Alexandre Cesar Leopold Bizet, at baptism received the name Georges (1838-1875), French composer period of romanticism, author of orchestral works, romances, piano pieces, as well as operas, the most famous of which was “Carmen”.
Georges Bizet was born on October 25, 1838 in Paris. The future composer received his first music lessons from his musician parents.
The boy's outstanding abilities were revealed early: at the age of four he already knew music, and at nine he entered the Paris Conservatory. The boy's phenomenal hearing, memory, brilliant performing and composing abilities delighted his teachers. Bizet wanted to become a universal musician and even practiced playing the organ.
Even then, his talent manifested itself in various areas musical creativity. While still at the conservatory, he composed a symphony, 3 operettas, several cantatas and overtures, as well as piano pieces (including a cycle of 12 pieces for 4 hands, “Children’s Games”). Soon Bizet brilliantly graduated from the Paris Conservatory, where he studied famous composers C. Gounod and F. Halévy.
The young musician repeatedly received prizes at competitions at the conservatory, and upon completion of the course in 1857, he became a laureate of a competition in Rome and was awarded the right to spend 3 years in Italy to improve his music. For him it was a time of intense creative search. Bizet tried himself in various musical genres: he wrote a symphonic suite, a cantata, an operetta, piano pieces, and romances.
But, as it turned out, his true calling became Musical Theatre. True, the path to creating your own original works was not easy. Upon returning from Italy, Bizet composed the opera “The Pearl Fishers” (1863) on an exotic plot telling about love drama Leila and Nadir, and then “The Beauty of Perth” (1867) based on the novel by Walter Scott. Both works were received coolly, but the composer did not give up his search. “I’m going through a crisis,” he said in those years.
New impressions caused by the events of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) and the Paris Commune led to the creation of the lyrical opera “Djamile” (1872) based on the plot from the poem “Namuna” by A. de Musset. This opera marked the beginning of the composer's period of creative maturity.
Following the then fashionable passion for oriental exoticism, Bizet conveyed in his works the deep psychological experiences of the characters and showed himself to be a master of romantic opera. At the same time, he composed music for A. Daudet’s drama “The Arlesian”. Rich in colorful folk paintings, truthful and bright images heroes, it paved the way for the opera Carmen, which was Bizet’s greatest creative achievement and at the same time became his swan song.
Bizet began working on Carmen in 1873. Its plot is borrowed from the novella French writer Prosper Merimee, and the libretto was written by experienced writers A. Melyak and L. Halevi. Bizet boldly departed from the original and created a completely new work. “Carmen” is interesting not only for its realistic plot and romantic intrigue, but also for its bright, deep, dramatic music. The composer made the images of Merimee’s heroes deeper and more original, giving each of them a sharpened form musical characteristic. That is why “Carmen” still does not leave the world opera stage. According to P. I. Tchaikovsky, “Carmen” is destined to become the most popular opera in the world.”
Its premiere took place in March 1875. But, despite the fact that wonderful singers sang in the play, the production failed. Bright, expressive music was too unusual for the Parisian public. Bizet was shocked by what happened, because he had no doubt of success. Sudden illness broke him, and just three months after the premiere of Carmen, on June 3, 1875, he died in the Paris suburb of Bougival.
The name of Georges Bizet (1838-1875), outstanding! French composer, well known to the widest circles Soviet listeners, and his wonderful opera “Carmen” won universal recognition and love.
The musical dramaturgy of “Carmen” reflects and artistically generalizes the clashes and conflicts inherent in real life. Images the works are vital, truthful. The heroes of the opera - Carmen, Don Jose, Micaela, Escamillo - are ordinary people from the people. They are depicted with lively, bright, temperamental colors.
“Carmen” is distinguished by a unique national flavor: gypsy-Spanish melodies are sensitively reproduced by the composer, in general, without borrowing truly folk themes.
Musical language operas, its wonderful melodies combine exceptional clarity with high skill; the language of the opera is democratic and in; at the same time truly original.
Georges Bizet is one of the most significant composers of the 19th century century.
Bizet's biographers unanimously characterize him as a cheerful, warm-hearted, sociable person, a kind and simple comrade, a gentle and respectful son. Persistent in his work, working very hard and selflessly, Bizet willingly found time for have a fun party in a friendly circle, for all sorts of funny things and jokes.
