Carmen-Suite = Кармен-Сюита

The Carmen Suite is a ballet adaptation of Georges Bizet's opera, famously reimagined in 1967 by Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin for his wife, the legendary prima ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. Shchedrin chose to rearrange the score for strings and an extensive percussion ensemble, creating a percussive, modernist interpretation that breathes new life into the familiar melodies of the original opera while maintaining a distinct, avant-garde Soviet aesthetic.

This specific 1988 recording features the Moscow Virtuosi chamber orchestra under the direction of violinist and conductor Vladimir Spivakov. Released by the Soviet state label Melodiya, the record captures the technical precision and dramatic flair that became a hallmark of Spivakov's work during this period. The collaboration is celebrated for its clarity and the sharp, rhythmic energy brought to Shchedrin’s bold orchestration, serving as a significant document of late-Soviet classical performance practice.