Georges (christened Alexandre César Léopold) Bizet studied at the Paris Conservatoire, 1849-57. Bizet was very successful in introducing local colour into his operas, including Carmen, the 'realism' of which has been much exaggerated. Bizet accepted the tradition of the French operatic stage and applied them to a vulgar subject. Though Carmen is now frequently given with the recitatives added by Ernest Guiraud it was originally an opera with dialogue.
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