 For his 1857 Prix de Rome entry Bizet , with Gounod 's enthusiastic approval , chose to set the cantata Clovis et Clotilde by Amédée <unk> . Bizet was awarded the prize after a ballot of the members of the Académie des Beaux @-@ Arts overturned the judges ' initial decision , which was in favour of the oboist Charles Colin . Under the terms of the award , Bizet received a financial grant for five years , the first two to be spent in Rome , the third in Germany and the final two in Paris . The only other requirement was the submission each year of an " envoi " , a piece of original work to the satisfaction of the Académie . Before his departure for Rome in December 1857 , Bizet 's prize cantata was performed at the Académie to an enthusiastic reception . 
