Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet, original name Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet,

Sheet Music and Program Notes

Bizet ( 1838-1875) was a French composer. He was born in Paris and is best remembered for his opera Carmen which was written in 1875. Bizet came from a musical family. His father was a singer and teacher, his mother a givted pianist. Even at a young age his musical ability was obvious. He was admitted to the Paris Conservatory of music at the age of 9. His works were admired by many of his colleagues including, Berlioz, Gounod, Saint-Saens and List.

He is best known for his operas. Some of his more famous works include L'Arlesienne Suites, Carmen, and the Symphony in C. It wasn't until the 20th century that his works were regularly performed. Many of his manuscripts were lost after his death. Others were revised by other composers and publishers often making it difficult to identify which editions are his.

Bizet was born in Paris, France, to a musical family. His father was a singing teacher and his mother a pianist. He showed an early aptitude for music, and he began studying the piano and violin at a young age. He also received a strong education in literature and philosophy.

In 1848, Bizet entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied composition with François-Joseph Fétis and Charles Gounod. He was a gifted student, and he won several prizes for his compositions.

After graduating from the Conservatoire in 1857, Bizet began a career as a composer of orchestral music, operas, and songs. He had some success with his early works, but he did not achieve widespread fame until the premiere of Carmen in 1875.

Carmen was a controversial opera when it premiered. Some critics found the subject matter (a gypsy woman who kills her lover) to be too scandalous, and others found the music to be too unconventional. However, the opera was a popular success with audiences, and it quickly became one of the most performed operas in the world.

Bizet died of a heart attack at the age of 36, just three months after the premiere of Carmen. He was not aware of the opera's success, and he died believing that he had been a failure.

Despite his early death, Bizet is now considered one of the most important composers of the Romantic era. His music is characterized by its melodic beauty, its dramatic intensity, and its use of exotic rhythms and harmonies. His operas, including Carmen, are still performed and enjoyed by audiences all over the world.