Thursday Tunes

Even if you aren't a classical music fan, you've heard the Carmen Fantasy. Essentially, Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate took all the "good bits" from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen, crammed them together into about 13 minutes, then arranged the result to be played by only a handful of instruments, usually a duo; it is most commonly heard as a piano backing a violin lead. This recording, however, is with a trombone lead. I was skeptical when I first ran across it, but it is masterfully played and the smooth brass sound lends the Fantasy a whole new feel. The jazz-like improvisations also help to differentiate this recording from dozens of others. As any trombone player will tell you, it is nearly impossible to resist the temptation towards improvisation when you're playing the instrument -- to the unending frustration of high school band directors everywhere.




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