NFM Leopoldinum: Bizet’s Carmen Suite

Experience the unforgettable music of Bizet’s opera Carmen alongside moving pieces by Bacewicz and Strauss.

This programme spans deep emotion and playful ingenuity, performed by the distinguished NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra under the direction of virtuoso violinist Alexander Sitkovetsky.

Grażyna Bacewicz’s Concerto for String Orchestra is a striking opener - its music shifting from fiercely propulsive to sublimely lyrical. A composer who deserves to be heard more often, Bacewicz brings a distinctive voice to 20th-century string repertoire. Richard Strauss’ Metamorphosen, composed amid the ruins of WWII, is steeped in grief and loss. In its long, intertwining lines, Strauss mourns a shattered world.

In contrast, Wojciech Kilar’s symphonic work is inspired by the river Orawa which runs through the Polish mountains to the Slovakian border.

Finally Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite bursts with theatrical flair. His reimagining of Georges Bizet’s opera - written for his ballerina wife - transforms its melodies into a thrilling ballet suite for strings and percussion.

Alexander Sitkovetsky Director & Violin

Bacewicz Concerto for String Orchestra Strauss Metamorphosen Kilar Orawa Bizet arr. Rodion Shchedrin Carmen Suite for Strings and Percussion