Program Notes

L'Arlesienne

George Bizet, composer

Although Alphonse Daudet’s play L'Arlesienne (The Women of Arles), for which Bizet wrote extensive incidental music, was a failure at its first presentation, Bizet’s music was recognized as the masterwork that it is. Bizet thereupon compiled an orchestra suite of music from some of his incidental cues, and the suite was immediately successful as a concert work. After Bizet’s death, a colleague, Ernest Guiraud, set about to compile a second orchestral suite from some of the remaining musical cues. L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2 from the Incidental Music, Transcribed by Charles Godfrey, Jr. and revised by Alfred Reed and Clark McAlister comprises three movements: Pastorale, Intermezzo, and Farandole.

—published score

INDEX