Rodrigo: Concierto Pastoral / Ibert: Flute Concerto / Borne: Carmen Fantasy

Featuring

John Neschling
Sharon Bezaly
Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo
Joaquín Rodrigo
Francois Borne
Jacques Ibert

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Composition History

Joaquín Rodrigo composed the Concierto pastoral for flute and orchestra in 1978 specifically for the Irish flautist James Galway.

Composer Biography

Joaquín Rodrigo, composer of the Concierto pastoral, was blind from the age of three and spent time in Paris in the 1920s and 1930s to hone his craft.

Composition History

François Borne's Fantaisie brillante sur des airs de 'Carmen' is an adaptation that brought the opera's music into the concert hall, though Borne himself is little known.

Cultural Impact

Prosper Mérimée, author of the short story Carmen, famously claimed that 'Africa begins on the other side of the Pyrenees' to explain the exotic appeal of Spain.

Historical Context

For a long time, Spain was largely 'terra incognita' on the musical map of Europe for its neighbor France, despite their shared border.

Critical Reception

Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, despite its later immense success, was received with 'indignant silence' at its 1875 premiere in Paris, perhaps due to its 'earthy and provocative' subject matter.