Bizet in black and white

Few people know that the piano played a special role in Bizet’s life. Besides the pianistic skills necessary for any composer and the common practice of transcribing his own and others’ works, the piano was a constant presence, though deliberately kept in the background. A remarkable pianist, Bizet did not enjoy performing in public concerts and worked as a private teacher only out of financial necessity: he did not want to create misunderstandings; the world had to recognize him as a composer! The body of his original piano compositions, though small in scope, demonstrates considerable variety: from the lyricism of Chopin to the virtuosity of Liszt, from the drama of Beethoven to the spirituality of Bach, making it permeable to themes and suggestions recurring in the pianistic and musical world.