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Profile of Georges Bizet

By , About.com Guide

Born:

Oct. 25, 1838

Birthplace:

Paris, France

Died:

June 3, 1875 in Bougival near Paris

Also Known As:

Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet, French composer who influenced the verismo school of opera

Type of Compositions:

Bizet wrote operas, orchestral works, incidental music, compositions for piano and songs.

Influence:

He came from a musically-inclined family. His father taught singing and his mother was a pianist. He later on studied with Charles Gounod and Fromental Halévy.

Musical Work:

Undoubtedly, Bizet's greatest work is his opera Carmen which was based on a story by French author Prosper Mérimée. All in all he published 8 operas, including Pêcheurs de perles, 12 piano duets, 37 published songs and some orchestral and incidental music.

Interesting Fact:

Bizet won in the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata Clovis et Clotilde. He also served as a national guard during the siege of Paris.

Music Sheet/Midi Sample:

Soldiers Chorus from Carmen

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