Paul Armand Silvestre (18 April 1837 – 19 February 1901) was a 19th-century French poet and ''conteur'' born in Paris. He studied at the

École polytechnique École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * École, Savoi ...

with the intention of entering the army, but in 1870 he entered the department of finance. Silvestre had a successful official career, was decorated with the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

in 1886, and in 1892 was made inspector of fine arts. Armand Silvestre made his entry into literature as a poet, and was reckoned among the Parnassians.

Works

Armand Silvestre's works were published mainly by Alphonse Lemerre and Gervais Charpentier. Some of his poems were set to music by Gabriel Fauré, under the form of

mélodie A ''mélodie'' () is a form of French art song, arising in the mid-19th century. It is comparable to the German ''Lied''. A ''chanson'', by contrast, is a folk or popular French song. The literal meaning of the word in the French language is "melod ...

s for one voice and piano (''Le Secret'', ''L'Automne''...). Thirteen of his poems were set by

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

. Silvestre's poem ''Jours Passés'' was set in music by

Léo Delibes Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and French opera, operas. His works include the ballets ''Coppélia'' (1870) and ''Sylvia (ba ...

under the title ''Regrets''.

Poetry

*''Rimes neuves et vieilles'', with a preface by

George Sand Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil (; 1 July 1804 – 8 June 1876), best known by her pen name George Sand (), was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, bein ...

(1866) see on Gallic

*''Les Renaissances'' (1870) *''La Gloire du souvenir, poème d'amour'' (1872) *''Poésies, 1866-1874. Les Amours. La Vie. L'Amour'' (1875) *''La Chanson des heures, poésies nouvelles (1874-1878)'' (1878) *''Le Pays des roses, poésies nouvelles, 1880-1882'' (1882) *''Le Chemin des étoiles : les Adorations, la Chanson des jours, Musiques d'amour, Dernières tendresses, Poèmes dialogués, 1882-1885'' (1885) *''Le Dessus du panier : Impressions et souvenirs, Soleils toulousains, Propos de saison, Au pays des rêves'' (1885) *''Poésies, 1872-1878. La Chanson des heures'' (1887) *''Les Ailes d'or, poésies nouvelles'' (1890) *''Roses d'octobre, poésies, 1884-1889'' (1890) *''Poésies, 1866-1872. Rimes neuves et vieilles. Les Renaissances. La Gloire du souvenir'' (1892) *''L'Or des couchants, poésies nouvelles, 1889-1892'' (1892): ) *Trente Sonnets pour Mademoiselle Bartet (1896) *''Les Aurores lointaines, poésies nouvelles, 1892-1895'' (1896) *''Les Tendresses, poésies nouvelles, 1895-1898'' (1898) *''Les Fleurs d'hiver, poésies nouvelles, 1898-1900'' (1900) His volumes of verse include: *''Rimes neuves et vieilles'' (1866), to which

wrote a preface *''Les Renaissances'' (1870) *''La Chanson des heures'' (1878) *''Le Chemin des étoiles'' (1885), etc. The poet was also a contributor to '' Gil Blas (periodical), Gil Blas'' and other Parisian journals, distinguishing himself by the licence he permitted himself. To these "absences" from poetry, as Henri Chantavoine calls them, belong the seven volumes of ''La Vie pour rire'' (1881–1883), ''Contes pantagruéliques et galants'' (1884), ''Le Livre des joyeusetés'' (1884), ''Gauloiseries nouvelles'' (1888), &c.

Prose

*''Les Farces de mon ami Jacques'' (1881) *''Les Mémoires d'un galopin, suivis de Petite Histoire naturelle'' (1882) *''Le Péché d'Ève'' (1882) *''Le Filleul du docteur Trousse-Cadet, suivi des Nouveaux Malheurs du commandant Laripète'' (1882) see on Gallic

*''Histoires belles et honnestes'' (1883) see on Gallic

*''Madame Dandin et mademoiselle Phryné'' (1883) *''Contes grassouillets'' (1883) *''Les Mélancolies d'un joyeux'' (1883) see on Gallic

