Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2

Description

The story of Alphonse Daudet's drama _L 'Arlésienne _to which Georges Bizet composed several pieces in 1872 focuses on the story of love and suicide and was inspired by true events. The musical drama had flopped at its premiere, but the suite that Bizet arranged shortly afterwards from its stage music enjoys great popularity to this very day. After Bizet's death, his friend Ernest Guiraud put together four more movements of themes and motives by Bizet for a second suite establishing a musical connection to Provence and Arles especially in the outer movements, the Pastorale and the effective Fandarole.