Just three months after the premiere of Carmen, which was coolly received by critics and audiences, this composer died at thirty-six, without knowing his opera would become a worldwide triumph. Who is he?
The answer
Georges Bizet died during the night of 2 to 3 June 1875, three months after the premiere of Carmen on 3 March, which met with a highly critical press. Some, including Camille Saint-Saëns, suggested that he let himself die of grief, though doctors pointed instead to a succession of cardiac and rheumatic complications.
This question belongs to the “Musicians and Composers” series of the Père-Lachaise quiz: ten questions, a story behind every right answer.