Georges Bizet

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Biography

Born: 1838   Died: 1875   Country: France   Period: Romantic
Known for one of the world's most popular operas, Carmen, Georges Bizet deserves attention as well for other works of remarkable melodic charm. Many of his works received cool receptions on their premieres but are now considered central to the repertory of classical music.

Bizet was born in Paris on October 25, 1838, and grew up in a happy, musical family that encouraged his talents. He learned to read music at the same time he learned to Read more read letters, and equally well. Entering the Paris Conservatory before he was ten, he earned first prize in solfège within six months, a first prize in piano in 1852, and eventually, the coveted Prix de Rome in 1857 for his cantata Clovis et Clotilde. His teachers had included Marmontel for piano and Halévy for composition, but the greatest influence on him was Charles Gounod, of whom Bizet later said "You were the beginning of my life as an artist." Bizet himself hid away his Symphony in C, written when he was 17, feeling it was too much like its models, Gounod's symphonies. The two years spent in Rome after winning his prize, would be the only extensive time, and a greatly impressionable one, that Bizet would spend outside of Paris in his brief life. When he returned to Paris, he lost confidence in his natural talents and began to substitute dry Germanic or academic writing for his own developing idiom. He composed a one-act opera for production at the Opéra-Comique, but the theater's director engaged him to write a full-length opera instead, Les pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers). It was not a success at the time, but despite a few weaknesses, the work was revived in 1886, and its sheer beauty has earned it a respected position among the lesser-played operatic repertory. In 1863 Bizet's father bought land outside Paris where he built two bungalows, one of which Bizet frequently used as a compositional retreat. He began a friendship (apparently not a physical one) with a neighbor-woman named Céleste Mogador, a former actress, author, courtesan, circus rider, and dance-hall girl. She is said to have been the model for his masterpiece's title role of Carmen. Bizet earned his living as an accompanist and publishing house arranger. Meanwhile, he poured his creative efforts into an immense five-act opera in the grand tradition, Ivan IV, but it was never performed. This proved to be a pattern for the rest of his career. Bizet would work hard to get an opera produced, and even if he did, it would usually receive only a handful of performances. Bizet's corpus of unfinished works is large, and testifies to his unsettled existence and his difficulty in finding a place in France's notoriously hierarchical and conservative musical world. In 1869 Bizet married Geneviève Halévy, daughter of his teacher. The marriage did not turn out to be a happy one, primarily due to her family's history of mental illness. In 1872, Bizet's splendid incidental music for the play L'arlèsienne was poorly received, but when the composer assembled the music into an orchestral suite for a November performance, it found great acclaim. At last confident of his creative vision, Bizet was able to steer his final masterpiece through various obstacles, including the objections of singers and theater directors who were shocked by Carmen's subject matter. When the opera had its premiere on March 3, 1875, it was received barely well enough to hang on for future productions. Although it took audiences only a few weeks to catch on, Bizet died convinced it was a failure. Read less

Featured Georges Bizet CDs & DVDs:

Callas Edition - Bizet: Carmen / Prêtre, Guiot, Gedda, Et Al
Callas Edition - Bizet: Carmen / Prêtre, Guiot, Gedda, Et Al
Release Date: 08/19/1997   Label: Emi Classics  
Catalog: 56281   Number of Discs: 2
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Bizet: Carmen / Karajan, Baltsa, Carreras, Van Dam Et Al
Bizet: Carmen / Karajan, Baltsa, Carreras, Van Dam Et Al
Release Date: 11/17/1983   Label: Deutsche Grammophon  
Catalog: 410088   Number of Discs: 3
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La Belle Époche - Bizet, Lehar, Verdi / Maurice André
La Belle Époche - Bizet, Lehar, Verdi / Maurice André
Release Date: 09/07/1993   Label: Erato  
Catalog: 92126   Number of Discs: 1
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Bizet: Carmen / Sinopoli, Larmore, Gheorghiu, Moser, Ramey
Bizet: Carmen / Sinopoli, Larmore, Gheorghiu, Moser, Ramey
Release Date: 09/03/1996   Label: Teldec  
Catalog: 12672   Number of Discs: 3
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Bizet: Carmen - Highlights / Lombard, Crespin, Py, Van Dam
Bizet: Carmen - Highlights / Lombard, Crespin, Py, Van Dam
Release Date: 09/03/1996   Label: Erato  
Catalog: 13801   Number of Discs: 1
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Work: Symphony in C major

Browse 1-25 of 61 Available Recordings
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  • 1.
