Brilliant Fantasy on Carmen (flute and piano)

The success of Georges Bizet's Carmen, which is regarded as the most performed opera in the world, now belies the disastrous premiere that took place at the Opéra-Comique on March 3, 1875. A room that fills up as the evening goes on, with orchestra and ill-prepared singers, critics who let loose on the morally dubious synopsis... The composer's death a few weeks later was certainly accelerated by this devastating failure, from which he would never fully recover.

We can therefore easily understand the composers of the time who did not rush to this new opera, unlike Norma and La Somnambula, which are often referenced in flute fantasies.

However, after receiving positive reviews on the stages of other European capitals, such as the Vienna Opera and La Monnaie in Brussels, the piece finally made its imprint on the Parisian scene in 1879.

In 1880, a fantasy about Carmen came to life in this way. It belongs to François Borne, who gets Choudens, Bizet's historical publisher, to publish it.

It is time to envision a new fantasy on this monument of lyrical art as we commemorate in 2025 the 150th anniversary of Carmen's conception and Georges Bizet's passing. By giving Don José, Micaëla, and Escamillo more voice, this fantasy chooses to expand the range of borrowed themes, in contrast to most fantasies composed for the flute, violin, or piano, which usually concentrate on the Iberian-inspired songs of the seductress Carmen. Thus, this fantasy honors the composer's deeply French pen and adopts a brilliant and exquisitely poetic shape by re-introducing the songs "The flower you had thrown at me" and "Tell me about my mother"... without forgetting the iconic Bohemian Song!

Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt, August 2025

Laëtitia Brault & Jean-Christophe Maltot