Author Topic: Georges Bizet (Read 3338 times)

Pierre · « **on:** November 02, 2008, 01:23:14 PM »

Has there really not been a thread on this composer yet? I'm just playing through in my mind the second movement of his L'Arlesienne suite No. 1, enjoying its plain vigour (at least in my imagined performance) but now wondering whether this was actually taken from his incidental music to Daudet's play: or was this lifted from another work of his? Does anyone here know?

OzRadio · « **Reply #1 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:16:22 AM »

Any must-have pieces by Bizet other than Carmen?

springrite · « **Reply #2 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:19:42 AM »

Quote from: OzRadio on January 01, 2011, 09:16:22 AM

Any must-have pieces by Bizet other than Carmen?

The Pearl Fisher, of course.

Mirror Image · « **Reply #3 on:** January 01, 2011, 09:23:48 AM »

Quote from: OzRadio on January 01, 2011, 09:16:22 AM

Any must-have pieces by Bizet other than Carmen?

Not sure about "must-haves," but I really enjoy his Symphony In C, the suites to L'Arlesienne, and the Petite Suite.

Guido · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2011, 07:21:21 PM »

Quote from: toucan on January 01, 2011, 09:59:56 AM

Nietzsche promoted the music of Mendelssohn and Bizet as joy-affirming classical alternatives to Wagnerian romanticism. This does allow us to situate Bizet in the history of music, I would say.

Bizet married Genevieve Halevy, the daughter of his teacher, the (forgotten) Opera composer Fromenthal Halevy. Fromenthal Halevy was the uncle of Ludovic Halevy, who wrote the libretto of Carmen (an adaptation of Prosper Merime's novella).

Ludovic Halevy was the father of Elie Halevy, historian of the English labor movement, and of Daniel Halevy, who started out as a Dreyfusard friend and ally of Charles Peguy and ended up a critique of the IIIrd Republic and suporter of Old Regime aristocracy. Daniel Halevy was father-in-law of the diplomat Louis Joxe (cabinet minister under Charles de Gaulle) and the grand-father of Pierre Joxe, Francois Mitterand's first minister of the Interior.

After Bizet's death his widow Genevieve married the banker (and Rothschild business partner) Emile Strauss. She is best remembered as the Madame Strauss who inspired the Madame Verdurin character in Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.

Thank you for this! Didn't know that at all!

On Bizet recommendations. Pearl Fishers is good. So is La Jolie Fille De Perth - the latter very rarely done and again crammed with gorgeous numbers.

mc ukrneal · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2011, 01:05:59 AM »

And don't forget jeux d'enfants. It's probably more often known through the suite performed for orchestra.

The new erato · « **Reply #6 on:** March 07, 2011, 11:14:38 AM »

Quote from: springrite on January 01, 2011, 09:19:42 AM

The Pearl Fisher, of course.

I think it is plural (Pearl Fishers).

Else there would be no duet.

vers la flamme · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2020, 07:47:58 AM »

Bump for Bizet...

Surprised there has been so little discussion on this composer over the years. What gives?

I just got a CD of Thomas Beecham conducting the Symphony in C and the L'Arlésienne suites. Good stuff. I would like to hear Carmen in full, too. I like what I've heard of it and not being much of an opera guy, I suspect it would be nice, easily digestible fare. Might make more sense than diving in headfirst to Wagner, etc.

Biffo · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2020, 08:03:17 AM »

Quote from: vers la flamme on March 28, 2020, 07:47:58 AM

Bump for Bizet...

Surprised there has been so little discussion on this composer over the years. What gives?

I just got a CD of Thomas Beecham conducting the Symphony in C and the L'Arlésienne suites. Good stuff. I would like to hear Carmen in full, too. I like what I've heard of it and not being much of an opera guy, I suspect it would be nice, easily digestible fare. Might make more sense than diving in headfirst to Wagner, etc.

It is true that Carmen is full of tuneful and colourful music but it is also powerful and ultimately tragic. I am not sure nice is the right word. By all means try it, it is gripping stuff.

André · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2020, 08:25:58 AM »

And the music for L’Arlésienne (the girl from Arles). Almost too tuneful... favourite version: Stokowski in resplendent stereo.

vers la flamme · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2020, 08:28:38 AM »

Quote from: Biffo on March 28, 2020, 08:03:17 AM

It is true that Carmen is full of tuneful and colourful music but it is also powerful and ultimately tragic. I am not sure nice is the right word. By all means try it, it is gripping stuff.

I'm sorry to sound dismissive—which rereading that post, that is definitely how I came off. Nice may not be the right word at all, but it seems to certainly be accessible; I think it's a lot of folks' first opera.

What is a great recording of it out there? I see Beecham has recorded it for EMI. Any others to consider...?

Biffo · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2020, 08:44:33 AM »

My first opera was Madame Butterfly and I was bored to tears - Carmen is an excellent place to start. Not sure where to start, it was discussed extensively in the old Amazon UK forum with just about every version having its detractors. None of the versions I know (Bernstein, Fruhbeck de Burgos and a DVD with Domingo and Migenes) are very new.

André · « **Reply #12 on:** March 28, 2020, 11:23:20 AM »

Quote from: Biffo on March 28, 2020, 08:44:33 AM

My first opera was Madame Butterfly and I was bored to tears - Carmen is an excellent place to start. Not sure where to start, it was discussed extensively in the old Amazon UK forum with just about every version having its detractors. None of the versions I know (Bernstein, Fruhbeck de Burgos and a DVD with Domingo and Migenes) are very new.

Yup. The Carmen curse...

Roasted Swan · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2020, 05:05:47 AM »

Quote from: André on March 28, 2020, 11:23:20 AM

Yup. The Carmen curse...

The "problem" for Carmen remains that it was conceived as an "Opera Comique" - which of course simply refers to the fact that sung and spoken text are combined in away familiar/normal in operetta and or course modern day musicals but less common in 'serious' opera. Which is why the spoken passages were rewritten/reconceived as recitatives. But all that happened (as indeed did the premiere in any case) after Bizet's death so he had no say in the matter. To my mind the issue remains with the listener not the work; it appears that people who like their opera big and sweeping and full of drama somehow baulk at the spoken dialogue. I like it exactly as it is. But then I also like the scale and sweep of Solti's Decca recording who chose a hybrid version!

Scion7 · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2020, 01:29:31 PM »

Happy 182'nd birthday, Georges.

Roasted Swan · « **Reply #15 on:** October 28, 2020, 11:23:54 AM »

There is a famous version of the Symphony by Stokowski (sorry - I don't know how to resize images!);

Apparently according to a colleague who played on the session; during the take of the slow movement, Stokowski fell asleep on the podium but when the leader looked across at the control box they indicated to keep going.... so everyone just followed the leader/1st oboe etc and Stoky woke up for the last few bars. I think the disc won an award....... (it is VERY good!)

vers la flamme · « **Reply #16 on:** October 28, 2020, 03:23:19 PM »

^I just got that recently and listened to it on Bizet's birthday. I agree, it's a damn good recording, so that's hilarious!

Scion7 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2020, 11:49:37 AM »

He must have been strapped to it, since he didn't fall down?

OrchestralNut · « **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2021, 05:57:25 AM »

402 pages of discussion on the Havergal Brian composer thread. While not even a full page on the Bizet........ Proof that life is still full of mysteries.

Anyhow, I discovered the Symphony in C just this past October during a livestream event put on by my local orchestra. What an utterly charming, exuberant and fun piece of music!

I'm only familiar with Bizet's suites for l'Arlesienne and Carmen, and now the Symphony in C.

What are some of your favourite recordings of the symphony? I do see a fair amount of mentions for the Stokowski and Bernstein.

Florestan · « **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2021, 06:42:07 AM »

You want unkown Bizet?Take these then:

News:

Author Topic: Georges Bizet (Read 3338 times)