I am an avid reader and really enjoy some of the classics. Two of my favorite books are Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and The count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Both books have screen adaptations while Les Miserables, as you probably know, is also a musical production. However, another one of the classics I read was Carmen by Prosper Merimee ( To be honest it was hard to get though). This story too has been adapted to many features including an opera which was composed by Georges Bizet. I have watched parts of it just to see how it relates to the book. But like many other adaptations it leaves out a lot of detail and changes the aspect of some characters. The opera only covers a portion of the book also. BUT I did want to bring your attention to a song from the opera of Carmen “Habanera”. I’m sure many of you will recognize the tune as soon as it starts playing. I think this clip though showcases a lot of the points we are reviewing about operas (costume, productions, aria, chorus, and the orchestra). Just an F.Y.I. Habanera, as best as I can describe, is a flirtatious banter between Carmen and the soldiers.
Dana, do you have the NPR text? There’s an entry for ‘habanera’ in there. Can you look it up and add it in another comment? If not, let us know and maybe somebody else can clarify it. Thanks, nice choice here!
Hi Dana,
I am familiar with Les Miserables, I first watched it when I was 10-12 y/o, long before I became proficient in English. I remember not understanding a single word but I enjoyed seeing the musical, the construction of it was phenomenal, I definitely have to watch it soon.
I’m not familiar with the opera, Carmen. Thank you for sharing the clip, I do see how it reflects the topics that we are learning this week.
Best,
-AM