Désiré Guillaume Édouard Monnais (27 May 1798 – 25 February 1868) was a French journalist, theater director, playwright and librettist.

Life and career

Édouard Monnais was born in Paris and began his career as a journalist. In 1835, he became chief editor of the ''

Revue et Gazette musicale de Paris The ' was a weekly musical review founded in 1827 by the Belgian musicologist, teacher and composer François-Joseph Fétis, then working as professor of counterpoint and fugue at the Conservatoire de Paris. It was the first French-language ...

''. In 1836 he took a position at the Interior Ministry and in 1838 became Commissioner of Opera and soon afterward, the Paris Conservatory. From 15 November 1839 to the end of May 1841, he co-directed the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

with

Henri Duponchel Henri Duponchel (28 July 1794 – 8 April 1868) was in turn a French architect, interior designer, costume designer, stage designer, stage director, managing director of the Paris Opera, and a silversmith. He has often been confused with Charle ...

. Monnais wrote as a critic for ''Revue et gazette musicale de Paris'' and '' Le Courrier français'', during which time he reviewed the work of artists including Balzac and

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

. He was active in the support of music and opera, serving as Vice-chairman of the Association of Artists-Musicians, and also on juries, artistic committees and in support of competitions including the Prix de Rome. Monnais sometimes wrote under the pseudonym of Paul Smith. He retired from public service a month before his death, and died in Paris after a lengthy illness. His funeral was held in the Notre Dame de Lorette and he was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

Works

Selected works include: *''Midi, ou l'Abdication d'une femme'', a comedy-vaudeville act in collaboration, Paris, Theatre du Vaudeville, Feb. 2, 1826 *''Le Futur de la grand'maman'', a comedy in one act, mingled with couplets, with

Emmanuel Arago Emmanuel Arago (August 6, 1812, Paris – November 26, 1896) was a French politician of the French Second Republic, Second French Empire and French Third Republic. He was the son of François Arago. He was a member of the 1848 Constituent Assemb ...

and

Armand d'Artois Armand d'Artois (3 October 1788 – 28 March 1867) was a 19th-century French playwright and librettist, and also Achille d'Artois's brother. Biography Trained for the bar, he first worked as an attorney but the success of his play ''Les Fin ...

, Paris, New Theatre, June 13, 1827 *''La Première cause, ou le Jeune avocat'', in a comedy-vaudeville act, with

Paul Duport Nicolas-Paul Duport (22 April 1798 – 26 December 1866) was a French dramatist and librettiste who also wrote under the pen names M. P. D., Paulin and Erbert. Theatre * 1824 : ''Le Beau-frère, ou la Veuve à 2 maris'', comédie-vaudeville in ...

, Paris, Theatre de Madame, November 5, 1829 *''La Contre-lettre, ou le Jésuite'', a drama in two acts, mixed with song, with Paul Duport, Paris, New Theatre, Aug. 23, 1830 *''La Demande en mariage, ou le Jésuite retourné'', in a comedy-vaudeville act, with Emmanuel Arago and Armand d'Artois in Paris, Variety Theatre, September 12, 1830 *''Les Trois Catherine'', historical scenes of Henry VIII, vaudeville, with Paul Duport, music by Adolphe Adam and Casimir Gide, Paris, New Theatre, Nov. 18, 1830 *''La Cour des messageries'', tableau-in a vaudeville act with Auguste Lecerf, Paris, Theatre Ambigu Comique, April 10, 1831 *''La Dédaigneuse'', a comedy-vaudeville act, with Paul Duport, Paris, Theatre du Vaudeville, Nov. 18, 1831 *''L'Anneau, ou Départ et retour'', comedy-vaudeville in two acts, in cooperation, Paris, Theatre Ambigu Comique, Dec. 3, 1832 *''Le Cavalier servant, ou les Mœurs italiennes'', a comedy act, mixed with songs, with Paul Duport, Paris, Theatre du Vaudeville, April 25, 1833 *''Le Capitaine Roland'', comedy-vaudeville in one act, working in Paris, Theatre du Vaudeville, June 23, 1834 *''La Dame d'honneur'', comic opera in one act, with Paul Duport, music by M. Boileau, Paris, Opera Comique, October 4, 1838 *''Un ménage parisien'', a drama in two acts, with Laurencin, Paris, gym-Dramatic Theatre, June 12, 1839 *''Miss Kelly, ou La Lettre et l'engagement'', in a comedy act and in prose, with Paul Duport, Paris, Theatre de la Renaissance, 25 October 1839 *''Le Cent-Suisse'', comic opera in one act, with Paul Duport, Paris, Opera Comique, June 17, 1840 *''Sultana'', comic opera in one act, music Maurice Bourges, Paris, Opera Comique, September 16, 1846 *''Mimili, ou Souvenirs d'un officier français dans une vallée suisse'', 1827 *''Éphémérides universelles, ou Tableau religieux, politique, littéraire, scientifique et anecdotique, présentant pour chaque jour de l'année un extrait des annales de toutes les nations et de tous les siècles'', 13 volumes, 1828-1833 *''Esquisses de la vie d'artiste'', 2 vols., 1844 *''Les Sept notes de la gamme'', 1848

References

* Fontaine, Gerard (2003). ''Visages de marbre et d'airain: La collection de bustes du Palais Garnier''. Paris: Monum, Éditions du patrimoine. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Monnais, Edouard 1798 births 1868 deaths French theatre managers and producers Directors of the Paris Opera 19th-century French journalists French opera librettists Writers from Paris French critics Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers