Bring the thrill of opera into your classroom with our new #Operaclass Study Guide to Bizet’s Carmen. Written especially for busy New Zealand music teachers and students, the guide brings together knowledge from a wide range of books, websites, articles and scores, and presents the most valuable information in an accessible way.

Download the guide as a .pdf that you can choose to share with your students’ devices, use with a projector or interactive whiteboard, or print as hard copies. By using the guide as a digital file you will have access to the many hyperlinks to further information and complimentary media such as videos, web pages, lectures, and audio clips.

The contextual information in the first half of the guide is suitable for all NCEA levels. In the analysis section we present an in-depth musical elements and features analysis of some of the key musical numbers of the opera: the striking Prélude, which contains many ‘keys’ to understanding Carmen’s musical and dramatic themes, and the remarkable Habanera, perhaps the most famous of all operatic arias. This analysis comprehensively meets the needs of NCEA Level 1, and provides a firm foundation for Levels 2 and 3. After working through the guide, Level 2 and 3 students can then select one or two more numbers from the opera to analyse (such as the Toreador’s Song or Micaëla’s Air), using the guide as a model for analysis, to complete their requirements.

As a special feature we have created unique Sibelius scores for the two focus pieces that include over 100 analytical comments for students to explore at their own pace and discover the many intriguing musical elements and compositional features used by Bizet.

We’ve even written an NCEA Level 1 assessment task for AS91095v3 that teachers can modify to suit their context, and created a flexible arrangement of the Habanera that you can use in class or with your instrumental ensembles to bring a taste of Carmen to your Music Department.

We know you’ll enjoy getting to know Carmen using this #Operaclass Study Guide, and we look forward to seeing you and your students at the opera!

To order the #operaclass Study Guide: Carmen, an opera by G. Bizet, please fill in the form on this page and we will respond as soon as possible with a link to download the Study Guide, and associated resources, and we will email you an invoice for $100+GST quoting the order number you provided. If you have any questions, please email info@primavolta.co.nz.

Already received your password – Click here to go directly to the Carmen Study Guide.