Les Dragons d’Alcala (The Dragoons of Alcala), from Carmen (violin cello duo)

Title: Les Dragons d’Alcala (The Dragoons of Alcala) from the opera Carmen

Composer: Georges Bizet, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin and Cello

Printout: 4 pages

Note: This stately march is played as an entr’acte to Act II of Carmen. The tune is sung by Don José later in the act, just before his entrance. Musically it juxtaposes and contrasts the characters of Don José and Escamillo, the toreador, who are rivals for Carmen’s affections. A dragoon, by the way, was a lightly armed soldier who fought both on horseback and on foot, sort of a halfway point between cavalry and infantry.

In the opera score, the opening theme is played by bassoons. Here it is given to the cello.

Les Dragons is included in the Bargain Bundle Carmen, Selected Highlights for violin and cello, Set 2.