Georges Bizet’s Hidden Gems: The Playful and Poetic World of His Piano Music

 by Hermione Lai

It’s not really common knowledge, but Georges Bizet was an absolutely brilliant pianist. He entered the class of Antoine-François Marmontel at the Paris Conservatoire at the age of nine, eventually winning Premiers Prix for piano, organ, fugue, and composition.

Young Georges Bizet, 1860

In 1861 Bizet met Franz Liszt and sight-read a fearsomely difficult work that Liszt had just performed. Liszt commented, “my young friend, I had thought that there were only two men capable of struggling victoriously against the difficulties with which I enjoyed peppering this piece; I was mistaken; there are three of us, and the youngest of us is perhaps the boldest and most brilliant.” 

In terms of praise, it doesn’t get any better! However, Bizet performed very little in public as he was not interested in a career as a concert pianist. “I find the performer’s trade an odious one,” he wrote to a friend. He also feared that being labelled a virtuoso might overshadow his intended career as an operatic composer.

As we all know, Bizet would distinguish himself as a composer of orchestral and operatic music, but on the occasion of the anniversary of his death on 3 June 1875, let’s feature some of his beautiful piano miniatures.

Chants du Rhin

Georges Bizet’s Chants du Rhin

In 1865, Georges Bizet composed his Chants du Rhin, paying homage to this legendary waterway that inspired lots of music. However, this collection of pieces with the subtitle “Songs without words,” was not inspired by an actual river journey but by six stanzas of poetry written by Joseph Méry.

Bizet composed a cycle of six dreamy miniatures on the subject of the river and its inhabitants, and he freely translated the poems into musical terms. “L’Aurore” features an expressive melody with arpeggio accompaniment, while “Le Départ” vividly portrays a river song of young woodcutters.

“Les Confidences” and “Le Retour” whisper confidences and salute the river, but all songs are symmetrically grouped around the central “La bohémienne.” The overall theme thus concerns a beautiful and free-spirited gypsy girl. And all that ten years before Carmen!

Trois esquisses musicales

Georges Bizet’s autograph letter

Bizet composed his Trois esquisses musicales in 1857, and this set of three piano sketches showcase his early brilliance as a pianist and composer. Written when he was in his early twenties, these “musical sketches” reflect his virtuosic piano writing and his knack for vivid and evocative storytelling.

The set opens with a spirited “Rondo turque,” a lively rondo that pulses with exotic, Turkish-inspired rhythms. It conjures images of bustling bazaars and whirling dancers, and virtuosic flourishes provide for an almost mischievous spirit.

The “Sérénade” shifts to a tender, flowing melody, like a moonlit song drifting over calm waters. Its lyrical warmth and delicate textures create a dreamy, intimate mood, inviting quiet reflection. Finally, the “Caprice” dances with impish delight, its sparkling runs and sudden dynamic shifts showcasing Bizet’s wit and pianistic flair. 

Magasin des familles

Georges Bizet’s Magasin des familles – II. Romance sans paroles

The three pieces published as musical supplements in the Magasin des familles (Family Magazine) were composed during Bizet’s Prix de Rome period. They reflect his early musical style, blending lyrical Romanticism, exotic influences and a vigorous dance-like energy.

“Méditation religieuse” opens the set in a serene and contemplative mood. It features a gentle hymn-like melody in the minor key that evokes a quiet moment of spiritual reflection. The piece has an almost prayerful quality, perfectly suited for the introspective tastes of the Magasin des Familles readers.

The “Romance sans paroles” is a lyrical gem that gently flows with tender and wordless emotion, while “Casilda” sounds a polka-mazurka full of vibrant dance energy. The syncopated melody evokes a festive ballroom, blending the elegance of a mazurka with the spirited bounce of a polka. Full of character and charm, this set offers a glimpse into Bizet’s early pianistic imagination. 

L’arlesienne Suite No. 1

L’arlesienne

L’Arlésienne was originally composed as incidental music for Alphonse Daudet’s play. The music was later arranged into two orchestral suites, with the first dating from 1872 and the second arranged by Ernest Guiraud after Bizet’s death.

Bizet wrote the original music during a period of financial strain, and he infused the drama with vivid Provençal folk melodies and Romantic passion. While the play flopped, the suites gained lasting popularity. Some movements were transcribed for the piano, bringing their vibrant colours to the salon.

