Bizet: Le Docteur Miracle
Soloists
Orchestre lyrique de région avignon porvence
Samuel Jean
This early work of Bizet has an interesting history. Offenbach sponsored a competition to find the next generation of light opera composers. The finalist all had to write a setting of the same libretto and the prize was awarded jointly to Bizet and Lecoq. Lecoq thought that there had been some understand work with the jury and that he should have won outright. It led to a rift between the two composers which was never entirely healed.
Bizet at this early stage in his life was a prodigious talent. His symphony in C was written at the age of 17 (though astonishingly it was not performed until 1935!). This score shows completely mastery of the operatic form with a grace and elegance which became hallmarks of his mature style. The ‘big number’ is a quartet about an omelette (don’t ask) where Bizet has great fun parodying some of the conventions of grand opera.
Bizet didn’t have much luck as an opera composer - there are several unfinished works and others , including Carmen, have been mangled by other hands. Even today there is no proper authoritative edition of his works - quite astonishing given the central importance of Carmen in the operatic repertoire.
That’s the end of this short series of lighter French works. Next I will be exploring nationalistic operas from Eastern Europe.
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