    Bizet: Symphony In C Major, Etc / Fruhbeck De Burgos, Et Al
    Bizet: Symphony In C Major, Etc / Fruhbeck De Burgos, Et Al
    Label: Regis   Catalog: 1191 Release Date: 01/29/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos,  Dirk Joeres,  Barry Wordsworth
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Symphony Orchestra,  West German Sinfonia
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  • 2.
    Bizet: Symphonie In C, Carmen Suite, Etc / Ozawa
    Bizet: Symphonie In C, Carmen Suite, Etc / Ozawa
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 322892 Release Date: 01/08/2013   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Seiji Ozawa
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  ORTF National Orchestra
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  • 3.
    Bizet: Symphony In C, Carmen Suites, Petite Suite / Joeres, Ermler
    Bizet: Symphony In C, Carmen Suites, Petite Suite / Joeres, Ermler
    Label: Musical Concepts   Catalog: 1198 Release Date: 10/16/2012   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Mark Ermler,  Dirk Joeres
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  West German Sinfonia
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    Leopold Stokowski - The Columbia Stereo Recordings
    Leopold Stokowski - The Columbia Stereo Recordings
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 197115 Release Date: 09/11/2012   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Manuel de Falla,  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Charles Ives  ... 
    Performer:  Shirley Verrett,  Fernando Valenti,  Anshel Brusilow,  William Kincaid  ... 
    Conductor:  Leopold Stokowski,  Gregg Smith
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Philadelphia Orchestra,  American Symphony Orchestra,  Schola Cantorum New York members  ... 
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  • 5.
    Bizet: Complete Orchestral Works / Batiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Bizet: Complete Orchestral Works / Batiz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Label: Brilliant Classics   Catalog: 94404 Release Date: 08/28/2012   Number of Discs: 3
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Enrique Bátiz
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 6.
    More Magical Classics
    Label: Zyx Records   Catalog: 7 Release Date: 06/01/2012   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Johann Sebastian Bach,  Anton Rubinstein,  Bedrich Smetana  ... 
    Performer:  Magda Bergreich,  Michael Ponti,  Iwan Czerkow,  Dubravka Tomsic  ... 
    Conductor:  Vladimir Petroschoff,  Lawrence Siegel,  Anton Nanut,  Herbert Münchner  ... 
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  • 7.
    Munch Conducts Roussel & Other French Composers
    Munch Conducts Roussel & Other French Composers
    Label: Dutton Laboratories/Vocalion   Catalog: 9809 Release Date: 12/13/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet,  Albert Roussel,  Camille Saint-Saëns
    Conductor:  Charles Munch
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  • 8.
    Prokofiev, Haydn, Bizet: First Symphonies / Wolff, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
    Prokofiev, Haydn, Bizet: First Symphonies / Wolff, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
    Label: Apex   Catalog: 4673020 Release Date: 10/25/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet,  Sergei Prokofiev,  Franz Joseph Haydn
    Conductor:  Hugh Wolff
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  St. Paul Chamber Orchestra
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  • 9.
    Verbier Festival 2010 - Martha Argerich
    Verbier Festival 2010 - Martha Argerich
    Label: Juxtapositions   Catalog: 3079568 Release Date: 06/28/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Dmitri Shostakovich,  Georges Bizet,  Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer:  Martha Argerich,  David Guerrier
    Conductor:  Gábor Takács-Nagy
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra
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  • 10.
