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Adolphe Adam Biography

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  • Born: July 24, 1803 in Paris, France
  • Genre: Easy Listening

Adolphe Adam was a Romantic composer of opera, ballet and some religious music though the latter does not approach the quality of the former. His dominant and favorite area of production was the genre of the ballet. This is most certainly related to his decision at an early age to compose theatre music because of the influence of Herold. Adam was not the sort who frequented museums or appreciated natural phenomena but was more inclined, at home and abroad, to listen to The Opera-Comique. Adolphe's notoriety presented itself in the years of 1824 and 1825 when he won an honorble mention in the "prix de Rome" (1824) and respectively the "prix" (1825). This afforded him the practical experience of helping Boieldieu with the comic opera "La dame blanche". Adam transcribed musical ideas from the opera for the piano; the sale of these scores afforded him the opportunity to travel. Perhaps the most important meeting in his travels was with Eugene Scribe the noted librettist giving him the opportunity to learn this aspect of opera composition. Adam was a proficient composer and is attributed with approximately 70 operas including "La chalet" and "Le postillon de Lonjemeau" his most popular in France and Germany respectively. Adam successfully composed, conducted and arranged music for the stage with a talent and expertise few can claim; he even conducted "Le brasseur de Preston" for an audience before Tsar Nicholas I in St. Petersburg to whom the opera was dedicated. Adam's associates extended from the choreographer Gautier to the dancer Taglioni and composition for the ballet came easily to him. His most famous ballet is "Giselle" and Carlota Grisi danced the lead. Upon the death of his father Adam was left with no money finding it necessary to take a job as a journalist. However, his music continued and eventually he found prosperity again. He continued in journalism even when financial stability returned. Adolphe Adam, who greatly influenced theatrical presentations of the ballet and comic opera through his music, also had the opportunity to critique works of Meyerbeer, Verdi and Berlioz. ~ Keith Johnson, Rovi

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