Halffter was commissioned to write the film score for Carmen in 1926, his first of a dozen such commissions for cinema, when he was only twenty-one years old.
Interpretation
The conductor, Mark Fitz-Gerald, had to do extensive work to prepare the score for live performance, as the original manuscript had many ambiguities and inconsistencies.
Compositional Technique
Halffter's Carmen score includes subtle allusions to works by composers like Debussy, Stravinsky, Manuel de Falla, and Ravel, integrated into his own inventive style.
Composer Biography
Ernesto Halffter, born in Madrid, began composing at age thirteen and his early work attracted the attention of Manuel de Falla, who became his teacher.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Halffter's score for Carmen uses "old regional themes and Andalusian rhythms" to create local color, while avoiding the sentimentality of Bizet's opera.
Historical Context
The film Carmen (1926), for which this music was written, was the 33rd film adaptation of the story, making it one of the most adapted stories in cinema history.
Recording & Production
This recording is the world première of Halffter's Carmen score and the first performance to fully realize the composer's musical intentions.
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