Romantic Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet

Source: Britannica

Born in Paris on 25 October 1838, Georges Bizet is a composer who wasn't so appreciated during his time as he now, particularly as to his opera, 'Carmen'. The only other opera that gets staged more is Verdi's 'La Traviata' ('The Wayward One') of 1853 with several hundred performances around the globe each year. Bizet had a singing teacher for a father. Showing sufficient ability in piano and singing to enter the Paris Conservatoire at age nine (the minimum age of ten waived), he there excelled in composing and piano. As he continued through his youth at the Conservatoire his major instructor and influence would become Charles Gounod. Before advancing too far we should note that "WD" numbering in Bizet is per 'Werkverzeichnis nach Winton Dean' published in 1948 by Dean. Dean's directory is thematic divided into six sections per dramatic works, orchestral works, piano works, works for various instruments, songs and other vocal works.

Bizet's earliest surviving compositions are a couple of wordless songs for soprano circa 1850 which Klassika identifies as 'Vokalise für Tenor' WD 109 and a barcarolle titled 'Vokalise für Zwei Soprane' in F Dur WD 110 ('Vokalise for Two Sopranos' in F major). Such are the first encounter with vocalise in these histories. Vocalise had developed only recently as a tool of instruction in the 18th century. Generally sung to one or so vowels, vocalise isn't to be confused with its jazzier modern counterpart arriving a century later than Bizet as vocalese, which is lyrics added to preexisting wordless music exemplified by such as Eddie Jefferson's 1968 rendition of Coleman Hawkins' 1939 solo during his orchestra's 11 October 1939 recording of 'Body and Soul' (Johnny Green 1930). Another sort of wordless singing to arrive a century later via jazz is the scat of such as Ella Fitzgerald consisting of nonsensical syllables on such as her 1947 bop rendition of 'How High the Moon' (Morgan Lewis-Nancy Hamilton 1940).

Bizet had been with the Conservatoire 6 of 9 years when he published a couple songs in 1854 titled 'Petite Marguerite' WD 69 and 'La Rose et l'Abeille' WD 70 with texts by Olivier Rolland. Also composed that year included a waltz (WD 48), a nocturne (WD 49) and a fugue (WD 62). Along with works written in 1855 including a fugue (WD 63), a waltz (WD 112), a cantata (WD 117) and perhaps an overture (WD 32), Bizet spent a month at age seventeen on the student task of 'Symphonie C-Dur' WD 33. That symphony authored as a student at the Conservatoire was neither performed nor published in Bizet's lifetime.

'La Rose et l'Abeille'    WD 70   Melody by Georges Bizet

'The Rose and the Bee'

Text: Olivier Rolland

Tenor: Reinoud Van Mechelen   2025

MacDonald

'Symphony No.1'    C major   WD 33   Georges Bizet

C Dec 1855

Premiere 70 years later on 26 Feb 1925 in Basel, Switzerland w Felix Weingartner conducting

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra / Gordan Nikolić conducting at violin

Concertgebouw, Amsterdam / 12 Oct 2020

IMSLP   Larousse   MacDonald   Wikipedia English   Wikipedia French

Bizet's first opera to be performed was 'Le Docteur Miracle' composed in 1856, premiering in Paris at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens on 9 April of 1857. Doctor Miracle is a quack who wins the hand of one Laurette by preparing a horrid poisoned omelet for her father, Magistrrate of Padua. Also in 1857 Bizet won the Prix de Rome for solfège (music theory), his particular scholarship to study 2 years in Rome, 1 year in Germany and two more in Paris. He was accommodated the next year in Rome at the Villa Medici [Wikipedia], the French Academie's quarters there, then obtained permission to study in Italy another year instead going to Germany. Upon completing his Prix de Rome Bizet became a teacher and accompanist. He also arranged, transcribed and didn't get very far as a music critic.

'Le Docteur Miracle'    Operette in 1 act by Georges Bizet

1856 toward premiere 1857

Premiere 70 years later on 26 Feb 1925 in Basel, Switzerland w Felix Weingartner conducting

Libretto: Léon Battu & Ludovic Halévy after Sheridan's 1775 'Saint Patrick's Day'

Orchestre de Radio-Canada / Jacques Beaudry

Laurette by soprano Céline Dussault

MacDonald   Opera Scotland   Wikipedia English

'Symphony No.2' aka 'Souvenirs de Rome'    C major   WD 37   Georges Bizet

Premiere 12 Oct 1861 in Paris

University of Chicago Orchestra

IMSLP   MacDonald   Wikipedia English

Bizet had begun the opera, 'Ivan IV', in 1856 toward completion in 1857 or 1858. Thought to have never been performed, it is now lost. He began a second version in 1862, abandoned in 1863 to work on another project, then resumed in 1864 toward completion in late 1865. That work disappeared as well until discovered in 1929 toward a possible first performance in 1940, another in 1943. This tale concerns the first Russian Tsar, Ivan IV (1530-84), as he weds his Circassian princess, Marie, while the Kremlin is in under attack.