Georges Bizet
Fate did not spoil Bizet much; He more than once encountered misunderstandings and attacks from professional critics among regulars at theater and concert premieres. But optimism did not leave him, and Bizet moved forward, overcoming difficult life trials.
Brilliant composer, an excellent pianist, an excellent, multi-talented practical musician (Bizet, for example, inimitably read the most complex orchestral scores), he was keenly interested in both literature and fine arts, and, of course, the theater.
Bizet was not a consistent supporter of any political trend in contemporary France. He was completely alien to legitimist sentiments - the white lilies of the Bourbons never attracted him. But he was not attracted by the banner of the bourgeois monarchy of Louis Philippe. We do not find him among the followers of Napoleon III.
Undoubtedly, Bizet's socio-political convictions were distinguished by a certain vagueness and inconsistency. However, the freedom and independence of the composer’s life judgments and actions, some of his oppositional critical statements addressed to those in power, at least in the field of art, make it possible to classify Bizet as a person of the democratic camp.
Bizet was introduced to the world of music from childhood. He grew up in musical family: father was a singing teacher, mother was a sister famous singer. Bizet's talent was discovered very early, and at the age of nine, in 1847, he was already a student at the Paris Conservatory.
His successes turned out to be brilliant both in the piano class of Professor Marmontel and in the theory and composition class of Professors Zimmerman and Halevi.
Among Bizet's teachers was the young Gounod.
How great was Bizet’s pianistic gift, how bright his virtuoso capabilities, can be judged by the most interesting testimony of Liszt3. One day Bizet - he was about thirteen years old at the time - found himself on musical evening at Halévy's in Liszt's company. Liszt introduced those present to “one of his new and very difficult works, expressing the opinion that besides himself, only Hans Bülow could perform a piece of such difficulty.
Bizet approached the instrument and, to the surprise of the guests, played this piece from sight, and so well that he delighted the author.
In the year he graduated from the conservatory (1857), Bizet received two prizes: the so-called first Grand Prize
The Rome Prize for the cantata “Clovis and Clotilde”, as well as the prize for composing the operetta “Doctor Miracle”, the latter in an extra-conservative competition. While studying at the conservatory, Bizet repeatedly won the title of laureate at performing competitions in piano, organ and solfeggio (1849).
The winner of the Rome Prize could spend five years, for the purpose of improvement, in Italy and Germany.
Bizet lived in Italy for about three years (1857-1860). He became acquainted with the riches of the immortal classical Italian painting and sculptures; but Bizet's Italian musical impressions were much paler.
During his stay in Italy, Bizet worked a lot and persistently, his compositional skills became stronger. In Italy, he wrote his first opera (“Don Procopio”), a style close to Mozart5 and Rossini6. The great, bright genius of Mozart and the magnificent talent of Rossini continued to enjoy Bizet’s constant love.
In 1860, a serious illness of his mother interrupted Bizet's stay in Italy. Soon the mother died. The bright and carefree years were behind us. Bizet was about twenty years old. The second half has begun short life, which he spent almost continuously in Paris in continuous and intense work.
Working with inspiration and... thoughtfully, the composer quickly reproduced his ideas on paper. He imagined this or that composition in detail even before recording began.
During periods when any circumstances slowed down his creativity, Bizet found consolation in a different kind musical work: for example, he was fond of transcriptions - he made transcriptions of opera excerpts and symphonies for piano.
From the beginning to the end creative activity Bizet had a high sense of duty and responsibility. He took it back twice opera house their works, believing that they are not yet perfect enough. Bizet knew how to learn lessons from individual creative failures.
Among Bizet's works there are several orchestral ones, for example, the Rodina symphony, piano pieces and romances. But Bizet's true vocation was opera, music for the theater.
This area of his work culminated in the brilliant Carmen, the creation of which constitutes an entire era in the art of opera.
Of course, the deeply realistic and innovative style of Carmen could only appear as the result of a significant and complex previous path.
