Frank Proto's Carmen Fantasy [bad word] in 1991 for the virtuoso bassist François Rabbath, who has performed the work throughout America and Canada. It is available for both solo and orchestral tunings (as are most Liben publications) and the edition was sponsored by the Bass Viol Shop of Cincinnati. Rabbath has recorded the Fantasy twice, firstly with piano (1992) and subsequently with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in 1993, and has inspired Proto to write a number of important works to enrich the solo bass repertoire.

The five movement Fantasy is "more than just a group of variations set atop Bizet's [bad word] quot; and is all the more successful because of it. Proto has written a wonderfully free and rhapsodic fantasy based on popular themes from Carmen in a lyrical and 'jazz-influenced' work. The five movement suite includes a lyrical Prelude (solo bass), Aragonaise, Micaela's Aria, Toreador Song and Bohemian Dance in an advanced and virtuosic transcription, obviously written with Rabbath's unique talents in mind.

Micacla's aria is the 'slow movement' of the suite, set as a Nocturne and beautifully arranged in the higher reaches of the [bad word]  This is the type of aria to also have a life outside the Fantasy. The Toreador Song is wonderfully laid-back and relaxed and the work ends with a gloriously fast and virtuosic Bohemian Dance. [bad word] to all who love a good tune.

David Heyes 
The British and International Bass [bad word]