Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet in 1875
Born	Alexandre César Léopold Bizet (1838-10-25)25 October 1838 Paris, France
Died	3 June 1875(1875-06-03) (aged 36) Bougival, France
Occupation	Composer
Notable work	Carmen

Georges Bizet (born Alexandre César Léopold Bizet; 25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his opera Carmen, which has become one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire, Bizet's music is noted for its melodic and harmonic richness.

Early Life

Georges Bizet was born in Paris, France, into a musical family. His father was a singing teacher and his mother was a pianist. Bizet showed early musical talent and was admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris at the age of nine. There, he studied under prominent teachers such as Charles Gounod and Fromental Halévy.

Career

Bizet's early career was marked by a series of compositions that received mixed reviews. His first symphony, the Symphony in C, was composed when he was just 17 years old but was not performed until 1935, long after his death. He also composed several operas, including Les pêcheurs de perles and La jolie fille de Perth, which garnered some success but did not establish him as a leading composer.

Carmen

Bizet's most famous work, Carmen, premiered in 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Initially, the opera received a lukewarm reception and was criticized for its unconventional characters and themes. However, it gradually gained popularity and is now considered one of the greatest operas ever written. The opera is known for its memorable arias, such as the Habanera and the Toreador Song.

Personal Life

In 1869, Bizet married Geneviève Halévy, the daughter of his former teacher Fromental Halévy. The couple had one son, Jacques. Bizet's health began to decline in the early 1870s, and he suffered from recurrent throat infections and other ailments.

Death and Legacy

Georges Bizet died of a heart attack on 3 June 1875, at the age of 36, in Bougival, France. His premature death cut short a promising career, but his work, particularly Carmen, has left a lasting impact on the world of music. Bizet's compositions are celebrated for their melodic beauty, rhythmic vitality, and innovative orchestration.

Selected Works

• Symphony in C (1855)
• Les pêcheurs de perles (1863)
• La jolie fille de Perth (1867)
• Carmen (1875)

See Also

• List of French composers
• Romantic music
• Opera