Selections from "Carmen"

Georges Bizet

General Info

Year: 1875 / 2018
Duration: c. 3:45
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: C. Sharp Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $70.00; (digital) - $70.00 | Score Only (print) - $5.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III, including:

Bells
Castanets, mounted
Conga
Crash Cymbals
Hi-Hat
Marimba
Ride Cymbal
Snare Drum
Suspended Cymbal
Vibraphone
Xylophone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Georges Bizet's Carmen is perhaps the best known of all operas. It enjoys the unique distinction of containing within it no less than five widely recognized melodies. As such it has been exploited over the past few decades as the background music for everything from television commercials to video games to the soundtrack of the 1976 Little League baseball film, The Bad News Bears.

First performed in 1875, Bizet's work tells the story of a love triangle between naïve soldier, Don José, his love interest, the fiery gypsy girl Carmen, and the dashing matador Escamillo with whom Carmen is infatuated. Written in the French opéra comique style, where musical numbers are separated by periods of spoken dialogue, the story is anything but comic, as themes of betrayal and death are played out.

For this medley of tunes from the opera, some of the most recognizable themes are presented, including the Fate motive, the tango-like Habanera, and the iconic Toreador Song. They are arranged as a continuous overture, with each song progressing directly into the next. Many textures and instrumental combinations are employed to simulate the various songs and arias being accompanied by the opera orchestra.

After the Fate theme introduction, the Habanera section features a solo alto saxophone against the full ensemble's punctuations. Alto-range instruments combine for the stately bullfight section of the Toreador Song, and the full ensemble joins in for the up-tempo march section. Percussion is used extensively through this arrangement, including a short mallets-only break in the middle of the Toreador Song featuring a passage from the opera's Danse Bohéme (Gypsy dance).

- Program Note from score

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

Santa Fe College (Gainesville, Fla.) Wind Ensemble (Steve Bingham, conductor) – 9 April 2019

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Carmen Fantasy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Park) (1875/2017)
Children's Chorus from "Carmen Suite" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1875/2017)
Farandole from L'Arlésienne Suite No.2 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kataoka) (1872/2014)
Habañera (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (19875/2016)

All Wind Works

Adagietto (Brass Quintet) (arr. Hautvast)
Adagietto (Clarinet Quartet) (arr. Hautvast)
Adagietto (Saxophone Quartet) (arr. Hautvast)
Adagietto (Woodwind Quartet) (arr. Hautvast)
Adagio from Bizet Symphony (arr. Brand)
Andante (arr. Van Der Beek)
Au fond du temple saint (arr. Johnson) (1863/2017)
Carmen (tr. McAlister; ed. Reed) (1875/2000)
A Carmen Celebration (arr. Cacavas) (1875/2010)
Carmen Fantasia (arr. Hunsberger) (1875/2004)
Carmen Fantasy (arr. Ito) (1875/2009)
Carmen Fantasy (arr. Sostac) (1875/2011)
Carmen Fantasy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Park) (1875/2017)
Carmen Fantasy (arr. Suzuki) (1875/2001)
Carmen Fantasy (arr. Tobani and Kent) (1875/1947)
Carmen: Habanera (arr. Zugrov) (1875/2015)
Carmen Highlights (arr. Williams) (1875)
Carmen Suite (arr. Bullock) (1875/1983)
Carmen Suite (arr. Guirard; tr. Buckley) (1875/2018)
Carmen Suite (arr. Holcombe and Holcombe Jr.) (1875/1998)
Carmen Suite (arr. Sheen) (1875/1991)
Carmen Symphony (tr. Serebrier; ed. Patterson) (1875)
Children's Chorus from "Carmen Suite" (Adaptable Band) (arr. Fisher) (1875/2017)
Duet from "The Pearl Fishers" (arr. de Meij) (1875/2016)
Farandole (arr. Bocook) (1872/2002)
Farandole (1872/1988)
Farandole (arr. Daehn) (1872)
Farandole (arr. Iasilli) (1872/1936)
Farandole from L'Arlésienne Suite No.2 (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Kataoka) (1872/2014)
Farandole (arr. Schaefer) (1872)
Farandole (arr. Longfield) (1872/1993)
Flower Song from “Carmen” (arr. Harding) (1875)
Gypsy Dance (arr. Reed) (1872/1997)
Habañera (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Stanton) (19875/2016)
Habañera from "Carmen" (trans. Odom) (1875)
Jeux d'enfants (arr. Di Scala)
Intermezzo (arr. Sharp) (1875/2002)
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1 (arr. Finck) (1932)
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1 (arr. Laurendeau) (1905)
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 (arr. Finck; tr. Duthoit) (1872/1932)
L’Arlésienne Suite No 2 (tr. C. Godfrey; ed. McAlister and Reed) (1872/2002)
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 (arr. Sorlin) (1872/2005)
Minisuite from Carmen (arr. Marlatt) (1875)
Minuet from "L’Arlésienne Suite" (arr. Walko) (1872/)
Music from Carmen (arr. Saucedo) (1875)
Open Thy Heart (arr. Glover) (1859/2014)
Overture to "The Pearl Fishers" (arr. Cailliet) (1863/1956)
Pastorale and Intermezzo (arr. Lake) (1924)
Petite Suite: Jeux d'Enfants (arr. Brand) (1871/1999)
Selections from Bizet’s Carmen
Selections from "Carmen" (arr. Dunnigan) (1875/2021)
Selections from "Carmen" (arr. Musser) (1875/1941)
Selections from "Carmen" (arr. Safranek) (1875/1912)
Selections from "Carmen" (arr. Sharp) (1875)
Selections from "The Pearl Fishers" (arr. Lake) (1875/1921)
Suite: Jeux d'Enfants (arr. Brand). See: Petite Suite: Jeux d'Enfants
Suite from "Carmen" (arr. Curnow) (1875)
Suite from "Carmen" (arr. D. Godfrey) (1875/1915)
Toreador Song (arr. Barnes) (1875/1988)
Toreador Song (arr. Barrow) (1875/1976)
Two Bizet Pieces (arr. Frackenpohl)
Votre Toast (arr. Cray) (1875)

Resources

Carmen, Wikipedia Accessed 9 April 2019
Chris Sharp, personal correspondence, April 2019
Chris Sharp website Accessed 9 April 2019