Georges Bizet (George BEE-zay) was a Romantic composer: “Romantic harmonies! Like those of Tchaikovsky, and Mendelssohn, Brahms, Holst, and Grieg, all shared their own stories. Ohhhhh, this is the Musical Timeline. It starts with the Early Age, then it’s Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical, Romantic, and not to forget the Modern Day!”

Bizet wrote the opera Carmen. An opera is a story told through song. An opera prelude is the music that you hear right before the opera begins. Preludes generally include the melodies of songs you will hear later in the opera. Bizet’s Prélude to Carmen has a lively and energetic opening marked with the use of timpani, cymbals, and triangles. The opening is followed by a more lyrical aria that you will hear later in the opera, and the prelude concludes with more fast and exciting music. Bizet wants the music to sound like crowds gathering for a bullfight.

Carmen tells the story of a beautiful woman in Seville, Spain. Many men fall in love with Carmen, including Don Jose and the bullfighter, or toreador, Escamillo. At first, Carmen is in love with Don Jose; later, however, she chooses to be with Escamillo. At the end, Carmen is going to one of Escamillo’s bullfights when she sees Don Jose. Right when Escamillo defeats the bull, Don Jose murders Carmen in his jealousy.

I was able to travel to Seville a couple of summers ago. Check out the pictures below of the city at sunset, a plaque noting the street where Carmen met Don Jose and Escamillo, a typical street in Sevilla, and scenes from a bullfight.