Operas by Georges Bizet

E. Klein | Jul 28, 2010 |

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Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) was a French composer whose most famous works are his opéras comiques (operas with spoken dialogue and arias) and operettas. Born into a family of accomplished musicians, Bizet showed early promise as a pianist and composer, and at the tender age of nine (two weeks shy of his tenth birthday) he was admitted to the Paris Conservatory. Though he was a gifted storyteller and composer, many of his operas went unperformed, and some did not achieve wide popularity until after his death. With their challenging music and unconventional story lines, Bizet's operas have attracted some of the world's best conductors, musicians, and opera singers. Below are short synopses of five of his most renowned operas.

Carmen

Because of its tragic theme and lack of a protagonist, Bizet's most famous opera, Carmen, received only a tepid reception from Parisians during its opening months. Georges Bizet died three months after the opening of Carmen, though it later become one of the most acclaimed operas of all time. Carmen is the story of a Spanish gypsy girl, Carmen, whose fickleness in love leads to her murder. In the first act of the play, Carmen sings the famous aria "La Habanera," in which she compares her love to a rebellious bird that does not come when it is called, to a Bohemian child that has been raised without rules. The story of Carmen is based on a novel of the same title, written in 1846 by the French writer Prosper Mérimée.

Djamileh

The one act opera Djamileh takes place in the palace of Haroun, a caliph in Cairo. Haroun's temporary concubine Djamileh and the servant Splendiano are involved in a comic love triangle. Splendiano loves Djamileh, who in turn loves Haroun. Djamileh is distraught because her tenure as Haroun's concubine is coming to an end. In contrast with Carmen, Djamileh has a happy ending.

La Jolie Fille de Perth

The title character of this opera is Cathérine Glover, the beautiful daughter of a glove maker in Perth, Scotland. Henri Smith, a local blacksmith, is in love with Cathérine, but he must compete with Le Duc de Rothsay. La Jolie Fille de Perth features more gypsy intrigue with Queen Mab, while the glove maker's apprentice Ralph is also drawn into the fray. The opera is based on the much darker novel The Fair Maid of Perth by Sir Walter Scott.

Les Pêcheurs de Perles

Literally, the title is "The Fishermen of Pearls." Zurga and Nadir are best friends and fishermen living in Ceylon. In the opening act, they recount how their bond was tested many years ago when they both fell in love with the same priestess, Leila. Their bond is once again put to the test when Leila returns to the village. Les Pêcheurs de Perles is renowned for the duet "Au Fond du Temple Saint" (At the Base of the Holy Temple) that Zurga and Nadir sing in Act 1.

Ivan IV

Ivan IV was composed around 1863, but not performed until long after Bizet's death, after the manuscript was found among the papers of the man who married Bizet's widow. Ivan IV is based on a short period during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. Much of the opera focuses on royal intrigue among Ivan, his second wife Marie, Marie's brother Igor, and other nobles who are at odds with Ivan. Though the opera ends on a positive note for Ivan and Marie, in real life Marie had a short and tragic reign as the tsar's wife.