Bizet: Symphony in C; Jeux d’Enfants, etc.
$16.98 – $29.98
Georges Bizet
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
Martin West, conductor
A SUPERB NEW ORCHESTRAL RELEASE
Reference Recordings is proud to present these works of Georges Bizet, beautifully performed by the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, conducted by Martin West. The recording was made at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California by Grammy-winning engineer Keith O. Johnson.
The “Symphony in C” is a delightful gem, composed in 1855. It was produced as a ballet choreographed by George Balanchine, and premiered at the San Francisco Ballet in 1961.
“Jeux d’Enfants” is filled with youthful wonder, and fanciful, charming, memorable tunes. We include Bizet’s own orchestrations of five of the pieces. The remaining seven pieces’ orchestrations are by Hershey Kay and Roy Douglas. This recording is the first to feature all 12 pieces, with the Kay and Douglas orchestrations.
“Variations chromatiques” is a dramatic work recorded only once before, by the Louisville Orchestra in 1973. This is the first modern recording and the first time this work is available on compact disc.
On This Recording
- Symphony in C (1855)
- Allegro vivo
- Adagio
- Scherzo, Allegro vivace
- Finale, Allegro vivace
- L’Escarpolette (The Swing/Sea Saw)
- Impromptu: La Toupie (The Top)
- Berceuse: La Poupée (The Doll)
- Les Chevaux de Bois (Hobby Horses)
- Le Volant (The Shuttlecock/Badminton)
- Marche: Trompette et Tambour (Trumpet and Drum)
- Les Bulles de Savon (Soap Bubbles)
- Les quatre Coins (Puss in the Corner)
- Colin-Maillard (Blind Man’s Buff)
- Saute-Mouton (Leap-Frog)
- Duo: Petit Mari, petite Femme (Little Husband, Little Wife)
- Galop: Le Bal (The Ball)
- Variations chromatiques (1868) – (Orchestrated by Felix Weingartner)
Jeux d’Enfants, Opus 22 (1871) – (Orchestrations by Georges Bizet, Hershey Kay, and Roy Douglas)
Reviews:
“Martin West continues to show his conductorial prowess, and proves that his orchestra is a first-rate ensemble, with this handsome all-Bizet disc.…” —Chris Hathaway, Houston Public Radio – Classical
“It’s a work which will raise a smile, for all the right reasons. West’s upper strings are superbly agile in the Finale, darting about on top of an oompah bass line. Irresistible. …All is brilliantly played. And this is a Reference Recording, so the sound is rich and detailed. A lovely disc.” — Graham Rickson, The Arts Desk
“[West] brings the light, delicate touch of the ballet conductor with him, always exercising a spring in his step, a lilt to the beat, a bounce to the melody. … It makes for a remarkably realistic presentation, something we have come to know and love from Reference Recordings.” — John J. Puccio, Classical Candor
