Georges Bizet - Carmen & L’Arlésienne Suites (Eugene Ormandy)

Information

Composer: Georges Bizet

• Carmen Suite No. 1, IGB 14
• Carmen Suite No. 2, IGB 15
• L'Arlésienne Suite No. 1, IGB 8
• L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2, IGB 9

Philadelphia Orchestra

Eugene Ormandy, conductor

Date: 1959-1963 / 2026

Label: Alexandre Bak - Classical Music Reference Recording

_____________________

Georges Bizet (1838–1875) was a French composer best known for his opera Carmen, whose realism helped shape the later verismo movement. A child prodigy, he entered the Paris Conservatoire at a young age, won the Prix de Rome in 1857, and composed notable early works including the Symphony in C. Despite evident talent, his early operas achieved limited success, and he struggled with self-doubt and public taste. After marrying Geneviève Halévy, his style matured, producing works such as L’Arlésienne and Djamileh. In 1875 he completed Carmen, initially controversial but later celebrated as a masterpiece. Bizet died suddenly at age 36, just as his fame was beginning to grow.

Eugene Ormandy (1899–1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor renowned for his interpretations of Late Romantic and early 20th-century music. A violin prodigy, he graduated from the Budapest Royal Academy at 14 and toured Europe before moving to New York. There, he began conducting while working at the Capitol Theatre. His breakthrough came as a substitute for Toscanini with the Philadelphia Orchestra, leading to a position with the Minneapolis Symphony (1931–36). In 1936 he returned to Philadelphia, becoming principal conductor in 1938 and remaining until 1980. Ormandy was known for refining the orchestra’s signature lush, rich string sound.