Great works: Bizet's Carmen
Time: 11:00 - 16:00
Location: Keeley Street
- Course Code: MD038B
- Dates: 10/04/25 - 10/04/25
- Time: 11:00 - 16:00
- Taught: Thu, Daytime
- Duration: 1 session
- Location: Keeley Street
- Tutor: Pauline Greene
Course Code: MD038B
Duration: 1 session
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Bizet was a restively successful opera composer in Paris in the 1860s and 70s. His final opera, Carmen, was a misfit – performed at the wrong theatre by the wrong performers and in the wrong format. We will look at the background of French opera at the time and the reasons for its dramatic lack of success the first time round, as well as pinpointing what went wrong and how its fortunes changes a matter of months afterwards. We will then examine the work in more detail, and see how Bizet tells the story not just by musical means but even by the casting of the main characters.
What will we cover?
- Opera in Paris in the 1870s and the background to the composition of Carmen
- The failure and then success of the opera and the reasons for this
- A more detailed look at individual sections of the work.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand the context of the operas’ composition and first performance
- Understand how Bizet created the effects musically
- Enjoy a selection of moments from different parts of the opera, examined in detail.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels. We may look at a music scores and identify key features of music notation (how many violins are playing, etc…) so this course will be most suitable for those who are curious and ambitious to learn.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
sessions will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, guided listening, video and score study. Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via google classroom. You will be encouraged to do extra reading outside class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online after each session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
To find out more about music history classes Music history courses in London and online which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.
Pauline Greene studied composition at Nottingham University and then composed, performed and was Musical Director with various theatre companies. She taught flute and composition, performing her music across the UK at various venues, including the Southbank Centre and the Edinburgh Festival, with her group The Concert Party, which she managed and directed. She has taught at the Universities of Middlesex and Hertfordshire, and ran the Music Access course at Morley College. She taught at Birkbeck from 1984-2023, moving from Music to Arts Management, and currently lectures on the MA in Events and Experience Management at Goldsmiths. She has given talks at the Royal Opera House, Wigmore Hall and Glyndebourne. At City Lit Pauline teaches a wide range of music history courses, with specialisms in opera, music for dance, theatre and film, musical analysis, and music since 1900. She is still involved in the organisation of small-scale charity concerts and one-off musical events, and she sings and plays with several small groups.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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