French composer and pianist, whose musical compositions, especially operas, gained acclaim only after his death, which happened early in his life. His masterpiece "Carmen", considered one of the most popular operas ever to be composed, which continues to enthrill the audiences, proves that Bizet had an amazing talent of creating memorable and original melodies.
His parents having some musical background, Bizet studied at the Paris Conservatoire from the age of ten, where he became a brilliant pianist and won many prizes. His sight reading skills were spectacular. Liszt had said, ‘I thought there were only two men able to surmount the difficulties ... there are three, and ... the youngest [Bizet] is perhaps the boldest and most brilliant’. He made his living as pianist and by transcribing other people's music works, since as a composer he had achieved little success.
Following the production of his work "Carmen", he was accused of plagiarism and many of the press reviews were negative. Bizet was convinced that the opera was a failure. He did not have any idea that today this opera would be considered a masterpiece in its genre.
He died at the age of 37. Mostly known for his "Carmen", the rest of his works is ignored. However, Bizet was an inspired melodist, just like Schubert. He created catchy and powerful melodies and his operas were full of colour and realism.
