L’Arlésienne Suite No 2

From Wind Repertory Project
Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet (trans. Charles Godfrey; rev. and ed. Clark McAlister and Alfred Reed)


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Subtitle: From the Incidental Music

N.b. This transcription is by Charles Godfrey. It is not to be confused with the 1960 transcription of this same suite by Sir Dan Godfrey.


General Info

Year: 1872 / 2002
Duration: c. 12:00
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Orchestra
Publisher: Ludwig Masters Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $90.00


Movements

1. Pastorale
2. Intermezzo
3. Farandole


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II

(percussion detail desired)


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Georges Bizet composed L'Arlésienne as incidental music to Alphonse Daudet's play of the same name, usually translated as "The Girl from Arles." It was first performed on 1 October 1872 at the Vaudeville Theatre. Bizet's music consists of 27 numbers (some only a few bars) for voice, chorus, and small orchestra, ranging from short solos to longer entr'actes. Bizet himself played the harmonium backstage at the premiere performance.

Bizet's suite contains several folk-like themes for the music but also incorporated three existing tunes from a folk-music collection published by Vidal of Aix in 1864: La Marcho di Rei (The March of the Kings), the Danse dei Chivau-Frus, and Er dou Guet. The score achieves powerful dramatic ends with the most economic of means. Still, it received poor reviews in the wake of the premiere and is not much performed nowadays in its original form. The play itself was not successful, closing after only 21 performances. It had been staged as a last-minute replacement for another play, which had been banned by the censors, and the audience was less than favourably disposed to the new play.

The incidental music has survived and flourished, however. It is most often heard in the form of two suites for orchestra, but has also been recorded complete.

- Program Note from Wikipedia


Media


State Ratings

  • Georgia: V
  • Tennessee: VI
  • Virginia: V


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) Wind Symphony (Richard Fisher, conductor) - 30 October 2020
  • Pomona (Calif.) College Band (Stephen Klein, conductor) – 17 November 2019
  • Sequim (Wash.) City Band (Tyler Benedict, conductor) – 10 March 2019


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Bizet, G.; Godfrey, C.; McAlister, C.; Reed, A. (2002). L'Arlésienne : Suite No. 2 from the Incidental Music [score]. Masters Music: Boca Raton, Fla.
  • L'Arlésienne (Bizet), Wikipedia Accessed 24 April 2020