A striking and still popular opera of the “early” Bizet was the opera “The Pearl Fishers” (1863), commissioned by his friend Carvalho, the head of the Lyric Theater. The exotic subject prompted Bizet to search for fresh colors. The dirism inherent in his work was reflected in the opera. This is evidenced by the famous tenor aria of Nadir (“In the radiance of a moonlit night”) - an aria that was willingly included in their concert programs famous singers, for example L.V. Sobinov. “The Pearl Fishers” showed a very important and valuable advantage of Bizet: his art of writing for singers is convenient and effective.
In terms of genre, “Pearl Seekers” can be classified as a so-called lyric opera. In that early work strokes of writing characteristic of latest creatures Bizet.
“The Pearl Fishers” was not particularly successful, just as later, when new works by Bizet appeared, the public did not indulge him with praise and favor.
Carvalho contributed to the writing and production of another Bizet opera, La Belle de Perth (1867), based on a story by Walter Scott8. Gypsy dance from this opera is close to a number of episodes of “Carmen”. In some productions of the opera (and sometimes in editions of the score and clavier), this dance is included in Carmen, in the fourth act after the famous Intermission.
In the early 70s, Bizet wrote two works in which his creative maturity was already revealed: this is the delicately colored one-act opera “Djamile” (based on the poem “Namuna” by A. Musset) and, in particular, the music for “Arlesienne”.
Carmen - People's Artist of the USSR N.A. Obukhova
"The Arlesienne" is a drama by Alphonse Daudet. Bizet's music for this drama is exceptionally beautiful. Various musical numbers were intended to be performed between scenes of drama, as well as during the action. From the best numbers, two orchestral suites were compiled for concert performance: the first suite of four numbers was performed by Bizet himself, and the second, after Bizet’s death, by his close friend, composer Ernest Guiraud. In "Arlesienne" Bizet's love for folk music: Provençal melodies are heard in connection with the plot of the drama. The treatment and development of folk Provençal themes are the magnificent march - the first number of the first suite, built in the form of several variations on an invariably repeated melody, and the choir, the music of which is sometimes heard in the fourth act of Carmen (as discussed above). Bizet is characterized by the extensive use of dances and marching rhythms in Arlesienne. There is a march, minuets, a fast whirlwind farandole dance (also included in some productions at the beginning of the fourth act of Carmen), and other dance episodes. In "Arlesienne" Bizet's inclination towards pictorial program music was reflected - this is further revealed in the symphonic intermissions of "Carmen". The program numbers of “Arlesienne” include, for example, “Ringing” and “Pastoral”.
Both “Djamile” and “Arlesienne” (music for the drama) were performed at the theater with modest success. But I immediately liked the two orchestral suites from Le Arlesienne and have remained in the concert repertoire to this day.
Mikaela - People's Artist of the USSR A.V. Nezhdanov
Music "Carmen" - the last and greatest creation Bizet—composed in 1874. This work was released on stage at the Opéra-Comique on March 3, 1875. Exactly three months later, on June 3, 1875, not yet thirty-seven years old, Bizet died.
Regarding the early and unexpected death There are various assumptions about Bizet. Apparently, the cause of Bizet’s death was acute tonsillitis.
Carmen suffered the same fate as most of Bizet's works. But if his other works were received with indifference, the brilliant “Carmen” was received with direct hostility by a certain part of the public and critics. The hypocrisy of the aristocratic and bourgeois public, immortalized in the image of Moliere’s Tartuffe, played a sad role here.
Carmen - People's Artist of the RSFSR M. P. Maksakova
“Carmen” seemed to be an opera with too free a content, shocking the audience, even indecent.
The reason for the initial negative responses to the production of Carmen was; also the novelty of music and new features of the development of drama. It is not at all by chance that the first listeners of “Carmen” relatively liked only those numbers that were more familiar: the bullfighter’s couplets, Michaela’s aria. One way or another, Carmen was not a success either at the premiere or after the first performances. This could not but affect Bizet. There are stories of how, after the premiere of Carmen, Bizet wandered around the city all night in despair. There is no doubt that difficult, painful experiences and mental turmoil were one of the reasons for Bizet’s untimely death.
Georges Bizet short biography French composer is presented in this article.
Georges Bizet short biography
Alexandre César Leopold Bizet was born October 25, 1838 to Paris in a musical family. The boy's talent was discovered early: at the age of four he already knew all the notes, and at the age of nine he entered the famous Paris Conservatory. He had phenomenal hearing, memory, brilliant pianistic and compositional abilities, which delighted all his teachers.
