Editing Georges Bizet (section)

====Years of struggle====
[[File:Bizet caricature 1863.jpg|thumb|upright|Caricature of Bizet, 1863, from the French magazine ''Diogène'']]
When his Prix de Rome grant expired, Bizet found he could not make a living from writing music. He accepted piano pupils and some composition students, two of whom, Edmond Galabert and [[Paul Lacombe (composer)|Paul Lacombe]], became his close friends.<ref name= OMO/> He also worked as an accompanist at rehearsals and auditions for various staged works, including Berlioz's oratorio ''[[L'enfance du Christ]]'' and Gounod's opera ''[[Mireille (opera)|Mireille]]''.<ref>Curtiss, p. 146</ref> However, his main work in this period was as an arranger of others' works. He made piano transcriptions for hundreds of operas and other pieces and prepared vocal scores and orchestral arrangements for all kinds of music.<ref name= OMO/><ref>Dean (1965), pp. 54–55</ref> He was also, briefly, a music critic for ''La Revue Nationale et Étrangère'', under the assumed name of "Gaston de Betzi". Bizet's single contribution in this capacity appeared on 3 August 1867, after which he quarrelled with the magazine's new editor and resigned.<ref>Steen, p. 589</ref>

Since 1862, Bizet had been working intermittently on ''Ivan IV'', an opera based on the life of [[Ivan the Terrible]]. Carvalho failed to deliver on his promise to produce it, so in December 1865, Bizet offered it to the Opéra, which rejected it; the work remained unperformed until 1946.<ref name= D755/><ref>Dean (1965), p. 261</ref> In July 1866, Bizet signed another contract with Carvalho, for ''[[La jolie fille de Perth]]'', the libretto for which, by [[Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges]] after [[Walter Scott|Sir Walter Scott]], is described by Bizet's biographer [[Winton Dean]] as "the worst Bizet was ever called upon to set".<ref>Dean (1965), p. 62</ref> Problems over the casting and other issues delayed its premiere for a year before it was finally performed by the Théâtre Lyrique on 26 December 1867.<ref name= D755/> Its press reception was more favourable than that for any of Bizet's other operas; ''Le Ménestral's'' critic hailed the second act as "a masterpiece from beginning to end".<ref>Dean (1965), pp. 71–72</ref> Despite the opera's success, Carvalho's financial difficulties meant a run of only 18 performances.<ref name= D755/>

While ''La jolie fille'' was in rehearsal, Bizet worked with three other composers, each of whom contributed a single act to a four-act operetta ''Marlbrough s'en va-t-en guerre''. When the work was performed at the Théâtre de l'Athénée on 13 December 1867, it was a great success, and the ''Revue et Gazette Musicale's'' critic lavished particular praise on Bizet's act: "Nothing could be more stylish, smarter and, at the same time, more distinguished".<ref>Curtiss, pp. 206–209</ref> Bizet also found time to finish his long-gestating ''Roma'' symphony and wrote numerous keyboard works and songs. Nevertheless, this period of Bizet's life was marked by significant disappointments. At least two projected operas were abandoned with little or no work done.{{refn|Dean identifies one of these as ''Les Templiers'', libretto by Saint-Georges and Léon Halévy. Another, title unknown, was for a libretto by Arthur Leroy and [[Thomas Sauvage]].<ref>Dean (1965), pp. 79, 260–263</ref>|group= n}} Several competition entries, including a cantata and a hymn composed for the [[Exposition Universelle (1867)|Paris Exhibition of 1867]], were unsuccessful.<ref>Curtiss, pp. 194–198</ref> ''La Coupe du Roi de Thulé'', his entry for an opera competition, was not placed in the first five; from the fragments of this score that survive, analysts have discerned pre-echoes of ''Carmen''.<ref>Dean (1965), pp. 77–79</ref><ref name= D757>Dean (1980), p. 757</ref> On 28 February 1869, the ''Roma'' symphony was performed at the Cirque Napoléon, under [[Jules Pasdeloup]]. Afterwards, Bizet informed Galabert that on the basis of proportionate applause, hisses, and catcalls, the work was a success.<ref>Curtiss, p. 232</ref>{{refn|This performance, against Bizet's wishes, omitted the scherzo that had formed part of his third envoi. The scherzo was not included in the symphony until 1880, five years after Bizet's death.<ref>Dean (1965), pp. 80–81</ref>|group= n}}