THE CARMEN FANTASIE

Franz Waxman
(b. Königshütte, Germany, December 24, 1906; d. Los Angeles, February 24, 1967)

Composed 1946; 10 minutes

Franz [Wachsmann] Waxman arrived in Hollywood in 1934, just as the American movie began to demand significant scores from its house composers. His ability to write memorable, lyrical melodies and evoke time, place and emotion in a fluent manner soon drew him to the front ranks of screen composers. Not yet 30, Waxman arrived with a good reputation for his orchestrating and conducting of Friedrich Holländer’s music for The Blue Angel, starring Marlene Dietrich in her first role. In Hollywood he went on to write 144 film scores, beginning with The Bride of Frankenstein and later including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Rebecca, Suspicion, Prince Valiant, Humoresque and the two which won Academy Awards – Sunset Boulevard (1950) and A Place in the Sun (1951). Unlike many of his fellow European immigrants, Waxman found both professional and personal success in Hollywood. In 1948 he founded the Los Angeles International Music Festival and, as a conductor gave premières of scores by leading composers of the day. He also took on guest conducting work with American and European orchestras and knew many leading performers. His concert scores include an oratorio, Joshua (1959), and the dramatic song cycle The Song of Terezin (1965), his last composition. For his score to the film Humoresque (1946), he wrote a piece based on themes from Bizet’s Carmen. His Beverly Hills neighbor, Jascha Heifetz, asked him to arrange it for violin and orchestra and Waxman promptly delivered his Fantasie, which includes Bizet’s Habanera, Seguidilla, Card Scene, Gypsy Dance and more.