Bizet was awarded more than once at conservatory competitions, and after completing courses at the conservatory in 1857, he was awarded the right to spend 3 whole years in Italy for the purpose of improvement. These were years of intense creative search. The composer tried his hand at various musical genres: he created a symphonic suite, a one-act operetta, a cantata, piano romances and plays. But Bizet's true vocation was musical theater.
Upon returning from Italy, he wrote the opera “The Pearl Fishers” (1863) on an exotic plot, telling about the love drama of Leila and Nadir, and after that “The Beauty of Perth” (1867). Both musical works were not successful, and the composer continued his intense search for something new in his work. “I am going through a crisis,” he wrote in those years.
The opera “Djamile” (1872) marked the onset of his creative maturity - psychological expressiveness in its music is perfectly combined with the brightness of oriental flavor. Then the music was created for A. Daudet’s drama “The Arlesian”. Opera " Carmen“, was Bizet’s greatest creative achievement and at the same time his swan song. But its premiere ended in failure. He died of a heart attack just three months later, not knowing that Carmen would turn out to be the pinnacle of his success and forever be among the most recognizable and popular classical works peace.
Bizet Georges (1838-1875), French composer.
Born on October 25, 1838 in Paris in the family of a singing teacher. Noticing his son's musical talent, his father sent him to study at the Paris Conservatory. Bizet graduated brilliantly in 1857 in the composition class of F. Halévy. Already on graduation year he wrote the operetta “Doctor Miracle”.
Upon graduating from the Conservatory, Bizet received the Rome Prize, which gave him the right to a long trip at public expense to Italy to improve his skills. In Italy he composed his first opera, Don Procopio (1859).
Returning to his homeland, Bizet made his debut on the Parisian stage with the opera The Pearl Fishers (1863). Soon the next opera was created - “The Beauty of Perth” (1866) based on the novel by W. Scott.
Despite all the musical merits, the opera did not bring success, and in 1867 Bizet again turned to the genre of operetta (“Malbrouck was about to go on a campaign”), and in 1871 he created new opera- “Djamila” based on the poem “Namuna” by A. Musset.
The composer brought real fame and glory symphonic music to the drama by A. Daudet “La Arlesienne” (1872); Subsequently, two orchestral suites were composed from it. After Le L'Arlesienne, Bizet again turned to opera - in 1875 the famous Carmen was written based on P. Merimee's novella.
Now it’s hard to believe that a work recognized as the pinnacle of French operatic realism has gone around all over the world. opera scenes world and which became one of the most beloved and popular in the history of music, was not successful when first staged in Paris and was soon removed from the repertoire. The failure of his beloved brainchild had such an effect on Bizet, who had suffered from a heart defect since childhood, that it led to a tragic end - he died on June 3, 1875 in Paris.
After the composer’s death, the score of the opera “Ivan the Terrible” (1865), which was first staged only in 1946, was found in his papers.
Alexandre Cesar Leopold Bizet(French: Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet, received the name at baptism Georges, fr. Georges; October 25, 1838, Paris - June 3, 1875, Bougival) - French composer of the Romantic period, author of orchestral works, romances, piano pieces, as well as operas, the most famous of which was Carmen.
He was born on October 25, 1838 in Paris in the family of singing teacher Adolphe Armand Bizet. He was registered under the name Alexandre-Cesar-Leopold Bizet, but at baptism he received the name Georges, by which he was later known. Initially he studied music with his mother Anna Leopoldina Aimé (nee Delsarte). Bizet entered the Paris Conservatoire two weeks before he turned 10 years old. He studied counterpoint and fugue with P. Zimmerman, as well as with his replacement, C. Gounod (later a friend of Bizet).
Already while studying at the conservatory (1848-1857), Bizet tried himself as a composer. During this period, he brilliantly mastered composing technique and performing skills. Franz Liszt, who heard Bizet perform his piano music, exclaimed: “ My God! I believed that this could be done by one person - me. But it turns out there are two of us!».
