MEYERBEER, Giacomo
b Berlin, 5 September 1791
d Paris, 2 May 1864, aged seventy-two

He was the eldest son of a successful Jewish banker. He spent three years from 1810 to 1813 studying at Darmstadt, making a close friendship with fellow student Weber. A period of composition in Vienna met with only a mixed success, but a move to Italy and the writing of operas in imitation of Rossini brought him fame. In 1826 his father, Weber, and his two children died in Berlin and this checked his career; he did not leave Berlin until 1830. His great wealth made it easy for him to stage lavish productions and he was fortunate, too, in having Scribe as his librettist. The enormous popularity of his operas and the influence of his family earned him the post of General-musikdirektor in Berlin from 1842 to 1849. However, anti-Semitic criticism by such people as Wagner and Heine proved damaging to his health.

1831 (40)

Robert le diable, opera

1836 (45)

Les Huguenots, opera

1849 (58)

Le prophete, opera

1854 (63)

L’étoile du nord, opera

1859 (68)

Dinorah, opera

Performed posthumously:

1865 L’Africaine, opera