    Verbier Festival 2010 - Martha Argerich [Blu-ray]
    Verbier Festival 2010 - Martha Argerich [Blu-ray]
    Label: Juxtapositions   Catalog: 3079564 Release Date: 06/28/2011   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Dmitri Shostakovich,  Georges Bizet,  Domenico Scarlatti
    Performer:  Martha Argerich,  David Guerrier
    Conductor:  Gábor Takács-Nagy
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra
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  • 11.
    Marriner & The Academy - 20th-Century Classics [10-CD Set]
    Marriner & The Academy - 20th-Century Classics [10-CD Set]
    Label: Decca   Catalog: 001553402 Release Date: 05/24/2011   Number of Discs: 10
    Composer:  Igor Stravinsky,  Richard Strauss,  Richard Wagner,  Heinrich Baermann  ... 
    Performer:  Jack Brymer,  John Ogdon,  John Wilbraham,  Michael Laird  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Neville Marriner
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Academy of St. Martin in the Fields
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  • 12.
    Sir Thomas Beecham: French Music - Berlioz, Bizet, Delibes, Debussy, Faure, Etc.
    Sir Thomas Beecham: French Music - Berlioz, Bizet, Delibes, Debussy, Faure, Etc.
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 09932 Release Date: 03/22/2011   Number of Discs: 6
    Composer:  Hector Berlioz,  Georges Bizet,  Charles Gounod,  Léo Delibes  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Thomas Beecham
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  ORTF National Orchestra,  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,  Beecham Choral Society  ... 
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  • 13.
    Balanchine Ballets: Jewels; Serenade; Allegro Brillante; Symphony In C
    Balanchine Ballets: Jewels; Serenade; Allegro Brillante; Symphony In C
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 48625 Release Date: 01/11/2011   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Gabriel Fauré,  Igor Stravinsky,  Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky,  Georges Bizet
    Performer:  Michel Béroff,  Peter Donohoe
    Conductor:  Michel Plasson,  Seiji Ozawa,  Riccardo Muti,  Richard Hickox  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Toulouse Capitole Orchestra,  Paris Orchestra,  Philharmonia Orchestra  ... 
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  • 14.
    Michel Plasson - Musique Francaise Coffret
    Michel Plasson - Musique Francaise Coffret
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 06820 Release Date: 11/23/2010   Number of Discs: 37
    Composer:  Hector Berlioz,  Charles Gounod,  César Franck,  Camille Saint-Saëns  ... 
    Performer:  Gérard Caussé,  David Bismuth,  Rolando Villazón,  Frank Villars  ... 
    Conductor:  Michel Plasson,  Emmanuel Plasson
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Toulouse Capitole Orchestra,  Les Elements Chamber,  Orféon Donostiarra  ... 
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  • 15.
    Leonard Bernstein - The Symphony Edition [60-Disc Set]
    Leonard Bernstein - The Symphony Edition [60-Disc Set]
    Label: Sony   Catalog: 768365 Release Date: 11/22/2010   Number of Discs: 60
    Composer:  Ludwig van Beethoven,  Hector Berlioz,  Leonard Bernstein,  Georges Bizet  ... 
    Performer:  Norman Scott,  Regina Sarfaty,  Nicholas Di Virgilio,  Martina Arroyo  ... 
    Conductor:  Leonard Bernstein
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  New York Philharmonic,  Juilliard Chorus,  Columbus Boychoir  ... 
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  • 16.
    Bizet: Symphony in C, Jeux d'Enfants, Roma / Paavo Jarvi
    Bizet: Symphony in C, Jeux d'Enfants, Roma / Paavo Jarvi
    Label: Virgin Classics   Catalog: 28613 Release Date: 10/05/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Paavo Järvi
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Orchestre de Paris
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  • 17.