In 1857 he shared the prize with Charles Lecoq in a competition organized by Jacques Offenbach for the operetta Doctor Miracle and received the Prix de Rome. In the same year, Bizet submitted the cantata “Clovis and Clotilde” to the competition, for which he also received the Prix de Rome, which allowed him to live in Rome for a period three years, composing music and pursuing his education. The reporting work (the writing of which was mandatory for all laureates of the Rome Prize) was the opera “Don Procopio”. The opera was unknown to the public until 1895, when the composer C. Malherbe published a description of “Don Procopio,” which he found in the archives of the deceased director of the conservatory, Aubert. In 1906, in Malherbe's version (with recitatives written by him), Bizet's first opera was staged at the Teatro Monte Carlo.
With the exception of a period spent in Rome, Bizet lived his entire life in Paris. After a stay in Rome, he returned to Paris, where he devoted himself to writing music. In 1863 he wrote the opera The Pearl Fishers. During the same period, he wrote “The Beauty of Perth” (1867), a piece for piano “Children’s Games” (1870), and music for Alphonse Daudet’s play “La Arlesienne” (1872). The premiere of "La Arlesienne" took place on October 11, 1872; Neither the play nor the music were successful with the public. The composer made a concert suite from the music for Arlesienne. In 1878, P. I. Tchaikovsky wrote to N. F. von Meck: “ Speaking of freshness in music, I recommend you the orchestral suite of the late Bizet “L" Arlesienne. It is a masterpiece of its own.”. The second suite based on music for the play (“Pastoral”, “Intermezzo”, “Minuet”, “Farandola”) was composed by Guiraud after Bizet’s death.
In 1867, the magazine Revue Nationale et Etrangère offered Bizet permanent cooperation as a music reviewer; Bizet's articles were published under the pseudonym Gaston de Betsy. He also wrote the romantic opera Djamile (1870), usually regarded as the predecessor of Carmen, and a symphony in C major. Bizet himself forgot about it, and the symphony was not remembered until 1935, when it was discovered in the library of the conservatory. The symphony is remarkable for its stylistic similarity to the music of Franz Schubert, which was almost unknown in Paris at that time, with the possible exception of a few songs. In 1874-1875, the composer worked on Carmen. In the summer of 1874, in Bougival, the composer finished the opera; the orchestration of the score took only two months. The opera premiered at the Opera-Comique theater in Paris on March 3, 1875 and ended in failure. After the premiere, Bizet was convinced that the work was a failure. He died of a heart attack just three months later, not knowing that Carmen would prove to be the pinnacle of his success and forever rank among the world's most recognizable and popular classics. P.I. Tchaikovsky, who was a big fan of this opera, wrote: “... But here comes a Frenchman (whom I can boldly call a genius), for whom all these piquancies and spices are not the result of invention, but flow in a free stream, flatter the ear and at the same time touch and excite. He seems to be saying: “...you don’t want anything majestic, grandiose and strong, you want something pretty, so here’s something nice, joli. Bizet is an artist who pays tribute to the depravity of the tastes of his age, but is warmed by true, genuine feeling and inspiration».
Shortly after the production of Carmen, Bizet became seriously ill, and at the beginning of June 1875 there was a sudden deterioration, as a result of which he died on June 3 in Bougival. After a temporary burial in the Montmartre cemetery, Bizet's ashes were transferred to the Père Lachaise cemetery, where many prominent artists are buried. After Bizet's death, his works, with the exception of Carmen, were generally not widely recognized, their manuscripts were distributed or lost, and the published versions of the works were often revised and changed by other authors. Only after many years of oblivion did his works begin to be performed more and more often, and only from the 20th century did the name of Georges Bizet stand worthily on a par with the names of others outstanding composers. In his 36 years of life, he did not have time to create his own music school and did not have any obvious disciples or followers. Bizet's premature death at the very beginning of his heyday mature creativity is assessed as a significant and irreparable loss for world classical music.
On June 3, 1869, Georges Bizet married Genevieve Halévy. cousin Louis Halévy - creator musical genre"operetta". In 1871, Georges and Genevieve had their only son, Jacques, who later became a close friend of Marcel Proust.
Memory
- Municipal Conservatory (French) Conservatoire municipal du 20e Georges Bizet) in the XX arrondissement of Paris bears his name.
- A square in Anderlecht (Brussels metropolitan area) is named after him.