*''Chroniques du temps passé. Le Conte de l'archer'' (1883) *''Pour faire rire. Gauloiseries contemporaines'' (1883) *''Contes pantagruéliques et galants'' (1884) *''En pleine fantaisie'' (1884) *''Les Bêtises de mon oncle'' (1884) *''Le Livre des joyeusetés'' (1884) *''Histoires de l'autre monde : mœurs américaines'' (1884) *''Le Falot'' (1884) *''Contes à la comtesse'' (1885) *''Les Merveilleux Récits de l'amiral Le Kelpudubec'' (1885) *''Joyeusetés galantes, suivies de Laripète citadin'' (1885) *''Les Cas difficiles'' (1886) see on Gallic

*''Contes de derrière les fagots'' (1886) illustrated by Félix Lacaille *''Les Veillées de Saint-Pantaléon'' (1886) *''Histoires inconvenantes'' (1887) *''Le Livre des fantaisies. Joyeusetés et mélancolies'' (1887) *''Au fil du rire'' (1888) *''Histoires joyeuses'' (1888) see on Gallic

*''Fabliaux gaillards'' (1888) see on Gallic

*''Joyeux devis'' (1888) *''Maïma'' (1888) see on Gallic

*''Gauloiseries nouvelles'' (1888) see on Gallic

*''Propos grivois'' (1888) see on Gallic

*''Rose de mai'', roman (1888) see on Gallic

*''Le Nu au Salon'' (5 volumes, 1888-1892) *''Contes à la brune'' (1889) see on Gallic

*''Histoires scandaleuses'' (1889) *''Un premier amant'' (1889) see on Gallic

*''Livre d'amour'' (1890) see on Gallic

*''Les Facéties de Cadet-Bitard'' (1890) *''Qui lira rira'' (1890) see on Gallic

*''Trente bonnes farces'' (1890) *''Le Célèbre Cadet-Bitard'' (1891) see on Gallic

*''Les Malheurs du commandant Laripète, suivis de : Les Mariages de Jacques'' (1891) *''L'Épouvantail des rosières'' (1891) see on Gallic

*''Contes salés'' (1891) *''Histoires joviales'' (1891) *''L'Effroi des bégueules'' (1891) see on Gallic

*''Floréal'' (1891) *''Portraits et souvenirs, 1886-1891'' (1891) *''Histoires extravagantes'' (1892) *''Pour les amants'' (1892) *''Au pays des souvenirs : mes maîtres et mes maîtresses'' (1892) *''Aventures grassouillettes'' (1892) *''Contes audacieux'' (1892) see on Gallic

*''Contes divertissants'' (1892) *''Nouveaux contes incongrus'' (1892) *''La Russie, impressions, portraits, paysages'' (1892) *''Contes hilarants'' (1893) *''Histoires réjouissantes'' (1893) *''Amours folâtres'' (1893) *''Facéties galantes, contes joyeux'' (1893) *''Histoires abracadabrantes'' (1893) *''Contes désopilants'' (1893) *''Procès Rousseil-Tessandier et biographie de Mlle Rousseil'' (1893) *''La Semaine pour rire'' (152 fascicules, 1893-1896) *''La Kosake'' (1894) *''Fantaisies galantes'' (1894) *''Veillées joviales'' (1894) *''Fariboles amusantes'' (1895) *''Histoires gaies'' (1895) *''Nouvelles gaudrioles'' (1895) see on Gallic

*''Le Passe-temps des farceurs'' (1895) *''La Plante enchantée'' (1895) *''Contes au gros sel'' (1896) *''Contes irrévérencieux'' (1896) see on Gallic

*''Récits de belle humeur'' (1896) see on Gallic

*''Les Veillées galantes'' (1896) *''La Semaine joyeuse'', (85 fascicules, 1896-1898) *''Contes tragiques et sentimentaux'' (1897) *''Le Petit art d'aimer, en quatorze chapitres'' (1897) *''Histoires gauloises'' (1898) *''Belles histoires d'amour'' (1898) *''Les Fleurs amoureuses'' (1899) *''Arlette'', roman (1900) *''Guide Armand Silvestre, de Paris et de ses environs et de l'Exposition de 1900'' (1900) *''La Chemise à travers les âges'', album (1900) *''Images de femmes'' (1901) *''Orfa'', roman (1901) *''Les Sept Péchés capitaux. La luxure'' (1901) see on Gallic

