Carmen is the largest and best-considered of all Bizet’s works, and one of the best in the modern French repertory.  The overture is short but very brilliant.  After some characteristic choruses by the street lads, soldiers, and cigar-girls, Carmen sings the Havanaise ("Amor, misterioso angelo"), a quaint song in waltz time, the melody being that of an old Spanish song by Tradier, called “El Aveglito.”  A serious duet between Michaela and Don Jose ("Mia madre io la rivedo”) follows, which is very tender in its character.  The next striking number is the dance tempo, “Presso il bastion de Seviglia,” a seguidilla sung by Carmen while bewitching Don Jose.  In the finale, as she escapes, the Havanaise, which is the Carmen motive, is heard again.

The second-act music is peculiarly Spanish in color, particularly that for the ballet.  The opening song of the gypsies in the cabaret, to the accompaniment of the castanets ("Vezzi e anella scintillar"), is bewitching in its rhythm, and is followed in the next scene by a stirring and very picturesque aria ("Toreador attento"), in which Escamillo describes the bull-fight.  A beautifully written quintet ("Abbiamo in vista"), and a strongly dramatic duet, beginning with another fascinating dance tempo ("Voglio danzar pel tuo piacer"), and including a beautiful pathetic melody for Don Jose ("Il fior che avevi"), closes the music of the act.

The third act contains two very striking numbers, the terzetto of the card-players in the smugglers’ haunt ("Mischiam! alziam!"), and Michaela’s aria ("Io dico no, non son paurosa"), the most effective and beautiful number in the whole work, and the one which shows most clearly the effect of Wagner’s influence upon the composer.  In the finale of the act the Toreador’s song is again heard as he disappears in the distance after the quarrel with Don Jose.

The last act is a hurly-burly of the bull-fight, the Toreador’s taking march, the stormy duet between Don Jose and Carmen, and the tragic denouement in which the Carmen motive is repeated.  The color of the whole work is Spanish, and the dance tempo is freely used and beautifully worked up with Bizet’s ingenious and scholarly instrumentation.  Except in the third act, however, the vocal parts are inferior to the orchestral treatment.

BOIELDIEU.

Francois Adrien Boieldieu was born Dec. 16, 1775, at Rouen, France.  Little is known of his earlier life, except that he studied for a time with Broche, the cathedral organist.  His first opera, “La Fille Coupable,” appeared in 1793, and was performed at Rouen with some success.  In 1795 a second opera, “Rosalie et Myrza,” was performed in the same city; after which he went to Paris, where he became acquainted with many prominent musicians, among them Cherubini.  His first Paris opera was the “Famille Suisse” (1797), which had a successful run.  Several other operas followed, besides some excellent pieces of chamber music which