Bizet's orchestration for Don Procopio is notably refined, featuring two harps, a guitar, and a mandolin in addition to a classical orchestra.
Recording & Production
This recording of Bizet's Don Procopio was made live in November 1998 at the Lutoslawski studio of the Polish Radio in Warsaw.
Composition History
Bizet composed Don Procopio while living in Rome at Villa Medici, as a recipient of the prestigious Prix de Rome.
Composition History
Don Procopio was never staged during Bizet's lifetime; its premiere took place in 1906 in Monte Carlo, but in an 'enlarged' version.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bizet described his work on Don Procopio in a letter to his mother, stating, 'I made all these efforts to attain comicality and distinction; let's hope that I have succeeded'.
Composer Biography
Don Procopio was not Bizet's first opera; it was preceded by two shorter works, La Maison du Docteur and Le Docteur Miracle.
Composition History
The version of Don Procopio recorded here, which is Bizet's original, was not staged until 1958 in Strasbourg.
