Lorca, Bizet: Popular songs, Carmen suite

Drawing on gypsy culture and universal themes such as romance and tragedy, Spanish folklore has long proven a compelling subject for many works of art. Federico Garcia Lorca's Canciones Populares is a set of 13 songs compiled and harmonised by the poet, who was determined to safeguard the ancient roots of the Andalusian folk tradition. His songs, as bold and passionate as his plays and poetry yet comparatively neglected, are wonderfully rescored here for voice and guitar quartet. Also making use of this ensemble is a series of highlights from Bizet's Carmen . Penned by a Frenchman who drew on genuine Spanish folksong to recount the gypsy-protagonist's doomed affair.