ARTicles vol.4 i.1: From an Orchestra to Two Pianos

Georges Bizet wrote Carmenfor the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1875, and its structure is similar to what we experience with a musical or operetta: musical numbers alternating with spoken scenes. Unlike most operettas, however, Carmenhas at its core a carefully written libretto. The scene between Micaëla and Don José, for example, contains beautifully constructed language in the dialogue and then in the fully-scored duet. As we were developing our production, the energy of the music seemed to interrupt a gentle, spoken scene. And so we trusted that when the spoken word elides into the sung word, the melody becomes a natural extension of the music in the language. “Je te revois, ô mon village …,” without accompaniment, is no longer a scored duet for two compatriots in a foreign land: it is a shared memory expressed through the melody of a folk song; and it has no need to present itself as anything more.

That’s not to say we don’t hunker down and release the full-throttle singing that so passionately communicates this story; but I have yet to know an opera score which contains more of the dynamic ppp (extremely soft, pianississimo) than Carmen. This call for intimacy in a score known more for its brilliant musical colors was reason alone to trust a chamber interpretation. We previously had adapted five Mozart operas, and we wanted to create our Carmenwith the same core ensemble of singer-actors: Jennifer Baldwin Peden, Christina Baldwin, and myself. Considering the dynamics of our ensemble, and knowing the direction we wanted to go with the production, it made sense to Dominique [Serrand] that I take the role of Don José. As a baritone, I was presented the challenge of performing a tenor role. So we have taken a liberty here and there with the part, actually only transposing (lowering) the key of one scene, finding an occasional alternate passage, or honoring Bizet’s softer dynamic markings. That taken care of, we focused on taking advantage of our sense of ensemble to create the world of these characters with equal emphasis on language and melody.

Relying solely upon the sinewy strength of voice and body to create these characters demanded an instrumental parallel. The power one can feel in the presence of a pianist who uses every muscle seemed the right solution for a musical score which requires not just the robust forte, but also a complete control of the piano. And so our chamber (or intimate) Carmen has two fine pianists creating the landscape of sound. I have scored one piano to complement the gentleness of Micaëla and the latent, flawed passion of José; the other the chromatic strength of Carmen and the suave rhythm of Escamillo. Together and apart, these four hands orchestrate their own duets with a palpable amount of concentrated, full-bodied energy – the mirror of the four characters on the stage.

Bradley Greenwald is the Musical Adaptor of Carmenand plays Don José.4-11