Search - Georges Bizet, Samuel Friedmann, Russian Philharmonic Orchestra :: Georges Bizet: Carmen Suites 1 & 2; L'Arlésienne Suites 1 & 2

After Bizet's death, Fritz Hoffmann fashioned two suites from the most popular musical material of Carmen, and thus the work has triumphed not only in the theater but upon the concert stage as well. Bizet had already accepted the commission to write incidental music for Daudet's melodrama L'Arlésienne before he began work on Carmen. The music was poorly received at the premiere in 1872, and after only a few performances the play was discontinued. Later, Bizet revised parts of his theatre music and formed them into the Suite No. 1, which was received ecstatically at its premiere. The Suite No. 2 was put together by Ernest Guiraud after Bizet's death. Samuel Friedmann was born in Kharkov in 1940. He graduated from the Kharkov Conservatory as a violinist in 1964, and from the Leningrad Conservatory as a conductor in 1966. Until 1973, Friedmann performed throughout the Soviet Union. In 1973 he immigrated to Israel and began his international career. His concert activities have led him to the US and many European countries.