five thirty. With less thanthree hours left to see everything, I decided to find the famous Plaza de España.

I asked the first person I saw, a sweet looking abuela, for directions. I forgot that the Andalusian people are famous for theirdistinct accent. So distinct that it took nearly 15 minutes, a hand drawn map, and a very frustrated old woman for me to finally understand where I was going. I expressed my gratitude and was off again.

I found my way out of the winding streets and onto bigger roads, filled withother tourists and natives chatting happily. With the sun still beating down on me,I walked another half hour until I finally reached the plaza area. I followed a paththat revealed the most stunning plaza in all of Spain.

It was absolutely gigantic. A channel of water circled the plaza with a largecentral fountain. I walked across a bridge to the towering government offices, originally built for an exposition in Spain in the twenties, that dominate the plaza.There was a grand staircase that led to a sheltered walkway that looked out ontothe square. Below the walk way was evenly spaced pieces painted tiles that represented a Spanish community. I felt a sense of pride when I saw the final pieceof work with the word Zaragoza written in tall capital letters along the bottom.Zaragoza was my "hometown" in Spain where I had been living for the past 6

months. Tile after tile, tower after tower, each small and large detail came together to form this breathtaking landmark. I stood in thecenter of it all, placing my feet in the star- like design on the ground and watched the sun set behind the plaza with a strange sense ofnostalgia that only comes from seeing something so special you will never forget it.

Seville is one of the most interesting places that I’ve ever seen. The city’s streets, inhabitants, buildings, and gardens all holdsecrets and mysteries waiting to be discovered by some ‘conquistador’. I had been alone and lost in one of the largest cities in Spain, butI had come out of it triumphant. With determination and an appreciation for history and culture, Seville is the perfect city to discover.

ACTIVE LEARNING1. Use an online translation tool to learn the English meaning

of the words in bold italic face.

Discovering My Inner

ConquistadorHanna Smith, Wilmington Friends School

The rooftops ofSeville.

Plaza EspañaPhotos by Hanna Smith

2. Using a map or a globe in your classroom, find Andalucia area of Spain, Seville, and Zaragora.

3. Read Prosper Mérimée’s novella to learn what life was like in Seville during the time of the opera. What differences can you find between the novella and the article above?

39

act (akt) n. one of the main divisions of a play or opera.allegro (uh-leg-roh) adv. musical term for fast and lively.alto (al-toh) n. the range of the female voice between mezzo-soprano and contralto.andante (ahn-dahn-tey) adv. a musical term meaning in moderately slow time.antagonist (an-tag-o-nist) n. an adversary or opponent of the main character or protagonist in an opera,play, or other drama.aria (ahr-ee-uh) n. an operatic song for one voice.banderilla (ban-duh-ree-uh) n. A decorated barbed dart thrust into the neck or shoulders of the bull in a bullfight.bandolier (ban-dl-eer) n. A belt worn over the shoulder and across the chest.bar (bahr) n. a division of music containing a set number of beats.baritone (bar-i-tohn) n. the range of the male voice between tenor and bass.bass (beys) n. the lowest male singing voice.beat (beet) n. the basic pulse of a piece of music.brazen (brey-zuhn) adj. marked by contemptuous boldness.chattel (chat-l) n. slave; an item of tangible property that is not related to real estate.chord (kord) n. a group of notes played at the same time in harmony.chorus (kawr-uhs) n. 1. a group of singers. 2. a piece of music for these.chronological (kron-l-oj-i-kuhl) adj. a method of arrangement that puts events in order of occurrence.console (kuh n-sohl) v. to alleviate the grief, sense of loss, or trouble of; comfort.contraband (kon-truh-band) n. goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden.contralto (cuhn-tral-toh) n. the lowest female singing voice.corporal (kawr-pruh l) n. A noncommissioned officer ranking in the army above a private first class and below a sergeant.cortege (kawr-tezh) n. A train of attendants; procession.deign (deyn) v. to descend to a less formal or less dignified level reluctantly and with a sense of being insulted.demean (dih-meen) v. to lower in character, status, or reputation.dragoon (druh-goon) n. a member of a European military unit formerly composed of heavily armed mounted troops.ducky (duhk-ee) adj. fine; excellent; wonderful.entrance (in-trans) v. to carry away with delight, wonder, or rapture. To put into a trance. fervent (fur-vuhnt) adj. having or showing great warmth or intensity of spirit, feeling, enthusiasm, etc.; ardent.flat (b) (flat) adj. a half-step lower than the corresponding note or key of natural pitch.flighty (flahy-tee) adj. easily excited; lively or frisky in action.forte (f) (for-tay) adv. loudly.fortissimo (ff) (for-tee-see-moh) adv. a musical term for very loud.gallant (guh-lahnt) adj. Spirited, Brave. implore (im-plawr) v. to call upon with a humble request.impudent (im-pyuh-duhnt) adj. lacking modesty’ marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others.intoxicate (in-tok-si-keyt) v. to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy.key (kee) n. the basic note of the main scale used in a piece of music. In the key of G, for example, G isthe fundamental note; the music often returns to it and comes to rest on it.largo (lahr-goh) adv. a musical term meaning in slow time and dignified style.lackey (lak-ee ) n. someone who does menial tasks or runs errands for another; servant.leitmotiv (lahyt-mo-teev) n. a melodic passage or phrase associated with a specific character, situation, orelement.libretto (li-bret-oh) n. the words of an opera or other long musical.major (mahy-zer) adj. music in a major key uses a major scale, in which the first three notes are the keynote followed by intervals of a tone and then another tone (for example, C, D, E). It often has a cheerful,strong sound.manzanilla (man-zuh-nee-yuh) n. a pale, very dry sherry from Spain. minor (my-ner) adj. music in a minor key uses a minor scale, in which the first three notes are the keynote followed by intervals of a tone and then a semitone ( for example A, B, C). It often has a sad, melancholic sound.

