Georges Bizet is an honored French composer and musician. He worked in the era of romanticism. During his lifetime, some of the maestro's works were refuted by music critics and admirers of classical music. More than 100 years will pass, and his creations will become real masterpieces. Today, Bizet's immortal compositions are heard in the most prestigious theaters in the world.
Childhood and youth Georges Bizet
He was born in Paris on October 25, 1838. He had every chance to contribute to the development of music. The boy was brought up in a primordially intelligent family. Music was often played in Bizet's house.
Georges's mother was an honored pianist, and her brother was listed as one of the best vocal teachers. The first time after the birth of his son, the head of the family organized a small business selling wigs. Then, he began to teach vocals, without having a profile education behind him.
Bizet loved music. Unlike peers, the boy loved to learn. In a short period of time, he mastered musical notation, after which his mother decided to teach her son to play the piano.
At the age of six he went to school. Classes were given to the boy easily. In particular, he showed a genuine interest in reading and classical literature.
When the mother saw that reading began to crowd out music, she controlled that Bizet spent at least 5 hours a day at the piano. At the age of ten, he entered the Paris Conservatory of Music. Georges did not disappoint his mother.
He had an amazing memory and hearing. Thanks to his talents, the boy held his first prize in his hands, which allowed him to take free lessons from Pierre Zimmermann. The first classes showed that Bizet was inclined to compose compositions.
Composing musical compositions completely captured him. During this period of time, he writes about a dozen works. Alas, they cannot be classified as brilliant, but it was they who showed the young composer what mistakes he should work on.
In parallel with his composing activities, he began to play a musical instrument in the class of Professor Francois Benois. During this period of time, he managed to win several more prestigious awards.
The creative path and music of the composer Georges Bizet
During the years of study, the maestro created his first brilliant work. This is the Symphony in C major. It is noteworthy that modern society was able to enjoy the sound of the composition only in the 30s of the last century. It was then that the work was extracted from the archives of the Paris Conservatory.
Contemporaries got acquainted with the composer's work during the so-called competition, which was kindly organized by Jacques Offenbach. The participants of the competition faced a difficult task - to write a musical comedy in which several characters will be involved at once. Despite the difficulties, Bizet had something to fight for. Jacques promised the winner a gold medal, as well as more than 1000 francs. On stage, the maestro presented the comical operetta "Doctor Miracle". He became the winner of the competition.
A little more time will pass, and he will take part in the next musical competition. This time, he presented to the public the brilliant cantata Clovis and Clotilde. He received a grant and went on a year-long internship in Rome.
Young Georges was fascinated by the beauty of Italy. The local mood, the wonderful landscapes and the tranquility that prevailed in the city inspired him to create several works. During this period of time, he published the opera Don Procopio, as well as the brilliant ode-symphony Vasco da Gamma.
Homecoming
In the 60th year, he was forced to return to the territory of Paris. He received news from his motherland that his mother was ill. For the next few years, he was on the edge. Depression gripped him. During this period of time, he took up writing entertainment works. In addition, he gave private music lessons. Bizet did not undertake to write serious works, from which his faith in himself gradually faded away.
Due to the fact that he was a laureate of Rome, the responsibility for writing the humorous work "Opera-Comic" fell on the shoulders of the maestro. However, he could not take up the composition of the work. In the 61st year, his mother died, and a year later, his teacher and mentor. The tragic events took the last strength from the maestro.
He returned to himself only a few years later. During this period of time, he creates the operas The Pearl Seekers and The Beauty of Perth. The works were well received not only by ordinary admirers of classicism, but also by music critics.
The flowering of creativity
Bizet opened up as a composer in the 70s. During this period of time, the premiere of Jamila took place at the site of the prestigious Opera Comic Theater. Music critics admired the Arabic motifs and the overall lightness of the piece. A couple of years later, he composed the musical accompaniment to Alphonse Daudet's drama The Arlesian. Alas, the show failed.
The opera "Carmen" became the pinnacle of the maestro's work. Interestingly, during his lifetime, the work was not recognized. She remained underestimated by Bizet's contemporaries. The production was criticized, calling it immoral and useless. But, one way or another, the opera was staged more than 40 times. The theatergoers watched the performance out of curiosity, since the maestro died during this period of time.
The bourgeois public did not accept the work, accusing the maestro of immorality, and the music critics of the capital of France mockingly exclaimed. “What truth! But what a scandal!
Unfortunately, the composer and musician did not live long before the recognition of his brilliant creation. A year later, respected composers praised the work, but Bizet was not lucky enough to hear what they specifically said about the opera he created.
Details of the personal life of Georges Bizet
Bizet was definitely a success with the fairer sex. The first love of the composer was a charming Italian named Giuseppa. Relations did not develop for the reason that the maestro left Italy, and the girl did not want to leave with her lover.
At one time, he became interested in a woman who was known to society as Madame Mogador. Bizet was not frightened by the fact that the lady was much older than the composer. In addition, Madame Mogador had a rather scandalous reputation in society. Bizet was not happy with the woman, but for a long time he could not decide to leave her. With her, he suffered from mood swings. When this relationship ended, a wave of depression swept over him.
He found true male happiness with the daughter of his teacher Fromental Halévy, Genevieve. Interestingly, the girl's parents were against this marriage. They did their best to dissuade their daughter from marrying the poor Georges. Love turned out to be stronger, and the couple got married.
During the Franco-Prussian War, he was drafted into the Guard, but was quickly released because he was a Roman Scholar. After that, he took his wife and moved to the territory of Paris.
In this marriage, the couple had a son. It was rumored that Bizet also had an heir from a maid. After the rumors about the illegitimate child were confirmed, the wife became angry with her husband, and started an affair with a local writer. Georges knew about this, and was very worried that his wife would not leave him.
Interesting facts about the composer
- Alexandre Cesar Leopold Bizet is the true name of the great composer.
- He has worked as a critic. Once he was given a prestigious position in one of the popular French publications.
- Georges was an excellent piano player. His skills delighted not only ordinary spectators, but also experienced music teachers. Bizet was called a virtuoso from God.
- The name of the maestro was forgotten for many, many years. Interest in the composer's work arose only in the 20th century, gradually he began to be mentioned more and more often.
- He did not acquire students and did not become the founder of a new musical direction.
The Last Years of Georges Bizet
The death of the great maestro is shrouded in secrets and mysteries. He was gone from the territory of Bougival. He and his family went there for the summer holidays. The family, together with the maid, lived in a luxurious two-story house.
In May, he fell ill, but this did not prevent the man from going on foot to one of the rivers at the end of the spring of 75. He loved to swim. Despite the fact that the wife insisted that her husband should not swim, he did not listen to her.
The next day, his rheumatism and fever worsened. A day later, he no longer felt his limbs. A day later, Bizet had a heart attack. The doctor who arrived at the composer's house did everything possible to save his life, but it did not make him feel any better. He spent the next day practically unconscious. He died on June 3, 1875. The cause of the death of the maestro was a heart complication.
When a close friend found out about the tragedy, he immediately came to the family. He found cut wounds on the composer's neck. He suggested that the cause of death could be murder. Moreover, next to him was the one who wanted him dead, namely his wife's lover - Delaborde. By the way, after the funeral, Delaborde made several unsuccessful attempts to marry the maestro's widow, but she refused him.
Biographers say that another possible cause of the death of the maestro was suicide attempts after the presentation of the unsuccessful opera Carmen. According to them, the composer tried to die on his own. This explains the presence of incised marks on the neck.
