Carmen: Original Soundtrack on Vinyl (Polydor, 1984)

Description

Carmen: Polydor vinyl soundtrack, 1984 edition

This LP brings together the music of Carmen, The musical film by Carlos Saura, made in 1983 and starring Antonio Gades and Paco de Lucía. This copy is a 1984 Polydor edition, and the back cover indicates it was specially prepared for Círculo de Lectores. The year of the record (1984) should not be confused with the year of the film (1983). The cover identifies the content as the original soundtrack to the film and features Gades and Laura del Sol in the main image.

Musical genre: Original soundtrack.

Repertoire by faces

The back cover has eighteen panels, nine on each side. The order and titles that appear in the copy are preserved:

Side A

1. Looking for Carmen
2. Introduction
3. Stop crying
4. Bulerías
5. Adage
6. Knife fight between women in the tobacco factory of Seville
7. The soldiers arrest Carmen
8. Intermezzo
9. Habanera

Side B

1. Popular festival
2. Notes on the guitar
3. Company essay
4. Theme of love and premonition
5. Stick fighting
6. Carmen's infidelity
7. The wildcat
8. Challenge between Escamillo and Don José
9. Finale

The repertoire combines passages linked to flamenco dance and guitar with musical references to Bizet's opera. The Paco de Lucía Foundation documents, among other examples related to the film, Paco de Lucía's adaptation of Bizet's seguidillas into bulerías and his participation as a guitarist; the album's liner notes also list Pepa Flores, Antonio Solera, Manuel Rodríguez “Perdi”, Antonio Gades, and Cristina Hoyos among its performers. This copy retains the printed list, which does not always provide details about each performer alongside the title.

Film and musical context

The ICAA Catalogue entry records Carmen It is described as a 1983 Spanish film directed by Carlos Saura, starring Antonio Gades and Paco de Lucía, and indicates its inspiration from the work of Prosper Mérimée and the opera by Georges Bizet. The combination of film, choreography, and music explains the variety of the repertoire: alongside pieces titled “Bulerías” and “Fiesta popular” appear “Adagio,” “Habanera,” and “Intermezzo.” This is how the content is described without turning the edition into a Paco de Lucía studio album or attributing to him songs not listed on the back cover.

Edition and visible status

• Format: a vinyl LP, with 18 tracks divided between sides A and B.
• Imprint: Polydor; edition indicated: 1984, special edition for Círculo de Lectores.
• Contents: soundtrack of the film Carmen by Carlos Saura, with flamenco repertoire and references to Bizet's opera.
• Condition: The photographs show wrinkled outer plastic and marks on the sleeve. The images do not allow us to confirm that the seal is original or directly verify the condition of the disc or its playback.
• Weight: 190g. Measurements: 31 × 31 × 1 cm.

About Paco de Lucía

Paco de Lucía was a flamenco guitarist and composer, born in Algeciras; his career included collaborations with other musicians, explorations of different styles, and participation in film soundtracks. Carmen He participates as a performer, and his guitar music is part of the film's soundscape. You can find more information at the Biography and legacy of Paco de Lucía and consult the record Carmen from the Paco de Lucía Foundation. The film's information sheet is also available at the ICAA Catalogue. Explore more titles in the category of vinyl records.