The child of musicians, Georges Bizet's early musical talents won him entry into the Paris Conservatoire just before his tenth birthday. There he mastered the piano and wrote several excellent compositions, most notably his Symphony in C. Bizet arrived in Rome in 1857 as the recipient of the coveted Prix de Rome for composition. Only 19, he was already considered a brilliant musician and composer. During his three years in Rome, he planned and began many works, but only four pieces survive. He returned to Paris and dedicated himself to composing. From then until his early death at age 36, Bizet led a troubled life. During the Franco-Prussian War, he enlisted in the National Guard. He suffered from ill health, depression, and lack of success by his own standards. Though he composed many wonderful instrumental works, such as Jeux d'Enfants (Children's Games), he dedicated most of his attention to opera and stage works. Shortly before his death, he completed Carmen. Although its initial reception was not entirely enthusiastic, it has long been recognized as the most popular opera ever written. Bizet first wrote Jeux d'Enfants as a set of 12 vignettes for piano, four hands. Soon afterward, he orchestrated vignettes number 2, 3, 6, 11, and 12 and called them a Petite Suite d'Orchestre (Little Suite for Orchestra). This lovely work is a small but genuine masterpiece, filled with lyrical melody and magical orchestration. Witty and urbane in the best French tradition, the music transports us into a world at play, where we make a top spin fast, need a nap, and march giddily in a makebelieve procession. It is a delight to hear the warmth and sincerity of this homage to childhood.

-- Kendall Briggs