In the concert hall, Georges Bizet's fame rests primarily on orchestral excerpts from his opera Carmen, the incidental music to the play L'Arlésienne, the youthful Symphony in C major, and a handful of other orchestral pieces. For this 2017 Danacord release, Marc Soustrot leads the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in performances of the Carmen Suite No. 1, which was assembled by Bizet's friend Ernest Guiraud, the two suites from L'Arlésienne (Suite No. 1 arranged by Bizet, Suite No. 2 compiled by Guiraud), and the Symphony, a ...
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In the concert hall, Georges Bizet's fame rests primarily on orchestral excerpts from his opera Carmen, the incidental music to the play L'Arlésienne, the youthful Symphony in C major, and a handful of other orchestral pieces. For this 2017 Danacord release, Marc Soustrot leads the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in performances of the Carmen Suite No. 1, which was assembled by Bizet's friend Ernest Guiraud, the two suites from L'Arlésienne (Suite No. 1 arranged by Bizet, Suite No. 2 compiled by Guiraud), and the Symphony, a student work from 1855 that was rediscovered in 1933. All of these works are quite popular and they have been recorded many times, so as fine as Soustrot's interpretations are, they face plenty of competition in the marketplace. However, the pieces are highly melodic and enjoyable for their colorful orchestration, and the Aarhus Symphony's performances are polished and energetic, so while there are no surprises in this program, this is a delightful CD to add to any collection. ~ Blair...
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