orig. Alexandre-César-Léopold Bizet
born Oct. 25, 1838, Paris, France
died June 3, 1875, Bougival
French composer.
Son of a music teacher, he gained admission to the Paris Conservatoire at age 9, and at age 17 he wrote the precocious Symphony in C Major (1855). Intent on success on the operatic stage, he produced The Pearl Fishers (1863), La Jolie Fille de Perth (1866), and Djamileh (1871). Disgusted with the frivolity of French light opera, he determined to reform the genre of opéra comique . In 1875 his masterpiece, Carmen , reached the stage. Though its harsh realism repelled many, Carmen quickly won international enthusiasm and was recognized as the supreme example of opéra comique . Bizet's death soon after its premiere cut short a remarkable career.