*''Les Dessous de la femme à travers les âges'', album (1902) *''Contes incongrus'' (1902) *''Bibliothèque des Aventures gauloises'' (1902)

Theatre and librettos

*1876: ''Dimitri'', opera in 5 acts and 7 tableaux, with Henri de Bornier, music by

Victorin de Joncières Félix-Ludger Rossignol, known as Victorin de Joncières (12 April 1839 – 26 October 1903), was a French composer and music critic.Wright LA. "Victorin de Joncières". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London & New York, 19 ...

, Paris, théâtre National-Lyrique, 1 May *1879: ''Monsieur ?'' three-act comédie-bouffe, with

Paul Burani Paul Burani (born Urbain Roucoux; Paris, 26 March 1845 – Paris, 9 October 1901), was a French author, actor, songwriter and librettist. He had a short career as an actor at the Théâtre de Belleville and in the French provinces, after which he ...

, Athénée-Comique, 24 October *1879: ''Myrrha'', saynète romaine, Paris, Cercle des arts libéraux, 20 December *1880: ''La Tempête'', poème symphonique in 3 parts, after

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, with Pierre Berton, music byAlphonse Duvernoy,

Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a ...

, 18 November *1882: ''Coquelicot'', three-act opéra comique, after the

Cogniard brothers The Cogniard brothers were two French brothers who worked as playwrights and theatre directors, producing an incalculable number of vaudevilles, reviews, féeries and operettas. The elder of the two was Charles-Théodore or Théodore Cogniard (30 A ...

, music by Louis Varney,

Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens () is a Parisian theatre founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with a ...

, 2 March *1882: ''Galante aventure'', three-act opéra comique, with Louis Davyl, music by

Ernest Guiraud Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Ernest, M ...

, Opéra-Comique, 23 March *1883: '' Henry VIII'', opera in 4 acts and 6 tableaux, with Léonce Détroyat, music by Camille Saint-Saëns,

Opéra This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

, 5 March *1884: ''Pedro de Zalamea'', four-act opera, with Léonce Détroyat, music by Benjamin Godard, Anvers, théâtre Royal, 31 January *1886: ''Les Templiers'', opera in 5 acts and 7 tableaux, with

Jules Adenis Jules-Adenis de Colombeau (28 June 1823 – 1900) was a 19th-century French opera librettist, playwright, and journalist. Adenis was born in Paris and studied at the Collège royal de Bourbon (now the Lycée Condorcet). Colombeau was initially emp ...

and Lionel Bonnemère, music by

Henry Litolff Henry Charles Litolff (7 August 1818 – 5 August 1891) was a British virtuoso pianist, composer of Romantic music, and music publisher. A prolific composer, he is today known mainly for a single brief work – the scherzo from his Concerto S ...

, Bruxelles,

théâtre de la Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (french: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, italic=no, ; nl, Koninklijke Muntschouwburg, italic=no; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National O ...

, 25 January *1886: ''Le Mari d'un jour'', three-act opéra comique, with

Adolphe d'Ennery Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery (17 June 181125 January 1899) was a French playwright and novelist. Life Born in Paris, his real surname was Philippe. He obtained his first success in collaboration with Charles Desnoyer in ''Émile, ou le ...

