Georges Bizet’s Carmen is arguably the most beloved opéra comique in the operatic repertoire. Even those who haven’t seen the opera will nonetheless likely know a surprising number of its famous tunes, though many listeners will be unaware (as I was!) that the melodies are not Spanish folk music or at the very least tunes invented by quintessentially Spanish composers like Albeniz and Granados, such is the extent that their rhythms and melodic contours seem to capture the essence of Spain. What makes this all the more surprising is the fact that the Frenchman Bizet never set foot on Spanish soil!
My Carmen Fantasy is in the tradition of the “salon fantasy”, which combines well-known opera tunes with instrumental virtuosity in a sort of medley/variation format. Needless to say, Bizet’s incredible music provides the perfect source of material for such a project, and over the course of the piece I draw on several of the opera’s most famous themes, including the coquettish “Près des ramparts de Séville”, the beautiful tenor aria “La fleur que tu m’avais jetée”, the energetic “Gypsy Song” and of course the Habañera with its chromatic melody which perfectly captures Carmen’s sensuality and passion. The piece was commissioned by Fandango!, the four instruments (and their players!) of which provided the ideal combination of colours and instrumental abilities to suit the musical material.
