Carmen Selection [Saxophone Octet]

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was a French composer. He graduated from the Paris Conservatoire with first prizes in piano, solfège, and fugue. He was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome at the young age of 19, and was known for his exceptional memory and piano skills, earning praise from Liszt himself.
The opera Carmen, composed between 1834 and 1835, is an opéra comique. It received acclaim from Tchaikovsky, Debussy, and Saint-Saëns, and one of its notable aspects was the casting of the heroine's vocal range as mezzo-soprano, departing from the typical soprano voice for opera heroines of the time. Opéra comique is a French opera form that includes spoken dialogue in addition to singing, and is associated with the Opéra-Comique theater in Paris. As the name suggests, many works in this genre are "comical" and lighthearted, but Carmen is a tragedy.
The story is based on Prosper Mérimée's novel Carmen, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. It consists of four acts and is set in Spain. The protagonist is Carmen, a Gypsy woman who works in a tobacco factory.

Carmen is arrested after a fight, but Don José, a corporal, succumbs to her seduction and lets her escape. To meet Carmen, who promised to meet him at Lillas Pastia's tavern, Don José abandons his fiancée. However, Carmen has already moved on to another man (a bullfighter)...
(Commentary by Marie Kikuchi)

Carmen Selection is a commissioned work by the Lumiere Saxophone Ensemble.
The opera Carmen is also frequently performed as a suite or solo piece, with selected and arranged overtures, intermezzi, and arias. This work rearranges eight pieces from the recompiled Suite No. 1 and Suite No. 2 into a approximately 10-minute piece.

Suite No. 1
1. Prelude
2. Aragonaise
3. Intermezzo (out of order)
4. Seguidilla
5. Les Dragons d'Alcala
6. Prelude "Toreador"
Suite No. 2
2. Habanera
6. Danse Bohème

This arrangement reconfigures the orchestral score, calling for various instrument techniques, timbres, and expressions from the eight saxophones. For example, the fanfare in "Les Dragons d'Alcala" should be played with a strong and bright tone. The harp arpeggio in the intermezzo is assigned to the alto and tenor saxophones, and it is desirable for it to sound as if a single harp is playing. Furthermore, players of vocal parts are encouraged to express themselves freely, like opera soloists, rather than strictly adhering to the score.
(Arrangement commentary by Hirotaka Tanaka)

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Title (Japanese)	カルメン・セレクション
Title (English)	Carmen Selection
Instrumentation	Saxophone Octet
Product Code	YMDE-1107
Composer	Georges Bizet
Arranger	Hirotaka Tanaka
Engraver	Yuto Yamada
Duration	10:00
Year of Arrangement	2017
Performance Audio	YouTube
Digital (PDF) Score	Piascore Score Store

Instrumentation

Instrument	Number of Parts
1st Soprano Saxophone in B-flat	1
2nd Soprano Saxophone in B-flat	1
1st Alto Saxophone in E-flat	1
2nd Alto Saxophone in E-flat	1
1st Tenor Saxophone in B-flat	1
2nd Tenor Saxophone in B-flat	1
1st Baritone Saxophone in E-flat	1
2nd Baritone Saxophone in E-flat	1

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