Votre toast (Toreador Song)

Opera details:

Opera title:	Carmen
Composer:	Georges Bizet
Language:	French
Synopsis:	Carmen Synopsis
Libretto:	Carmen Libretto
Translation(s):	English Deutsch

Aria details:

Also known as:	Toreador Song
Type:	aria
Role(s):	Escamillo / Chorus
Voice(s):	Bass-Baritone
Act:	2.04

Previous scene:	Vivat! vivat le Torero
Next scene:	Nous avons en tete une affaire

Pol Plançon - Carmen: Votre toast [Couplets du Toréador] - Recorded 1903 #RARE

Singer: Pol Plançon

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Plançon, the star basse chantante near the turn of the 20th century, sang Escamillo a handful of times, usually resulting in less critical enthusiasm for this part than for any other role he essayed. Critics complained that his interpretation was too cool, too refined and elegant—less the fiery Latin temperament and declamatory singing style to which they had grown accustomed in their on-stage Toreadors.

Nevertheless, the ease with which he tosses off the notes (transposed a half step down as they are), the clarity of the diction, the finesse of the tiny but essential ornaments, paint a picture of the "Toreador contento." Never has this been sung in such way that feels so... *Spanish.*

Indeed Herman Klein said:

It is not with the swinging march refrain, however, that the singer finds any difficulty, but rather the extended compass, the swift, sudden contrasts, the whirl and animation of the descriptive narrative depicting the bull-fight in song. The nature of the task is proved by the fact that although the crowd loves and applauds and encores it, the Toreador's Song very seldom creates the impression of being sung with ease and elegance by a true espada, a typical Spaniard, a man to whom the danger of a pretty face is far more serious than the rush of an Andalusian bull. That was how Del Puente and Lassalle and PLANÇON contrived to make you feel. But not very often, I am sorry to say, can you feel so nowadays[.]

Watch videos with other singers performing Votre toast:

Bizet CarmenToreador song Laurent Naouri 631

6 - Laurent Naouri

Dmitri Hvorostovsky The Toreador Song 180554

6 - Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Erwin Schrott Votre Toast Toreador Song 2009 57065

6 - Erwin Schrott

Carlos Alvarez Toreador Song Faenol 2007 204622

6 - Carlos Álvarez

Ruggero Raimondi Carmen Votre toast 204623

6 - Ruggero Raimondi

5 - Luciano Pavarotti

Ildebrando D Arcangelo Votre toast HD Wiener Staatsoper 2010 210485

6 - Ildebrando D'Arcangelo

Ildar Abdrazakov Votre toast je peux vous le rendre ToreadorAria 210488

7 - Ildar Abdrazakov

Carmen Teddy Tahu Rhodes Votre Toast Je Peux Vous Le Rendre 2600

6 - Teddy Tahu Rhodes

Carmen 26 Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Toreador en garde 2613

7 - Alexander Vinogradov

6 - Sesto Bruscantini

Carmen WD 31 Act 2 Scene 2 No 14 Couplets Votre toast je peux vous le rendre 57201

6 - Ernest Blanc

Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Carmen 57209

6 - Martial Singher

Bizet Carmen Act 2 Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Toreador en garde 2633

6 - Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau

Carmen Act II No14 Couplets Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Toreador en garde 2625

6 - Ludovic Tézier
6 - Nicolas Rivenq
6 - Richard Hale
6 - Thomas Hampson

Votre toastje peux vous le rendre by Bizet 2628

6 - Sherrill Milnes
7 - Robert Lloyd

Simon Estes Votre toast Carmen G Bizet 204658

6 - François Le Roux
6 - Nicolas Rivenq
6 - Simon Estes

Bizet Carmen Act 2 Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Torador en garde 210561

6 - José van Dam
6 - Michel Roux

6 - André Pernet
6 - Charles Santley
6 - Gabriel Bacquier
6 - George London
6 - Robert Massard
6 - Roger Bourdin
7 - Samuel Ramey

Bizet Carmen Votre toast je peux vous le rendre Toreador Song Act Two 57184

6 - José van Dam
7 - Richard Van Allan

Libretto/Lyrics/Text/Testo:

