Bizet-Serebrier: Carmen Symphony / Bizet: L'Arlesienne Suites Nos. 1 and 2
1/1/2005, 20 Tracks, 1:09:28
Featuring
José Serebrier
Magdalena Martínez
Magdalena Barrera
Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluñya
Georges Bizet
Did you know?
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Cultural Impact
Despite its initial failure, Carmen became a national symbol in France, with over 2,000 performances in Paris by 1938.
Composition History
Bizet's opera Carmen was based on a book by Prosper Mérimée, with a libretto prepared by Ludovic Halévy (Bizet's cousin by marriage) and Henri Meilhac.
Composition History
The incidental music for L'arlésienne, a play by Alphonse Daudet, lasted less than three weeks on stage, leading Bizet to create an orchestral suite from it.
Critical Reception
At its premiere, Bizet's Carmen was met with complete silence from the audience, who found the subject matter offensive.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bizet never visited Spain, but his portrayal of Spanish life, music, and understanding of Romani people in Carmen is described as instinctive and real.
Compositional Technique
Bizet was one of the first composers to use the saxophone, featuring it in L'arlésienne and inspiring its use in José Serebrier's Carmen Symphony.
Composer Biography
Georges Bizet, the composer of the music on this album, died at age 36, believing his opera Carmen had completely failed.
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