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Carmen album cover

Album guide

Carmen

Anders Widmark

Composer
Bizet
Released
2001
Label
EmArcy
Forces
Piano, Percussion
Personnel
Anders Widmark piano, Lars Danielsson double bass and cello, Jörgen Stenberg marimba and percussion, Backa Hans Eriksson and Anders Jonsson double bass, Lennart Gruvstedt drums

Anders Widmark once compared moving between musical genres to an actor using subtext: classical training, jazz improvisation and every other musical experience alter what a familiar piece can mean. Carmen puts that idea into practice, filtering Bizet through a pianist whose roots also included bebop, gospel and soul.

Jörgen Stenberg helps the small group sound unusually theatrical, moving between marimba, celesta, congas, timpani, a whip and even wine glasses. Colour and rhythmic surprise take the place of the opera house’s voices and orchestra.

Hear both

The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.

The originalsBizet · classical source works

Seven recordings accompany the identified music from Carmen; tracks 1, 4 and 9 are original material, while tracks 3 and 6 have no recording because their exact sources could not be established.

Jazzed upAnders Widmark · 2001
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Source works

The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.

  1. IntroductionOriginal composition
  2. Song For A ToreadorCarmen, Act II: No. 14, Toreador Song
  3. Enter The Drums (Entr’acte)Unidentified source
  4. Piano InterludeOriginal composition by Anders Widmark
  5. Manuelita’s Dream (La Manuelita disait)Carmen, Act I: No. 8, Que se passe-t-il donc là-bas? ... Au secours!
  6. Carmen’s ChoiceUnidentified source
  7. Away You’d Come With Me (Là-bas, là-bas, tu me suivrais)Carmen, Act II: No. 17, Duo, Non! tu ne m’aimes pas ... Là-bas, là-bas, dans la montagne
  8. Habanera VariationsCarmen, Act I: No. 5, Habanera
  9. IntermezzoOriginal composition by Anders Widmark
  10. SeguidillaCarmen, Act I: No. 10, Seguidilla
  11. Gypsy Dance (Chanson Bohème)Carmen, Act II: No. 12, Chanson bohème
  12. Don José And Micaëla (Parle-moi de ma mère)Carmen, Act I: No. 7, Duo, Parle-moi de ma mère