Séguedille, from Carmen (violin viola duo)

Title: Séguedille, from the opera Carmen

Composer: Georges Bizet, arr. David Gable

Instrumentation: Violin and Viola

Printout: 4 pages

Note: When he began working on the score for Carmen, Bizet set out to study Spanish folk music in order to give the opera an authentic feel. This aria is based on Spanish idioms, though it is not in itself a Spanish work. Carmen sings the Séguedille at the end of Act I when, having been arrested for violently attacking a co-worker at the cigarette factory, she persuades Don José to allow her to escape, enticing him with hints of future intimacy. Not your average operatic heroine, Carmen, which is one reason why the opera did not immediately appeal to the audiences of the time.

This must-have piece is also available at significant discount as part of the Bargain Bundle Carmen, Selected Highlights for violin and viola, Set 2.