Walter Myers - Carmen

7. Love Has Flown Away (variation)

Arranged by Kwame Brandt-Pierce

“El Ritmo del Barrio” (variation on a theme from Carmen) Arranged by Kwame Brandt-Pierce

Kwame is a young composer-arranger. I asked him to put together some arrangements of Bizet’s music that would reflect a modern musical scene. Here he does a spirited and rousing rendition of one of the opera’s pieces, an entr’acte, by adding merengue rhythm and instrumentation. This version reminded me of the section of Harlem that was called Spanish Harlem, with its mixture of music from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, which is why I use it as the “rhythm of the neighborhood” in this book.

“La Habanera”

Carmen introduces herself through this song. Using a Habanera, a Cuban dance form, she expresses the idea that love, for her, is a risky business. I love this song because I know that love in many inner cities is really risky. But either something she sees in José attracts her, or else she recognizes some need in herself to fall in love. The music is lilting and invites the listener to get up and dance! Bizet understood this Cuban music, which bears a strong African influence.

“La Seguidilla”

Here, Carmen has been arrested for fighting but she challenges José to release her! This is a bold move on her part, and the music for it comes from a Spanish folk dance. The dance involves intricate steps and virtually dares José to respond. Will he give in to her charms? Will he take the risk that this inner-city woman urges and prove his love for her? Or will he turn away and do his duty as a police officer? Carmen tells José to release her and meet her later at a neighborhood club she knows. The women of Bizet’s opera, working in a cigarette factory, would have been familiar with this style of music.

“Destiny Theme”

Bizet tells us right from the beginning that Carmen is going to end badly. Before the story even starts, in the Prelude, we hear the music ending with this dark, foreboding theme. Bad things are going to happen, Bro, and you better get ready for it! The idea of Carmen’s death comes up again and again in this opera. Carmen confronts it most directly in the card scene when she sees the prediction of death. But for me, the most ominous sign is this heavy, heavy musical theme.

“The Toreador Song”

I don’t really believe that Carmen loves Escamillo, this Jay-Z wannabe! What is really going on here is that she sees her relationship with José is seriously wack and that anybody would be better than this dude. But can she break away from him? There is the scene at the concert, and everything seems cool, but Carmen’s girlfriends warn her that José is nearby. Escamillo raps over music that is played in the beat of a march. The rhythm here denotes the grand entrance of the toreador (a made-up word-it should be torero) into a bullfighting arena, but it could also be a signal that Carmen thinks it is time to move on.

“Love Has Flown Away” (“L’Entr’acte,” in the original opera) and

“Love Has Flown Away” (variation on a theme from Carmen) Arranged by Kwame Brandt-Pierce

The term entr’acte literally means “between the acts.” This music is traditionally played between the acts of an opera or play and can be used to give the actors a breather, allow time to change sets, or to set the mood for what is coming in the next act of the piece. The entr’acte between Acts II and III of Carmen is a beautiful piece of music that I love and feel expresses Carmen’s realization that, by allowing herself to fall in love again, she’s also opened herself up to be hurt again. These are my lyrics, inspired by Bizet’s music. Kwame Brandt-Pierce, also inspired by this piece, makes it soar with a pulsating Latin beat suggesting Carmen’s return to her roots and away from the troubled José.

(variation)

[1] The author would like to thank Kwame Brandt-Pierce for his modern take on Georges Bizet’s music; Daniel Burwasser, PhD, of New York City’s Talent Unlimited High School for the Performing Arts, for his advice on the scores; and Julio and Rob Guzman and Nico Medina for their help on the Spanish text. [1] A musical symbol within the text points out which songs can be found in the back of the book.