The Suite No. 1 bursts to life with the “Prélude,” and a march-like melody that evokes a festive procession under the Mediterranean sun. The “Minuetto” dances and swirls like a couple in an Arles ballroom, while the “Adagietto” is a heart-tugging gem. The concluding “Carillon” sparkles with bell-like clarity, evoking joy and festivity. 

L’arlesienne Suite No. 2

The “Suite No. 2” was only compiled after Bizet’s death, and the piano transcription crafted for salon performers. The orchestral richness is adapted into accessible and evocative pieces. This version brought the vibrant colours of southern France to the salons of Paris.

The “Pastorale” rocks with a rolling melody that paints a sunlit landscape, with shepherds piping in the fields. Next, the “Intermezzo” shifts to a more dramatic tone, its expressive melody carrying a sense of longing and introspection.

The “Menuet” is actually borrowed from Bizet’s opera La Jolie Fille de Perth, and it dances with elegant charm, while the concluding “Farandole” explodes with infectious energy. The piano transcription captures the exuberance of this dance, leaving listeners swept up in a foot-stomping finale. 

Nocturnes

Georges Bizet’s Nocturne in D Major

Living and working in Paris, it’s no surprise that Bizet would be in touch with piano nocturnes. I am sure he heard them and he played them, and he certainly composed two of his own. The Nocturne in F major dates from around 1854, when Bizet was 16 and studying at the Paris Conservatoire.

It features a lilting, almost dance-like melody that floats over soft and rolling chords. Moments of playful brightness are woven together with tender and reflective passages. It all builds to a gentle and luminous close, and this Nocturne offers a glimpse at Bizet’s precocious pianistic and compositional ability. 

Although it was written fourteen years later in 1868, Bizet gave the Nocturne in D Major the No. 1. This Nocturne opens with a delicate and singing melody over a flowing and arpeggiated accompaniment. It evokes a sense of quiet introspection, with delicate trills and ornament echoing Chopin.

This piece is approachable for amateur pianists, and its emotional nuance can captivate listeners in any cosy salon setting. Both Nocturnes reflect the era’s love for lyrical and expressive piano music. Written for the salon audience, these pieces showcase Bizet’s early talent for crafting intimate and evocative music that balances technical accessibility with emotional warmth. 

Jeux d’enfants

Georges Bizet’s Jeux d’enfants

If Georges Bizet composed a masterwork for piano, it might well have been Jeux d’Enfants (Children’s Games) for piano duets. Composed in 1871, this set of twelve delightful piano duets is not intended for children to play. Rather, these pieces capture the playful and innocent spirit of childhood.

Bizet included memories of his own childhood, intertwined with the joyful prospect of offspring and marital bliss. Although his son Jacques was born in 1872, Bizet never enjoyed the marital bliss he had hoped for, and he died only three years later.

Each of the twelve-character pieces has two titles. One is a children’s game, and the other is the musical form selected for it. “L’escarpolette” (The swing), for example, sounds like a sequence of opposing arpeggios that evokes gentle and dreamy rocking.

“La poupée” (The doll) is a lullaby, while the concluding “Le Bal” (The Ball) provides the suite with a fast and turbulent conclusion as a galloping dance. In 1872, Bizet orchestrated five pieces from this piano suite as the “Petite Suite.”

Youthful, Vivid, and Fun

The piano works by Georges Bizet reveal a youthful and versatile composer with a gift for vivid storytelling. Composed primarily in the 1850s and 60s, his pieces showcase his melodic charm and pianistic flair. Written for cultured salon audiences, these pieces blend playfulness, emotional warmth, and technical finesse that highlight Bizet’s versatile genius. And did I mention that they are really fun to play?

Who was Lili Boulanger?

 Meet the inspiring composer who died tragically young

Lili Boulanger was one of the most talented composers of the 20th century, until her untimely death at the age of 24. Picture: Alamy

By Classic FM

@ClassicFM

 

Lili Boulanger was one of the most exciting composers of the early 20th century, until she died at just 24. Here’s everything you need to know about her life, music, and how her influence lives on today. 

Born on 21 August 1893, Marie-Juliette Olga ‘Lili’ Boulanger was one of the 21st century’s brightest stars in music and the arts.

A promising talent from a very early age, Boulanger was a multi-instrumentalist and pioneering composer, who shared her musical genius with the world right up to her untimely death in 1918, at just 24 years old.

Lili was part of the musically-gifted Boulanger family

Lili Boulanger was born to a prodigious family of musicians, so it’s no wonder she followed the family tradition with several generations’ worth of musical talent flowing through her veins.

