Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (Bizet) Cover Image

Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (Bizet): Full Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts (EDWIN F KALMUS)

$75.00 USD
$75.00 USD
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Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (Bizet) Cover Image
Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (Bizet): Full Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts (EDWIN F KALMUS)

Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25 (Bizet): Full Orchestra, Solo Strings with Ensemble, Conductor Score & Parts (EDWIN F KALMUS)

By Pablo De Sarasate

Item: 36-A198702
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Description
Spanish violin virtuoso and composer Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) was a child prodigy raised in a musical family. Following an education at the Paris Conservatoire, which he entered at the age of twelve, he began life as a touring soloist while still a teenager. Taking popular operas and creating potpourris from their tunes was standard for a virtuoso such as Sarasate. Despite the failure of Georges Bizet's (1838-1875) opera Carmen at its 1875 premiere, it began its conquest of the opera world soon after Bizet's death. By the 1880s, the opera was extremely famous and successful, prompting Sarasate to add it to the list of other famous operas that he chose to craft into concert fantasies. He completed the orchestra version in 1881, premiering it in Madrid with the Sociedad de Concertos de Madrid, Mariano Vásquez conducting, on April 17 of that year. He produced a version with piano accompaniment a year later in 1882. Effectively in five movements (a prelude plus four movements) without pause, the work includes the following tunes from the opera: the Aragonaise (Entr'acte from Act Four), Habanera (Act One), an interlude (based on Carmen's mocking treatment of Zuniga in Act One), the Séguidilla (aria from Act One), and the Bohemian/Gypsy Dance (Act Two). Upholding the dignity of the original opera from which it is derived, Carmen Fantasy (officially titled Concert Fantasy on themes from Bizet's Carmen, Op. 25) remains one of Sarasate's most popular operatic fantasies. Instrumentation: 2(2nd dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2 Crnt.3.0: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set): Solo Violin in set.

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Additional Details
Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library
Publisher: Keiser Productions, Inc.
UPC: 676737869984
SKU: 36-A198702
Instrumentation: 2(2nd dPicc).2.2.2: 4.2 Crnt.3.0: Timp.Perc(1): Hp: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set): Solo Violin in set

More about this title

About the Composer: Pablo De Sarasate

Pablo de Sarasate (1844-1908) was a Spanish violinist and composer who became one of the nineteenth century's most celebrated virtuosos. Born into a musical family in Pamplona, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at twelve and launched an international touring career while still in his teens, earning acclaim across Europe and the Americas for his technical brilliance and refined interpretive style.

Sarasate made a specialty of composing concert fantasies based on popular opera melodies, transforming well-known tunes into vehicles for virtuosic display. These works allowed him to honor the original compositions while crafting showpieces tailored to his own exceptional abilities. His Carmen Fantasy remains among his most enduring contributions to the violin repertoire, performed regularly by soloists and orchestras worldwide.

Why we love this

This score captures the full theatrical sweep of Bizet's opera without requiring singers. The orchestral writing is both lush and transparent, giving the solo violinist room to soar while keeping the ensemble engaged throughout. Conductors value it for its dramatic arc, structural clarity, and the way it demonstrates how a single virtuosic voice can carry an entire orchestral narrative.

What to expect

A grand procession through Carmen's most memorable moments, filtered through virtuosic brilliance. The piece alternates between lyrical warmth and dazzling technical display, grounded always in the sensuality and drama of Bizet's original melodies. Audiences hear both the opera's emotional core and a showcase for solo mastery.

Who it's for

Orchestras seeking a substantial solo vehicle that celebrates both the violinist and the ensemble. This work suits advanced high school orchestras and college/community orchestras with capable soloists and the instrumentation to fill out Sarasate's orchestration convincingly.

How to get the most out of it

  • Balance the solo violin against the full orchestra by adjusting dynamic relationships in rehearsal rather than asking the soloist to force volume. The violin line should sing over the ensemble, not fight it.
  • Shape the transitions between movements carefully. Though the fantasy flows without pause, each section has distinct character and tempo. Mark these shifts clearly in your score so the orchestra remains responsive to the soloist's pacing.
  • Lock the rhythm section (timpani and percussion) with the strings in the opening Aragonaise. This foundation allows the solo violin to inhabit the melody with flexibility rather than mechanical precision.
  • Bring out the Spanish color in the Habanera and Séguidilla by encouraging a slight lilt in the accompaniment figures. These sections should feel danced rather than merely played.

How to use it

Reserve this for a season-opening or season-closing concert where you want to celebrate a featured soloist. The work's length and profile make it an ideal centerpiece for a pops concert or a mixed classical program that includes both standard repertoire and lighter fare.

Skills your students will build

  • Balancing solo and ensemble textures in large orchestral forces
  • Coordinating rapid tempo and character changes across multiple orchestral sections
  • Sustaining ensemble cohesion while accompanying a virtuosic soloist
  • Reading and executing nineteenth-century Spanish musical idioms (habanera rhythm, seguidilla phrasing)

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