Ann Murray, Graham Johnson - Bizet: Songs

Georges Bizet lived a somewhat frustrating life with his attempts at opera and other large-scale forms being scorned by a Parisian audience captivated by the charm and accessibility of the likes of Rossini. Even a work of the stature of Carmen did not receive recognition until after its composer's death. Bizet's works, therefore, are a tantalizing mix of pure genius and the routine hack work which he had to undertake merely to survive.Only in the genre of the m�lodie did Bizet find himself free from the pressures of commercial music-making, and Graham Johnson and Ann Murray have here devised an enchanting programme of twenty particularly fine songs.