Glossary

40

natural (nach-er-uhl) adj. a note that is neither flattened nor sharpened.octave (ok-tiv) n. a note that sounds twice as high in pitch as another, is an octave above the other note,and has the same letter naming it.opera (op-er-uh) n. a play in which the words are sung to musical accompaniment.orchestra (awr-keh-struh) n. a large body of people playing various musical instruments, including stringed and wind instruments.overture (oh-ver-cher) n. an orchestral composition forming a prelude to an opera or ballet.parapet (par-uh-pet) n. a wall, rampart, or elevation of earth or stone to protect soldiers.parry (par-ee) v. to ward off a weapon or blow.pastime (pas-tahym) n. Something that amuses and serves to make time pass agreeably; diversion. persistent (per-sis-tuhnt) adj. continuing without change in function or structure.picador (pik-uh-dawr) n. a horse man in a bullfight who jabs the bull with a lance.pianissimo (pp) (pee-ah-nees-ee-moh) adv. a musical term meaning very softly.piano (p) (pi-an-oh) 1. adv. a musical term meaning softly. 2. n. keyed percussion instrument first namedpianoforte because it could play both softly and loudly.predicament (pri-dik-uh-muhnt) n. a difficult, perplexing or trying situation. prelude (prey-lood) n. a musical section or movement introducing the theme or chief subject (as of a fugue or a suite).presto (pres-toh) adv. a musical term meaning very fast.punctual (puhngk-choo-uhl) adj. being on time, prompt.rampart (ram-part) n. a broad embankment raised as a fortification and usually surmounted by a parapet.rapture (rap-chur) n. a state or experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion.refrain (ri-freyn) n. a regularly recurring phrase, especially at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song; chorus.resume (ri-züm) v. to return to or begin again after interruption.revere (ri-veer) v. to regard with respect tinged with awe; venerate.saucy (saw-see) adj. rude, impudent, fresh, brazen. scale (skayl) n. a series of notes arranged in descending or ascending order of pitch.seguidilla (sey-gee-deel-yuh) n. a Spanish dance in triple meter for two persons.semitone (sem-i-tohn) n. a half step or half tone, an interval midway between two whole tones.sentry (sen-tree) n. a soldier stationed at a place to stand guard and prevent the passage of unauthorized persons, watchfor fires, etc., especially a sentinel stationed at a pass, gate, opening in a defense work, or the like. sharp (#) (shahrp) n. any note a semitone higher than another note. Also, slightly too high in pitch.sistrum (sis-truhm) n. an ancient Egyptian percussion instrument consisting of a looped metal frame set in a handle and fitted with loose crossbars that rattle when shaken. soprano (so-prah-noh) n. the highest female or boy's singing voice.stage (stayj) n. a platform on which a public performance is given before an audience.staging (stay-jing) n. the presentation or production on the stage.symphony (sim-foh-nee) n. a long musical composition (usually in several parts) for a full orchestra.synopsis (si-nop-sis) n. a summary, a brief general survey.tone (tohn) n. 1. an interval equal to two semitones. 2. the sound quality of an instrument or voice.urchin (ur-chin) n. a mischievous roguish child, esp one who is young, small, or raggedly dressed verismo (vuh-riz-moh ) n. realism in opera.wile (wahyl) n. a trick, artifice, or stratagem meant to fool, trap, or entice; device. zingarella (zing-gahr-el-uh) n. a member of a nomadic, Caucasoid people of generally swarthy complexion, who migrated originally from India, settling in various parts of Asia, Europe, and, most recently, North America; gypsy.

