The first English translation of Bizet's letters and journals from his
stay in Italy, with explanatory texts from one of the leading
authorities on the composer's life and music.
In 1857, Georges Bizet (1838-1875) won the prestigious Prix de Rome
scholarship which allowed him to study in Italy for a few years at the
expense of the French state. While Bizet's correspondence from this time
suggests that he was not fond of Italian music, he was especially drawn
to the landscape and Italian Renaissance art and painting. Though
Bizet's thoughts later turned away from rural life and the masterpieces
of the Renaissance, his letters and journals from this period document
the growth of a young musician who would eventually write Carmen.
Translated into English for the first time, Bizet's letters from his
stay in Italy (at the Villa Medici in Rome, with expeditions to various
other parts of the country) reveal much about his character and tastes.
These extraordinary documents are fully annotated, and presented
alongside never-before-published translations of Bizet's journals from
the same years. Linking textual guides supplied by one of the leading
authorities on the composer provide unique insights into the composer's
formative years that cannot be found anywhere else.
