Whilst Horowitz toured across Russia with violinist Nathan Milstein, the two regularly played Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy op. 25, for violin and orchestra, based on the opera by Bizet. Horowitz was bored of the sparse orchestral reduction and started writing his own transcription after discovering Moritz Moszkowski’s arrangement of the same piece for solo piano. Thus emerged Variations on a Theme from Bizet’s Carmen.

The transcription was made in 1926 and was regularly played and further developed by Horowitz until 1978. Technically challenging and written in a virtuoso manner, this edition is based on a recording from 1947 and is suitable for advanced piano players.

 

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