'Ivan IV'    WD 12   Opera by Georges Bizet

Late 1865   Premiere possibly 75 years later in 1940

Libretto: Francois-Hippolyte Leroy & Henri Trianon

BBC Northern Orchestra & Chorus / Bryden Thomson   3 Oct 1975

Erik Eriksson   MacDonald   Wikipedia English

Bizet's opera, 'La jolie fille de Perth' ('Fair Maid of the Sea') arrived in 1866 to premiere the next year. Set in Perth, Scotland, sometime in the 14th century, this work tells of the love between a blacksmith named Henri Smith and Catherine Glover. Unfortunately, Henri is led to suspect Catherine of infidelity with the Duke of Rothsay.

'La Jolie Fille de Perth'   WD 15   Opera by Georges Bizet

1866 toward premiere 26 Dec 1867 in Paris

Libretto: Henri Saint-Georges & Jules Adenis after Scott's 1828 'The Fair Maid of Perth'

Performance above directed by Pierre Jourdan

Orchestre d'État Hongrois Failoni / Jérôme Pillement

Cori spezzati (split choirs) / Olivier Opdebeeck

IMSLP   MacDonald   Wikipedia English

Among Bizet's works for piano was his 'Variations Chromatiques de Concert' WD 54 composed in 1868. Like Saint-Saëns, Fauré and Messager, Bizet was a defender of the infant Third Republic (1870-1940) and joined the National Guard. He also fled Paris during the subsequent Commune of March to May 1871, returning a month later. It was 1871 that he authored the twelve miniature pieces of 'Jeux d'Enfants' ('Children's Games') WD 56 Op 22 for piano 4 hands.

'Variations Chromatiques de Concert'   WD 54   Op 3   Piano piece by Georges Bizet

1868 in dedication to French pianist Stefan Geller

Piano: Julia Severus

IMSLP   MacDonald   Score   Score   Wikipedia Russian

'L'Escarpolette' of 'Jeux d'Enfants' ('Children's Games')   No.1 of 12  WD 56   Op 22

Miniature piano 4 hands by Georges Bizet   1871

Piano: Sun-Young Yu / Minna Han

Seoul Arts Center   22 Feb 2015

IMSLP   MacDonald   Wikipedia English

From 1873 to 1874 Bizet composed one of the more memorable in the history of opera, that his final titled 'Carmen' WD 31 which included his famous aria, 'Habanera' and 'Toreador Song'. Bizet wasn't so highly regarded as a composer at his time, and what has since become a major operatic work was a failure to him. Less than well received at the time, 'Carmen' was about a woman who rolled cigarettes at a tobacco factory in Seville. Tagged as "vice" at the time, Carmen was a rough stage character who not only smoked in public in the story, but smoked on stage via the first woman to play Carmen's role, Célestine Galli-Marié, at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. It was a shameless faux pas for a female to light up in public in the latter 19th century and Bizet paid the price for the theme [see also 'Carmen' and cigarettes at Limelight]. Tobacco (along with cacao and sugar for chocolate) had been crossing the Atlantic from the New World to Europe since the 16th century and Bizet himself was a smoker, presumably cigarettes. Other early smoking composers had been Bach, Handel and Beethoven who all used pipes. Mozart didn't smoke but was partial to snuff. Both Berlioz and Chopin fired up opium while Brahms preferred cigars [see also smoking composers at Google Groups / Talk Classical].

'Carmen'   No.1 of 12  WD 31   Opera by Georges Bizet

Premiere 3 March 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris

Libretto: Henri Meilhac & Ludovic Halévy after Prosper Merimee's 1845  'Carmen'

Performance above directed by Romain Gilbert

Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen Normandie / Ben Glassberg

Opéra de Rouen Normandie Choeur Accentus / Chœur d'enfants de la Maîtrise du Conservatoire de Rouen

Carmen: Deepa Johnny (mezzo-soprano)

Sets: Antoine Fontaine   Costumes: Christian Lacroix

Lights: Hervé Gary   Choreography: Vincent Chaillet

BBC   Classic FM   Columbia University   IMSLP   LiveAbout   MacDonald

Music With Ease   Opera Folio   Utah Opera   David Salazar   Wikipedia English

'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' ('Love is a rebellious bird')   Aria by Georges Bizet

Aka 'Habanera" ('Music of Havana')

From Scene 5 of Act 1 of 'Carmen'

Premiere 3 March 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris

Lyrics: Bizet

Performance above on 20 June 2022:

Orchestre National de Montpellier Occitanie / Luciano Acocella

Choeur de l'Opéra de Monte Carlo

Mezzo-soprano: Héloïse Mas

LiveAbout   Ximena Sepulveda   Song Facts   Wikipedia English

'March of the Toreadors' aka 'Toreador Song'   ('Bullfighter Song')   March by Georges Bizet

From opening of Scene 1 Act 2 of 'Carmen'

Premiere 3 March 1875 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris

Libretto: Henri Meilhac & Ludovic Halévy

Performance above on 6 June 2015:

Folsom Symphony / Peter Jaffe

Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom CA

Lyrics   Wikipedia English

Four of Bizet's songs received no WD designation. Otherwise, the final title in Dean's 'Werkverzeichnis' of Bizet is a dramatic legend called 'Geneviève de Paris' WD 136 as of 1875. Bizet also described that as a mystery and oratorio. Georges died of heart attack three months to the day after 'Carmen' premiered, that on 3 June 1875, he only 36 years of age.

Sources & References for Georges Bizet:

Hugh MacDonald

Music Academy Online

Aryeh Oron (Bach Cantatas)

IMSLP (by date / genre / WD)

Klassika (by genre / WD)

Hugh MacDonald (alphabetical)