Best Bits of the Carmen Fantasy

François Borne’s Carmen Fantasy is one of the great virtuoso staples of the flute repertoire.

It is also quite long.

So I cut it in half. And doubled the flutes.

Best Bits of the Carmen Fantasy takes the favourite moments from Borne’s famous fantasy on themes from Bizet’s Carmen and reimagines them for two flutes and piano.

The result is roughly four-and-a-bit minutes of advanced, shamelessly virtuosic flute playing, with the two soloists sharing, harmonising and occasionally egging one another on through material that almost every flutist already knows.

My basic philosophy was:

all killer, no filler.

Quick Details

• Instrumentation: 2 Flutes & Piano

• Duration: approximately 4–5 minutes

• Advanced

• Suitable for advanced college/conservatoire and professional flutists

• Based on François Borne’s celebrated Carmen Fantasy

• Virtuosic writing for both flutes

• Flute 2 is, if anything, slightly more demanding

• Piano part is based largely on Borne’s original accompaniment, with cuts and a small amount of additional material

• Includes material from the famous Gypsy Dance

• Excellent as a recital showpiece, encore or concert finisher

• Works particularly well as a visiting-artist collaboration with another flutist

Why Two Flutes?

This arrangement came out of looking for interesting music to play with my dear friend, and colleague flutist Abigail Burrows.

Abigail and I were married at the time, and for years we were constantly looking for repertoire for two flutes and piano which wasn't simply another outing for the same handful of pieces.

We wanted things that were fun, a little unexpected, and preferably something which audiences would immediately enjoy.

The Borne Carmen Fantasy seemed an obvious candidate.

Everybody knows it, everybody knows the tunes, and the more I thought about it, the more obvious it became that much of the material would be enormous fun with two flute players rather than one.

So I tried it. It worked. Very well.

Despite being divorced(!) Abigail and I remain good friends and regular musical colleagues, and this arrangement is still part of that shared repertoire.

All Killer, No Filler

The original Borne fantasy lasts around eight minutes.

There are some fantastic moments.

There are also passages which, after enough performances, can start to feel a little like musical chewing gum.

So I became ruthless.

I kept the bits we loved.

I removed the bits we didn't particularly miss.

The result is about half the length of the original and moves directly from one favourite moment to another.

Since making this version in the early 2010s, I genuinely don't think I have performed the standard solo version again.

Why would I?

There's nearly always another flute player hanging around somewhere.

Sharing the Virtuosity

Most of the original solo material remains recognisable, but the second flute changes the whole experience.

Lines are harmonised, material is passed between the players, the two parts reinforce, provoke and respond to one another.

And some of the material was effectively BEGGING for a second flute anyway.

The famous Gypsy Dance is particularly obvious. In its orchestral form, that music naturally involves two flutes, so restoring that duet character in this version feels completely natural.

There is also some gentle reimagining elsewhere, allowing familiar passages to become genuine two-player chamber music.

The Habanera

The piano part remains largely based on Borne’s original accompaniment, shortened to fit the new structure.

I did make one particularly useful addition.

During the Habanera, I brought its famous “Amour” melody into the piano texture.

It helps establish the musical world immediately and gives the section a little more of the character everyone recognises from Carmen.

Otherwise, the pianist is spared any unnecessary reinvention. Borne already did a perfectly good job.

Which Flute Part Is Harder?

Both players need to be advanced.

This is still the Carmen Fantasy, after all.

There are rapid passages, articulation, high-register playing and plenty of moments where clean ensemble has to coexist with virtuosity.

Interestingly, Flute 2 is probably slightly harder than Flute 1. (it’s got a 4th octave E in there - with the fingering included!)

That's also the part I normally play. When I visit flute classes around the world, I often perform this with the professor. I give them Flute 1 and take Flute 2 myself.

It's partly good manners. (It's their class - they should probably get first billing.)

And partly because Flute 2 is the part I know inside out.

Zero Stress, Maximum Fun

One of the reasons I keep returning to this arrangement is simply that it is enormous fun to play.

The original fantasy places the entire burden of the virtuoso display on one flutist.

With two players, the atmosphere changes.

You're sharing it.

You're reacting to somebody else.

You're enjoying the absurdity of all that virtuoso flute writing together.

The technical level remains high, but psychologically it somehow feels much less like an examination and much more like a party.

And I feel like audiences absolutely get that.

A Useful Travelling Piece

This has become one of my favourite pieces to take with me when visiting flute studios, festivals and conservatoires.

Almost every professional flutist knows the original Carmen Fantasy, which means I can hand somebody Flute 1 and we already share a common musical language.

There's relatively little explaining required.

Then suddenly the familiar solo showpiece has become a duet.

It is collaborative, sociable and spectacular without needing weeks of rehearsal.

That's proved rather useful when travelling around the world.

Carmen Led Directly to Donizetti

This arrangement also started something.

After Abigail and I played the Carmen version, the reaction was basically:

That was much more fun. What else can we do this to?

That question eventually led directly to my two-flute version of the Donizetti Sonata.

The idea was the same.

Take a piece we already loved.

Add another flute.

Make the musical conversation richer.

And give ourselves something different to play.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Best Bits of the Carmen Fantasy?
Approximately four to five minutes.

What level is it?
Advanced. Both flute parts require strong technique and confident ensemble playing.

Is this the complete Borne Carmen Fantasy?
No. It is deliberately condensed, retaining the favourite virtuoso sections and reshaping them into a shorter two-flute showpiece.

Is Flute 1 harder than Flute 2?
Not necessarily. Flute 2 is actually slightly more demanding in places.

Is the piano part completely rewritten?
No. It is based largely on Borne’s original accompaniment with cuts, plus some additional material, including the Habanera melody.

Does it work as an encore?
Very well. Its short duration, recognisable material and high-energy virtuosity make it particularly effective late in a recital.

Can I play it with another professional without weeks of rehearsal?
That's one of its great strengths. Anyone familiar with the original Borne fantasy already knows much of the musical language, although the two-flute ensemble writing still deserves proper rehearsal.