through his Carmen. The
Bohemian dance in that opera was taken from it and interpolated into
the fourth act of Carmen.

Bizet died only three months after the production of this last opera,
but he had lived long enough to know that he had become one of the
world's great composers. He wrote exquisite pastoral music for
"l'Arlesienne"--whose story was adapted from Daudet's novel of that
name. In short, Bizet was the pioneer in a new school of French opera,
doing for it in a less measure what Wagner has finally done for the
whole world.

This genius left few anecdotes or personal reminiscences behind him.
The glory of his compositions alone seems to stand for his existence.

CARMEN

CHARACTERS OF THE OPERA WITH THE ORIGINAL CAST, AS PRESENTED AT THE
FIRST PERFORMANCE

Don Jose, Corporal of Dragoons M. Lherie
Escamillo, Toreador M. Bouhy
Zuniga, Captain of Dragoons M. Dufriche
Morales, Officer M. Duvernoy
Lillas Pastia, Innkeeper M. Nathan
Carmen, Gipsy-girl Mme. Galli-Marie
Michaela, a Village Maiden Mlle. Chapuy
Frasquita Mlle. Ducasse
Mercedes Mlle. Chevalier
El Dancairo }
El Remendado } Smugglers.
A guide.
Dragoons, gypsies, smugglers, cigarette-girls, street-boys, etc.

The time of the story is 1820, and it takes place in and near Seville.

Composer: Georges Bizet.

Book: H. Meilhac and L. Halevy.

First sung at the Opera Comique, Paris, March 3, 1875.

I knew a boy who once said: "That soldier thing in 'Carmen' is the
most awful bully thing to whistle a fellow ever heard; but if you
don't get it just right, it doesn't sound like anything," which was a
mistake, because if you don't get it "just right" it sounds something
awful. That boy's whistle was twenty per cent. better than his syntax,
but his judgment about music was pretty good, and we shall have the
soldier song in the very beginning, even before learning how it
happens, because it is the thing we are likely to recall, in a shadowy
sort of way, throughout the first act:

[Music:

With the guard on duty going
Marching onward, here we are!
Sound, trumpets merrily blowing!
Ta ra ta ta ta ra ta ta.

On we tramp, alert and ready,
Like young soldiers ev'ry one;--
Heads up and footfall steady,
Left! right! we're marching on!

See how straight our shoulders are,
Ev'ry