ESCAMILLO
Votre toast ... je peux vous le rendre,
Señors, Señors, car avec les soldats
Oui les toreros peuvent s'entendre,
Pour plaisirs ils ont les combats.
Le cirque est plein, c'est jour de fête,
Le cirque est plein du haut en bas.
Les spectateurs perdant la tête,
Les spectateurs s'interpellent à grands fracas:
Apostrophes, cris et tapage
Poussés jusques à la fureur.
Car c'est la fête du courage,
C'est la fête des gens de cour.
Allons en garde! Allons! Allons! Ah!
Toréador, en garde,
Toréador, toréador,
Et songe bien, oui songe en combattant
Qu'un oeil noir te regarde
Et que l'amour t'attend.
Toréador, l'amour,
L'amour t'attend!

TOUS
Toréador en garde,
Toréador, toréador
En combattant songe qu'un oeil noir te regarde
Et que l'amour t'attend,
Toréador, l'amour, l'amour t'attend!

ESCAMILLO
Tout d'un coup on fait silence;
On fait silence. Ah que se passe-t-il?
Plus de cris; c'est l'instant
Le taureau s'élance en bondissant hors du toril …
Il s'élance, il entre, il frappe, un cheval roule
Entraînant un picador.
Ah bravo toro!, hurle la foule.
Le taureau va ... il vient ... il vient et frappe encor!
En secouant ses banderilles,
Plein de fureur, il court!
Le cirque est plein de sang;
On se sauve, on franchit les grilles;
C'est ton tour maintenant.
Allons en garde! Allons! Allons! Ah!
Toréador, en garde!
Toréador, toréador!
Et songe bien, oui songe en combattant
Qu'un oeil noir te regarde
Et que l'amour t'attend.
Toréador, l'amour t'attend!

TOUS
Toréador en garde!
Toréador! Toréador!
En combattant songe qu'un oeil noir te regarde,
Et que l'amour t'attend.
Toréador, l'amour, l'amour t'attend!

MERCÉDÈS
L'amour!

ESCAMILLO
L'amour!

FRASQUITA
L'amour!

ESCAMILLO
L'amour!

CARMEN
L'amour!

ESCAMILLO
L'amour!

TOUS
Toréador, Toréador!
L'amour t'attend!

English Libretto or Translation:

ESCAMILLO
Your toast ... I can return it to you
Señors, Señors, because with the soldiers
Yes bullfighters can hear each other,
For fun they have fights.
The circus is full, it's a holiday,
The circus is full from top to bottom.
The spectators losing their heads,
The spectators are calling out loudly:
Apostrophes, shouting and noise
Pushed to fury.
Because it's the day of courage,
It's the party of the court people.
Let's go on guard! Come on! Come on! Ah!
Toreador, on guard,
Toreador, toreador,
And think well, yes think fighting
A black eye is watching you
And that love is waiting for you.
Toreador, love,
Love is waiting for you!

ALL
Toreador on guard,
Toreador, Toreador
In battle, think that a black eye is watching you
And that love is waiting for you
Toreador, love, love is waiting for you!

ESCAMILLO
All at once silence is made;
We are silent. Ah what's going on?
No more screams; it's the moment
The bull springs by leaping out of the toril ...
He rushes, he enters, he knocks, a horse rolls
Driving a picador.
Ah bravo toro !, yells the crowd.
The bull goes ... he comes ... he comes and knocks!
By shaking his banderillas,
Full of fury, he runs!
The circus is full of blood;
We escape, we cross the gates;
It's your turn now.
Let's go on guard! Come on! Come on! Ah!
Toreador, on guard!
Toreador, toreador!
And think well, yes think fighting
A black eye is watching you
And that love is waiting for you.
Toreador, love is waiting for you!

ALL
Toreador on guard!
Toreador! Toreador!
In battle, think that a black eye is looking at you,
And that love is waiting for you.
Toreador, love, love is waiting for you!

MERCÉDÈS
Love!

ESCAMILLO
Love!

FRASQUITA
Love!

ESCAMILLO
Love!

CARMEN
Love!

ESCAMILLO
Love!

ALL
Toreador, Toreador!
Love is waiting for you!