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Toreador from Carmen - Bizet

The song Toreador is from George Bizet's Opera called "Carmen".  Here is a quick summary of the story...

It's Spain and it's hot and Carmen, a beautiful woman and massive flirt, is leaving her job at the local cigarette factory.  She sees Jose, a soldier who had recently been assigned to her area of town, and decides that she is interested in him.  He's having none of it.  Suddenly a massive fight between Carmen and another factory worker breaks out and Carmen is to blame.  Thanks to Jose she escapes arrest.  Later, at a local cafe, Carmen begins flirting with Jose again and this time Jose flirts right back.  
But Jose's boss isn't happy when he finds Carmen and Jose at the cafe because now Jose is late for work.  The angry boss insults Carmen and Jose defends her by punching his boss.  Jose get sent to jail because of this.  One month later Jose gets out of jail and goes to look for Carmen.  He finds out that Carmen had begun dating a Matador*.  Jose was not happy about this and he and the Matador being fighting.  The Matador kills a bull as it comes rushing towards them and in an awful twist of events Jose kills Carmen!  This is certainly a story that does not have a happy ending...an you thought that Opera was boring.
​*Matador - a bull fighter

Picture

Georges Bizet is considered to be a great French opera composer. Both of his parents were professional musicians. Georges’ mother played piano and Georges’ father was a composer and a singing teacher.  He gave Georges his first music lessons at the age of 4. 

Because George had such exceptional musical talents whn was 9, he entered the Paris Conservatory of Music where learned to write music and play instruments.  He was considered a master of the piano at age 14, won a First Prize for piano, and was encouraged to write compositions for the piano.  He wrote over 150 pieces of music for the piano. He also won several awards while at the conservatory: the Offenbach First Prize for comic opera and also the Grand Prix de Rome in 1857.  Georges went on to study in Italy, but returned to Paris to teach music.  In 1875, he wrote Carmen, a four-act opera. The opera was based on a story by Merimee.  Georges incorporated Spanish rhythms in his music specifically to set the stage for the story. 

Listen to "Les Toreadors" (Toreador Is another way of referring to a Matador, bull fighter​) form Bizet's Carmen.


All of the students from Stamford will be singing along with part of this song.  The words are below along with a link to help you to learn the song.

Toreador, on guard!
Toreador!  Toreador!
And, as you fight just think that from above
Dark eyes send their regard
With promises of love, Toreador,
With promises of love
​
LINK TO SONG HERE

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  • Home
  • Chorus Plans 3/17 and 3/20/2023
  • Grade 5
  • Grade 4
  • Grade 3
  • Grade 2
  • Grade 1
  • Kindergarten
  • Link Up 2023
  • Autism Awareness Month 2023