Prelude
The first movement, Prelude, is taken from the prelude to Act I of the opera which immediately follows the overture. It creates an atmosphere of suspense by featuring a low, slow melody in the celli, clarinets and bassoons above tremolos in the violins. It shows how well the bassoon in particular can blend in with celli yet add to the tone. The music gradually builds, becoming louder and more agitated with repeated notes in the melody leading into the final orchestra chord.
Aragonaise
The Aragonaise is the entr'acte to Act IV which, with its seductive Latin rhythms and tambourine, accompanies scenes where the crowd gathers to watch the bull-fight; the strings accompanying pizzicato passages create the impression of guitar playing. The opening oboe solo demonstrates a bright quality to instrument; the melody being based on an Andalusian folk song. This is followed a rising semiquaver passage on the clarinet and piccolo demonstrating their dexterity. This idea is repeated before all the wind instruments begin a call and response passage with the strings, showing the range of colours the woodwind section presents with the flute, oboe and clarinet playing together. The strings then take the melody, accompanied by low trills on the clarinet and bassoon followed by high trills on the flute and piccolo. The opening oboe melody returns, but the clarinet is added to change the tone and give it a fuller sound. The movement ends with the opening oboe solo, followed by solo flute playing flowing scales and finishing on high chord with the 2nd flute. This creates a very pure, sweet tone which isn’t affected by the clarinets added to it in the next bar; the oboe is most likely omitted to preserve the purity of the sound.
Intermezzo
The Intermezzo is the entr'acte to Act III; a moment of calm in the midst of chaos. It begins with broken chords on the harp before the flute solo begins. This is one of the purest solos in the flute repertoire, high in the flutes range but with long smooth melodic lines to create a serene texture with the harp. It shows the beauty of the flute at the top of its range, but also the dynamic control that is achievable that high. The clarinet then repeats the flute opening melody an octave lower while the flute adds a countermelody above sustained low string chords. The use of the clarinet continues the purity of tone, like at the end of the Aragonaise. The opening flute motif is then passed around the woodwind section in various different keys, starting with the cor anglais and bassoon, the flute and clarinet then the oboe and bassoon. The oboe is rarely used in this movement; the clarinet mainly covers that part of the register. The cor anglais is used much more instead, most likely because the shape of the bell means the cor anglais tone is less nasal, so more in keeping with the tone of the movement. As the music builds, more woodwind instruments are added to the melodic line and the string countermelody becomes more elaborate and dominant. The music gradually dies away, still based on the opening flute motif. It is echoed around the woodwind, by the clarinet, cor anglais, 2nd flute and finally the 1st flute which brings about the final chord to end the movement.
The Seguedille (a Spanish dance) from Act I is used by
Carmen to describe her passion for free living and loving. The oboe replaces
the vocal line, showing the ability of the instrument to mimic a singer's voice. The
trumpet is added on top of the oboe; the two instruments blending perfectly.
The clarinet then replaces the trumpet before the strings and flute are added
for the final reprise. In the mean time, the other wind instruments play
detached chords alongside the strings.
Les Dragons d'Alcala, the entr'acte to Act II, is a march in a 'toy' military style that opens the second act. The bassoons begin with the melody, accompanied by pizzicato string chords and snare drum. This creates a very jokey, comical element to the movement; the bassoon is often thought of as the clown of the orchestra. A call and response passage between the strings and the flutes and clarinets changes the mood before the opening theme returns on the clarinets accompanied by a walking bass motif on the bassoons to change the sound of the melody. String pizzicato chords and snare drum are added towards the end to mark a change of mood when the flute takes over the opening melody but in a legato style, accompanied by sustained strings chords to create a sleepy mood. The motif is then shared around the oboe, clarinet and bassoon before the last 3 chords form the perfect cadence to finish.
Les Toreadors
Les Toreadors is the overture to the opera and describes the brilliant parade of the
Toreadors on their way to the bull ring in Seville. This is perhaps the most famous excerpt from the opera; the
joyous, celebratory melody set above a descending brass accompaniment and
liberal use of the cymbals creates a real festival atmosphere. The upper
woodwind double the violins on the melody whilst the bassoon joins the cello
line, showing how the woodwind can change the colour of a line when doubling
strings. The middle passage is a reference to Escamillo’s “Toreador” aria from
Act IV. It begins with staccato chords in the brass, followed by the vocal line
being covered by piano strings; reminiscent of big Italian opera arias. A
woodwind flourish leads in a repeat of the theme an octave higher with wind
doubling. The music builds, with trills from the string and upper woodwind
leading back into the opening theme which marches on into a dramatic
climax.
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