France and her Music

Olivier Messaien was a church musician who also explored ways of bringing new sonorities into the repertoire, especially in organ music. Where did he famously seek, and find, his inspiration?

Baptised with the name of an angel, he was for many years a church musician; and besides his songs, the work for which he is probably best remembered is his Requiem, in particular its supremely devotional Pie Jesu movement. He was also very much 'the darling of the salons' and a great favourite with the ladies. He died in his 80th year, in 1924.
Who was he?

In terms of the earliest remotely modern music in France, which of these is the odd one out?

Georges Bizet sadly died young, but not before having written several operas and various other stage music. Which ONE of these is the only work whose action is set in France?

This composer and pianist revelled in the possibilities of new sound combinations: he frequently experimented with the whole-tone scale (one which doesn't have any sense of a 'home key' about it) and wrote descriptive pieces under such titles as La Cathedrale Engloutie ('The Drowned Cathedral') and Jardins sous la Pluie ('Gardens in the Rain'), besides operas and a splendidly vivid orchestral suite La Mer ('The Sea'). Many pianists come to his work by way of the 'Children's Corner' suite and his two charming and widely-played Arabesques.
Who was he?

Whenever the 'can-can' dance is mentioned, people typically hear in their mind's ear (and so insistent is it, they will probably shortly start to tap or hum or sing it!) a famous ~ even, infamous ~ piece from Jacques Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.
What, though, is the correct original title of the piece within its context, rather than the name of the dance?

Ravel's Bolero ~ known as 'the drummer's nightmare' since the same tight, insistent side-drum rhythm runs throughout it, usually taken in turns by a relay of drummers ~ consists more or less of a straight series of repetitions of the same tune by increasingly loud combinations of instruments within the orchestra. How many times does the theme come round?

Camille Saint-Saens included musical depictions of 14 species in his orchestral suite Carnival of the Animals: in what guise do humans appear in it?

Blind French organist Louis Vierne led a life full of musical achievement despite a range of medical setbacks and accidents, including almost losing one leg. Perhaps ironically, he died ~ though suddenly ~ in the very place he might most have wished: at the console of the organ of Notre Dame de Paris.
Which piece of his own music was he playing at the time?

Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau, between them, were probably France's 'answer' to the towering German duo of Bach and Handel, writing chamber and harpsichord music and opera among much else. In which genre were these French composer-musicians NOT active?