The plot of Georges Bizet’s opera Carmen surpasses all operas in its popularity. Carmen has served as basis for numerous ballets and films. Fascinated by the opera’s music, many composers have written various virtuoso transcriptions. In 1967, Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin composed the ballet Carmen Suite based on Bizet’s opera. The initiator of one of the most popular 20th century ballet was ballerina, the composer’s wife Maya Plisetskaya. It was she who asked choreographer Albert Alonso to create a Carmen character for her, and Shchedrin realized the dancer’s old dream of embodying Carmen. The composer called this work “Bizet music’s free transcription for strings and percussion”. The suite consists of thirteen movements with remarkably virtuosic use of string possibilities, a wealth of percussion solo and ensemble episodes. All movements are united by a single dramaturgical thought, all themes in this opus belong to Bizet’s hand. Shchedrin’s instrumentation lends Bizet’s music extraordinary expressiveness, drama, tension and passion.

The colourful suite is performed by the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra and Giunter Percussion Ensemble, conducted by Sergej Krylov.