Of all the instrumental interludes from Bizet's opera Carmen, this tender melody is by far my favorite. The peaceful yet heart-searing piece is over all too soon, though, as intermezzos are only meant to be musical connections between acts while the curtain is closed for set or costume changes.
In this arrangement for piano, I have doubled the length. While the first half is faithful to the composer's original, the second half improvises playfully on the theme. It was challenging to make all the orchestral voices heard in one piano score, but the performer will find all present and accounted for, blending seamlessly between right and left hands.
Play with tenderness while taking some liberties with tempo as the dynamics rise and fall. Use the tenuto markings to stretch out some note values during the forte passages so that your listener can feel the growing intensity of fervent passion.
