This isn't the Carmen you're used to hearing.
Shchedrin's re-working of Bizet's original music uses a lot of percussion, sort of Bizet-meets-
Bartók. It adds a new dimension to the oh-so-familiar themes, but one that seems obvious for its use as ballet music. Granted, it does have its silly moments, when the melody is played on the marimba, reminding you of the "Fossils" in the Carnival of the Animals. This recording by
I Musici de Montréal and the Ensemble Répercussion is particularly vivid, almost exaggerated in the attention to the contrasts created by every dynamic and tempo marking. The same attention is paid to all the other pieces on the disc, including the almost creepy Stalin Cocktail.
Yuli Turovsky's orchestrations of
Shchedrin's piano pieces utilize percussion the same as in
Shchedrin's Carmen and also show those glimpses of
Saint-Saëns-esque humor. The whole album is a striking aural experience.