Carmen Fantasy (Sarasate)
The Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25, by Pablo de Sarasate is a violin fantasy on themes from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. Sarasate composed it in 1883, just as the opera was beginning to gain in popularity.
The Carmen Fantasy is one of Sarasate's most well known works and is often performed in violin competitions. Because of its delicate techniques and sanguineous passion inspired by the opera, it is considered to be one of the most challenging and technically demanding pieces for the violin. In technical terms, this composition is slightly more difficult than Sarasate's other popular virtuoso work Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs).
The piece contains an adaptation of the Aragonaise, Habanera, an interlude, Seguidilla, and the Gypsy Dance. A performance takes approximately 12 minutes.
The German-American film composer Franz Waxman composed in 1946 a similar work, Carmen Fantasie.
Read more about Carmen Fantasy (Sarasate): Movements, Orchestration