    Eduardo Mata Edition Vol 4 - Ravel, Bizet, Dukas
    Eduardo Mata Edition Vol 4 - Ravel, Bizet, Dukas
    Label: Rca   Catalog: 30980 Release Date: 10/01/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Maurice Ravel,  Georges Bizet,  Paul Dukas
    Conductor:  Eduardo Mata
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dallas Symphony Orchestra,  National Arts Centre Orchestra
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  • 18.
    Bizet: Symphony In C; Faure: Pavane; Ibert, Ravel / Hickox
    Bizet: Symphony In C; Faure: Pavane; Ibert, Ravel / Hickox
    Label: Virgin Classics   Catalog: 90765 Release Date: 09/16/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet,  Gabriel Fauré,  Jacques Ibert,  Maurice Ravel
    Conductor:  Richard Hickox
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  City of London Sinfonia
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  • 19.
    Bizet: Carmen, Suites; Symphony In C
    Bizet: Carmen, Suites; Symphony In C
    Label: Cascavelle   Catalog: 3103 Release Date: 07/13/2010   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Performer:  Dominique Descamps,  Nathalie Mule,  Jean-Francois Dion,  Samuel Coles  ... 
    Conductor:  Frédéric Lodéon
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  • 20.
    Bizet: Suites, Symphony; Turina: Danzas Fantasticas / Ansermet
    Bizet: Suites, Symphony; Turina: Danzas Fantasticas / Ansermet
    Label: Eloquence   Catalog: 4800457 Release Date: 03/16/2010   Number of Discs: 2
    Composer:  Georges Bizet,  Joaquin Turina
    Conductor:  Ernest Ansermet
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Suisse Romande Orchestra
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  • 21.
    A Festival Of Ballet
    A Festival Of Ballet
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 67063 Release Date: 01/26/2010   Number of Discs: 50
    Composer:  Richard Strauss,  Gustav Holst,  Sergei Prokofiev,  Modest Mussorgsky  ... 
    Performer:  Barbara Hendricks,  Susan Bickley,  Lorraine Hunt Lieberson,  Catherine Pierard  ... 
    Conductor:  Rudolf Kempe,  André Previn,  Paavo Järvi,  Sir Charles Mackerras  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Dresden Staatskapelle,  London Symphony Orchestra,  Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra  ... 
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  • 22.
    19th Century Masterpieces
    19th Century Masterpieces
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 98317 Release Date: 11/17/2009   Number of Discs: 17
    Composer:  Sir Edward Elgar,  Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov,  Paul Dukas,  Giacomo Puccini  ... 
    Performer:  Lucia Popp,  Emmanuel Pahud,  Aldo Ciccolini,  Elisabeth Schwarzkopf  ... 
    Conductor:  Sir Adrian Boult,  Michel Plasson,  Eugene Ormandy,  Klaus Tennstedt  ... 
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  London Philharmonic Orchestra,  Dresden Staatskapelle,  London Symphony Orchestra  ... 
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  • 23.
    Bizet: Symphony In C, L'arlesienne Suites / Delacote, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Bizet: Symphony In C, L'arlesienne Suites / Delacote, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
    Label: Royal Philharmonic Masterworks   Catalog: 28480 Release Date: 11/10/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Jacques Delacôte
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
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  • 24.
    Bizet: Symphonie In C, Carmen Suite, Etc / Ozawa
    Bizet: Symphonie In C, Carmen Suite, Etc / Ozawa
    Label: Emi Classics   Catalog: 63898 Release Date: 05/22/2009   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Georges Bizet
    Conductor:  Seiji Ozawa
    Orchestra/Ensemble:  ORTF National Orchestra
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  • 25.
    Prokofiev, Haydn, Bizet: First Symphonies
    Prokofiev, Haydn, Bizet: First Symphonies
    Label: Maestro Music   Catalog: 4694520 Release Date: 11/24/2008   Number of Discs: 1
    Composer:  Sergei Prokofiev,  Franz Joseph Haydn,  Georges Bizet
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