From Dictionary.com. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.

The School District of PhiladelphiaSchool Reform CommissionRobert L. Archie Jr., Esq., Chairman

Denise McGregor Armbrister, member

Joseph A. Dworetzky, member

Johnny Irizarry, member

Dr. Arlene C. AkermanSuperintendent of Schools

Pamela BrownInterim Chief Academic Officer

Dennis W. Creedon, Ed.D.Office of Comprehensive Arts EducationDirector/Principal

Opera Company of PhiladelphiaRobert B. DriverArtistic Director

Corrado RovarisMusic Director

David B. DevanExecutive Director

Michael BoltonDirector of Community Programs

The Opera Company of Philadelphia is supportedby major grants from The William PennFoundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and TheLenfest Foundation.

Additional support is provided by theIndependence Foundation and the Horace W.Goldsmith Foundation.

The Opera Company of Philadelphia receives statearts funding support througha grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts,a state agency funded by the Commonwealthof Pennsylvania.

Sounds of Learning™ was established by a

generous grant from The AnnenbergFoundation.

Dedicated funding for the Sounds ofLearning™ program has been provided by:

$20,000 to $49,999Hamilton Family Foundation

Presser Foundation

Universal Health Services

Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation

$10,000 to $19,999The ARAMARK Charitable Fund at the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

Eugene Garfield Foundation

GlaxoSmithKline

The Hirsig Family Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation

Lincoln Financial Group Foundation

Morgan Stanley Foundation

$5,000 to $9,999Alpin J. and Alpin W. Cameron Memorial Fund

The McLean Contributionship

Samuel S. Fels Fund

Silver Bridge Advisors

$1,000 to $4,999Bank of New York Mellon

Citizens Bank

Louis N. Cassett Foundation

Mutual Fire Foundation

Written and produced by:Opera Company of PhiladelphiaCommunity Programs Department©20111420 Locust Street, Suite 210Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. 19102Tel: (215) 893-5927Fax: (215) 893-7801www.operaphila.org/community

Michael BoltonDirector of Community Programsbolton@operaphila.org

Rachelle BrissonCommunity Programs Internbrisson@operaphila.org

Special thanks to:

Robert B. Driver

Dr. Dennis W. CreedonCreator, Sounds of Learning™Curriculum Consultant

Dr. Dan DariganWest Chester UniversityDepartment of Literacy

Tim MathesonCarmen Production PhotosVancouver Opera

Ms. Hannah Smith

Mr. Michael Smith

Margaret Anne ButterfieldFriends Select Wilmington

Laura Jacoby

Tullo Migliorini

EMI Records

Maureen LynchOperations ManagerAcademy of Music

Cornell WoodHead UsherAcademy of Music

Academy of Music Ushers

Debra Malinics AdvertisingDesign Concept

Kalnin GraphicsPrinting

Center City Film and Video

Vanessa HabershawCommunity Programs Volunteer

Lt. Vicki FloodCommunity Programs Volunteer

Thomas SauermanCommunity Programs Volunteer

20112012Opera Company of Philadelphia

Carmen

September 30, October 2m, 5, 9m, & 142011

The Abduction from the Seraglio

February 17, 19m, 22, 24 & 26m2012

Elegy for Young Lovers*

March 14, 16 & 18m, 20122012

Manon Lescaut

April 20, 22m, 25, 27 & 29m2012

Dark Sisters

June 8, 10m, 13, 15 &17m2012

* The Kimmel Center Presents Curtis Opera Theatre’s production in association with Opera Company of Philadelphia

OPERA at the Academy

AURORA SERIES Chamber Opera at the Perelman