Her mother, Raissa Myshetskaya, was a Russian princess who studied at the Paris Conservatoire. It was there that she fell in love with her teacher, Ernest Boulanger.

Boulanger himself was a conductor and composer, and the descendant of fine musical stock: his father, Frédéric was an acclaimed cellist, and his mother, Juliette, was a singer.

Lili Boulanger (right), with her sister Nadia (left). Picture: Alamy

Lili Boulanger was a child prodigy

Lili Boulanger was just two years old when she began to be noticed for her musical prowess. The great composer Gabriel Fauré, a friend of the family, spotted that she had perfect pitch, and the tot was able to sing melodies by ear. 

Her parents nurtured her abilities and encouraged a prestigious music education. Before the age of five she was accompanying her older sister, Nadia, to lessons at the Paris Conservatoire. Later she would attend independently, taking classes in music theory and the organ.

Boulanger also played piano, violin, cello and harp, as well as singing.

The first woman to win the Prix de Rome

In 1912, Lili Boulanger entered the Prix de Rome – the most prestigious honour for artists at the time. First awarded in the 17th century, the prize allowed the winner to live in Rome for three to five years, all expenses paid.

With categories in painting, sculpture, architecture and engraving, the first prize for musical competition was awarded in 1803 to Albert Androt.

Among its winners are some of Europe’s finest composers: Georges Bizet, Hector Berlioz, Claude Debussy, and even Lili’s own father, Ernest, in 1835 at the age of 20.

However, her 1912 entry was ill-fated. Boulanger collapsed from illness during her performance, and was unable to complete her entry. Not easily discouraged, Boulanger attempted once more in 1913, then aged 19, and won.

Her victory made her the first woman to win the Prix de Rome, though the judges couldn’t quite bear to let her enjoy the honour on her own. So they also awarded first prize that year to Claude Delvincourt.

Lili Boulanger: D'un matin de printemps / Cristian Măcelaru and Seattle Symphony

She wrote the cantata ‘Faust et Hélène’ in just four weeks

Faust et Hélène is the piece that gave the Prix de Rome judges no choice but to give her the award.

The rules of the competition stated that the piece had to be written in four weeks – so that’s what the precocious 19-year-old Lili did.

The cantata is 30 minutes long and is written for a full orchestra, telling the story of Faust, the man seduced by the power offered by the demon Mephistopheles.

Boulanger’s retelling of the German legend contains flavours of Wagner and Debussy, and it’s no surprise it won the most prestigious prize of its day. Just listen to this:

Boulanger: Faust et Hélène - Radio Filharmonisch Orkest o.l.v. Karina Canellakis - Live concert HD

A prolific composer and diligent worker, Boulanger continued writing music on her sickbed. Her final piece, a haunting and evocative ‘Pie Jesu’, was completed in her 24th year in 1918.

Initial sketches of the work have been found in the composer’s composition book, used between 1909 and 1913. It was completed with the help of her sister Nadia, who wrote out the work as it was dictated to her.

Lili Boulanger’s illness and death

Much of Lili Boulanger’s short life was afflicted by tragedy. At just two years old, she contracted bronchial pneumonia, an infection of the lungs.

Boulanger recovered, but her immune system was irrevocably weakened by the illness and she suffered from chronic illness for the remainder of her life.

In 1900, when she was just seven years old, her father, who had been 77 at her birth, died. His death affected Boulanger, who was very close to her father, greatly, and much of her work would deal with themes of loss.

In 1918, Boulanger died from intestinal tuberculosis which arose from her life-long health complications. She was buried in the Cemetery of Montmartre, where she was joined by her sister, Nadia, in 1979, as well as both of their parents.

Lili Boulanger’s legacy

Despite such a brief career, cut short by her premature death, Lili Boulanger’s legacy lives on today through both her own music, and that of many other eminent composers.

Lili’s sister, Nadia, who was a fine composer in her own right, was so affected by her sibling’s death that she deemed her own works “useless” and turned her complete attention to teaching, hoping to continue her sister’s legacy through pedagogy.

Nadia Boulanger, pictured with her student Leonard Bernstein. Picture: Getty

Over a lifetime of nurturing young musical talent, Nadia Boulanger’s students became some of the 20th century’s most famous composers and conductors, from Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein to Quincy Jones and Daniel Barenboim.

So although Lili Boulanger’s young death may have robbed us from plenty of brilliant music, perhaps if she had lived we may never have had West Side Story, ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’, or the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.

Georges Bizet "The Pearl Fishers"