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