, music by Arthur Coquard, Opéra-Comique, 4 February *1887: ''La Tesi'', four-act drama, with Georges Maillard, Bruxelles, Théâtre Molière, 29 October; directed by Paul Alhaiza (source: journal le globe illustré) *1888: ''Jocelyn'', four-act opera, after the poem by

Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

, with Victor Capoul, music by Benjamin Godard, Bruxelles, Théâtre de la Monnaie, February *1888: ''Chassé-croisé d'amour'', one-act opéra-bouffe, with Édouard Cavailhon, music by Villebichot *1888: ''La Femme bookmaker'', obne-act

opérette This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

, with Édouard Cavailhon, music by Germain Laurens *1889: ''Sapho'', February *1890: ''Le Pilote'', opera in 3 acts and 4 tableaux, with A. Gandrey, music by J. Urich, Monte-Carlo, Casino, 29 March *1893: ''c'', drama in 1 act and in verse,

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

, 6 March *1893: ''Les Drames sacrés'', poème dramatique in 1 prologue and 10 tableaux, in verse, religious pictures after 14th- and 15th-century Italian painters, with music by

Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

with Eugène Morand,

Théâtre du Vaudeville The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre company in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles. Af ...

, 15 March *1894: ''Izeyl'', drame en 4 actes, avec Eugène Morand, musique de

Gabriel Pierné Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (16 August 1863 – 17 July 1937) was a French composer, conductor, pianist and organist. Biography Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz. His family moved to Paris, after Metz and part of Lorraine were annexed to Ger ...

, Paris,

Théâtre de la Renaissance The name Théâtre de la Renaissance has been used successively for three distinct Parisian theatre companies. The first two companies, which were short-lived enterprises in the 19th century, used the Salle Ventadour, now an office building on t ...

, 24 January *1894: ''La Fée du rocher'', ballet-pantomime en 2 actes et 6 tableaux, avec

Francis Thomé Francis Thomé (18 October 1850 – 16 November 1909), was a French pianist and composer. He was born in Port Louis, Mauritius, and studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Jules Duprato and Ambroise Thomas. After leaving the Conservatoire, he bec ...

Jules Chéret Jules Chéret (31 May 1836 – 23 September 1932) was a French painter and lithographer who became a master of ''Belle Époque'' poster art. He has been called the father of the modern poster. Early life and career Born in Paris to a poor but ...

, 1894 *1895: ''Salomé'', pantomime lyrique, with Meltzer, music by Gabriel Pierné,

Théâtre de l'Athénée The Théâtre de l'Athénée is a theatre at 7 rue Boudreau, in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Renovated in 1996 and classified a historical monument, the Athénée inherits an artistic tradition marked by the figure of Louis Jouvet who direc ...

, 4 March *1897: ''Tristan de Léonois'', drama in 3 acts and 7 tableaux, including 1 prologue, in verse, Comédie-Française, 28 October *1897: ''Chemin de croix'', twelve religious poems after Armand Silvestre, set in music by

Alexandre Georges Alexandre Georges (25 February 1850 – 18 January 1938) was a French organist and composer. Life Born in Arras, Georges studied at the local school where he became a teacher of harmony, as well as at the École Niedermeyer de Paris, dir ...

*1899: ''Messaline'', drame lyrique in 4 acts and 5 tableaux, with Eugène Morand, music by Isidore de Lara *1901: ''Charlotte Corday'', drame musical in 3 acts, Opéra Populaire, February *1901: ''Grisélidis'', conte lyrique in 3 acts and 1 prologue, with Eugène Morand, after the le mystery presented at the Comédie-Française, music by Jules Massenet, Opéra-Comique, 13 November *1908: ''Le Chevalier d'Éon'', four-act opéra comique, with

Henri Cain Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry. People with this given name ; French noblemen :'' See the ' List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.'' * Henri I de Mon ...

, music by Rodolphe Berger, Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, 10 April *''Le Chevalier aux fleurs'', ballet-pantomime in 12 tableaux, music by

and Raoul Pugno (s. d.) An account of his varied and somewhat incongruous production is hardly complete without mention of his art criticism. ''Le Nu au Salon'' (1888–1892), in five volumes, with numerous illustrations, was followed by other volumes of the same type. He died at

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Pa ...

, February 19, 1901.

References

External links

* * * * *
Armand Sylvestre
on Wikisource {{DEFAULTSORT:Silvestre, Paul Armand 1837 births 1901 deaths École Polytechnique alumni 19th-century French poets French opera librettists French art critics Writers from Paris Recipients of the Legion of Honour 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Members of the Ligue de la patrie française French ballet librettists French male poets French male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French male writers French male non-fiction writers