Composer, arranger and Pianist, Bizet might have become the most renowned opera composer in France had he not died aged 36, just one month after the premiere of Carmen. He was admitted to the Paris Conservatoire in 1848 andexcelled under the tutelage of Zimmerman, Halévy and Gounod, as well as winning major prizes, including the Prix de Rome in 1857. After travels in Italy, he settled back in Paris and, while struggling to secure commissionsfor his operas, worked as a rehearsal pianist...