Bizet Carmen Opera Score Editions

In Georges Bizet's Carmen--the latest volume in the Oxford Keynotes series--author Nelly Furman explores the evolution of Carmen's story and its meaning illuminating how the titular heroine has maintained her status as a universally recognizable cultural icon.

Here is the stunning complete Carmen Symphony orchestrated by José Serebrier and masterfully transcribed by Donald Patterson for the U.S. Marine Band. Comprised of twelve ?scenes? from Bizet's opera thisis a welcome addition to the repertoire for mature wind bands. Dur: 33:00

Canadian Brass. Includes favorite tunes from Bizet's opera from the overture the Habanera the Act 1 duet (Jose and Micaela) and the Toreador Song.

Vocal Score-Bizet died on 3rd June 1875 exactly three months after the first performance of his Carmen which had met with a cool reception. This caused the already undermined composer to fall into a depression which most probably led him to take his own life. The following October Carmen was a triumph in Vienna and ever since this opera has been considered an all-time classic. Inspired by the tale of the same name by Prosper Mérimée (1845) the opera tells the story of the gypsy girl Carmen: a free passionate spirit she generously gives herself in love yet fights off all attempts to tie her down. Bizet invented music to suit her character: impetuous and passionate. Andhe turns Spain (a country he never actually visited) into a land of violent passion. Speaking of this opera the philosopher Nietzsche said 'When we listen to Carmen we too become a masterpiece'.

'Carmen' is one of the most popular and most frequently performed operas across the globe. Its world premiere was a flop. Nevertheless the opera very quickly gained acceptance at all major theatres bringing in its wake countless arrangements of some particularly beautiful music numbers among them the Carmen Fantasia for violin and orchestra by the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate.It was in all probability Bizet's close friend and fellow student Ernest Guiraud who brought 12 numbers of the opera together to form two orchestral suites. The missing singing voices were replaced by instruments as was common practice in such cases. In addition to the two pocketscores full score and orchestral parts are available as hire material.

Although almost unanimously condemned by contemporary Parisian critics for its overt sexuality and graphic final scene Carmen ultimately reached the public in a way that perhaps no other opera has. Bizet's aim (with Meilhac and Halevy who wrote the libretto) had been to transform the flaccid moralistic bourgeois genre of opéra comique into a more sophisticated type of staged work and he seems to have suceeded in Carmen. Each character has a musical significance and a unique expressive idiom the ultimate example being the dangerous exotic sensual Carmen herself depicted by an exotic and sinewy chromatic motive that also implies the insurmountable power of fate. Ina classic plot device she is contrasted with the 'good girl' of the opera Micaela whose main aria is set in the ternary form of the elevated bel canto French Grand Opera aria to imply her traditionally 'ladylike' retiring nature. Don José's musical styles reflect different levels in his descent from dutiful soldier to the underworld of obsession. This is the Schirmer edition of the Vocal Score with an English translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin.