L'arlesienne / Carmen

All that remained of the five-act play "L'Arlésienne" after its unsuccessful premiere was Bizet's incidental music, which he himself orchestrated lavishly and premiered with success. Similar to "Carmen", popular melodies are treated with the composer's own unique style to make them ageless. Although associated mainly with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan was effectively (though never officially) the chief conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra. The recordings were made on 14, 15 & 16 January 1958 at the Kingsway Hall, London. Produced by the legendary Walter Legge and engineered by Douglas Larter.