Creation
Operas
- “Don Procopio” (opera buffa, in Italian, 1858-1859, staged 1906, Monte Carlo), also orchestrated by Leonid Feigin
- “Love the Artist” (French L’Amour peintre, libretto by Bizet, after J.B. Molière, 1860, not finished, not published)
- "Guzla Emir" ( comic opera, 1861-1862)
- “The Pearl Seekers” (French Les Pecheurs de perles, 1862-1863, staged 1863, “Théâtre Lyricique”, Paris
- Ivan IV (1862-1865), staged in 1951 at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux
- "Nicola Flamel" (1866, fragments)
- “The Beauty of Perth” (French: La Jolie fille du Perth, 1866, staged 1867, “Théâtre Lyricique”, Paris)
- “The Cup of the King of Thule” (French: La Coupe du roi de Thule, 1868, fragments)
- "Clarissa Garlow" (comic opera, 1870-1871, fragments)
- "Calandar" (comic opera, 1870), Griselda (comic opera, 1870-1871, unfinished)
- “Djamile” (comic opera, 1871, staged 1872, Opera Comique theater, Paris)
- "Don Rodrigo" (1873, unfinished)
- “Carmen” (dramatic opera, 1873-1874, staged 1875, Opera Comique theater, Paris; recitatives written by E. Guiraud, after the death of Bizet, for production in Vienna, 1875)
Operettas
- Anastasia and Dmitry
- Malbrough is going on a campaign (Malbrough s’en va-t-en guerre, 1867, Athenaeum theater, Paris; Bizet owns the 1st act, the other 3 acts are by I. E. Legui, E. Jonas, L. Delibes)
- Sol-si-re-pif-pan (1872, Chateau d'eau Theater, Pas.)
- Angel and Tobia (L’Ange et Tobia, circa 1855-1857)
- Héloïse de Montfort (1855-1857)
- The Enchanted Knight (Le Chevalier enchanté, 1855-1857)
- Erminia (1855-1857)
- The Return of Virginia (Le Retour de Virginie, circa 1855-1857)
- David (1856)
- Clovis and Clotilde (1857)
- Doctor Miracle (1857)
- Song to the Age (Carmen seculaire, after Horace, 1860)
- The Marriage of Prometheus (Les Noces de Promethee, 1867)
Odes-symphonies
- Ulysses and Circe (after Homer, 1859)
- Vasco da Gama (1859-1860)
Oratorio
- Genevieve of Paris (1874-1875)
Works for choir and orchestra (or piano)
- Students' choir (Cheur d'etudiants, male choir, until 1855)
- Waltz (C major, 1855)
- Te Deum (for soloists, chorus and orchestra, 1858)
- Bay of Bahia (Le Golfe de Bahia, for soprano or tenor, chorus and piano, circa 1865; music used in the opera “Ivan the Terrible”, also arranged for piano)
- Ave Maria (for choir and orchestra, lyrics by C. Grandmougin, after 1867)
- Song of the Spinning Wheel (La Chanson du Rouet, for soloist, choir and piano, after 1867), etc.
For unaccompanied choir
- Saint John of Patmos (Saint-Jean de Pathmos, for male choir, words by V. Hugo, 1866)
Works for orchestra
- Symphonies (No. 1, C major, Youth, 1855, score published and performed 1935; No. 2, 1859, destroyed by Bizet)
- Rome (C-dur, 1871, originally - Memories of Rome, 1866-1868, performed 1869)
- Overtures, including Motherland (Patrie, 1873, performed 1874)
- Suites, including the Little Suite (Petite suite, from the piano duets of Children's Games, 1871, performed 1872), suites from Arlesienne (No. 1, 1872; No. 2, composed by E. Guiraud, 1885)
Works for solo piano
- Great Concert Waltz (E major, 1854)
- Fantastic hunt
- (Chasse fantastique, 1865)
- Rhine Songs (Chant du Rhin, cycle of 6 songs, 1865)
- Concert Chromatic Variations (1868)
Piano duets
- Children's Games (Jeux d'enfants, 12 pieces for 2 pianos, 1871)
Works for voice and piano
- Including song cycles Leaves from the album (Feuilles d’album, 6 songs, 1866)
- Pyrenees Songs (Chants dee Pyrenees, 6 folk songs, 1867)
Music for a dramatic performance
- Arlesienne (drama by A. Daudet, 1872, Vaudeville theater, Paris)