Henri Meilhac (23 February 1830 – 6 July 1897) was a French

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

, best known for his collaborations with

Ludovic Halévy Ludovic Halévy (1 January 1834 – 7 May 1908) was a French author and playwright, best known for his collaborations with Henri Meilhac on Georges Bizet's ''Carmen'' and on the works of Jacques Offenbach. Biography Ludovic Halévy was born in P ...

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' and on the works of

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

, as well as

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are '' Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...

's ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

''.

Biography

Meilhac was born in the

1st arrondissement of Paris The 1st arrondissement of Paris (''Ier arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le premier'' (the first). It is governed locally toge ...

in 1830. As a young man, he began writing fanciful articles for Parisian newspapers and comédies en vaudevilles, in a vivacious boulevardier spirit which brought him to the forefront. About 1860, Meilhac met

, and their collaboration for the stage lasted twenty years. Their most famous collaboration is the libretto for

's ''

''. However, Meilhac's work is most closely tied to the music of

, for whom he wrote over a dozen librettos, most of them together with Halévy. The most successful collaborations with Offenbach are ''

La belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy, Helen's elopement with Paris (myt ...

'' (1864), '' Barbe-bleue'' (1866), '' La Vie parisienne'' (1866), ''

La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' (''The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein'') is an opéra bouffe (a form of operetta), in three acts and four tableaux by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The s ...

'' (1867), and ''

La Périchole ''La Périchole'' () is an opéra bouffe in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote the French libretto based on the 1829 one act play '' Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement'' by Prosper Mérimée, which was revived o ...

'' (1868). Other librettos by Meilhac include

's ''

'' (with

Philippe Gille Philippe Emile François Gille (10 December 1831 – 19 March 1901) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, who was born and died in Paris. He wrote over twenty librettos between 1857 and 1893, the most famous of which are Massenet's '' Mano ...

) (1884),

Hervé Hervé is a French language, French masculine given name of Breton language, Breton origin, from the name of the 6th-century Breton Saint Hervé. The common latinization of the name is Herveus (also ''Haerveus''), an early (8th-century) latinizati ...

's ''

Mam'zelle Nitouche ''Mam'zelle Nitouche'' is a Opérette vaudeville, vaudeville-opérette in three acts by Hervé (composer), Hervé. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Albert Millaud. This story of a respectable musician, transforming himself into a songwriter at ...

'' (1883), and ''Rip'', the French version of

Robert Planquette Jean Robert Planquette (31 July 1848 – 28 January 1903) was a French composer of songs and operettas. Several of Planquette's operettas were extraordinarily successful in Britain, especially ''Les cloches de Corneville'' (1878), the length of ...

's operetta ''

Rip Van Winkle "Rip Van Winkle" is a short story by the American author Washington Irving, first published in 1819. It follows a Dutch-American villager in colonial America named Rip Van Winkle who meets mysterious Dutchmen, imbibes their liquor and falls aslee ...

'' (also with Gille). Their vaudeville play ''Le réveillon'' was the basis of the operetta ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Flittermouse'' or ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original ...

''. In 1888, Meilhac was elected to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

. He died in Paris in 1897. Pepa Bonafé, tombe

Works

*1856: ''La Sarabande du cardinal'', one-act comedy with

couplet A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...

s, created at the

Théâtre du Palais-Royal The Théâtre du Palais-Royal () is a 750-seat Parisian theatre at 38 rue de Montpensier, located at the northwest corner of the Palais-Royal in the Galerie de Montpensier at its intersection with the Galerie de Beaujolais. Brief history ...

, 29 May. *1856: ''Satania'', comedy in 2 acts with couplets, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 10 October. * ''Garde-toi, je me garde'', comédie en vaudeville in 2 acts, Théâtre du Palais-Royal. *1857: ''Le Copiste'', comedy in 1 act and in prose, Théâtre du Gymnase, 3 August. *1858: ''Péché caché, ou A quelque chose malheur est bon'', one-act comedy, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 11 January. *1858: ''L'Autographe'', one-act comedy, Théâtre du Gymnase, 27 November. *1859: ''Un petit-fils de Mascarille'', comedy in 5 acts and in prose, Théâtre du Gymnase, 8 October. *1859: ''Le Retour de l'Italie'', à-propos (short theatre play) Théâtre du Gymnase, 14 August. *1860: ''Ce qui plaît aux hommes'', comedy in 1 act (with

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...

, 6 October. *1860: ''Une heure avant l'ouverture'',

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

in 1 act, with songs,

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 ...

, 31 December. *1860: ''L'Étincelle'', one-act comedy, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 31 December. *1861: ''Le Menuet de Danaë'', comédie en vaudeville in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 20 April. *1861: ''La Vertu de Célimène'', comedy in 5 acts, Théâtre du Gymnase, 1 May. *1861: ''L'Attaché d'ambassade'', comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre du Vaudeville in October (this play served as basis for the operetta ''

The Merry Widow ''The Merry Widow'' (german: Die lustige Witwe, links=no ) is an operetta by the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár. The librettists, Viktor Léon and Leo Stein, based the story – concerning a rich widow, and her countrymen's attempt t ...

'', libretto by

Leo Stein Leo Stein (May 11, 1872 – July 29, 1947) was an American art collector and critic. He was born in Allegheny City (now in Pittsburgh), the older brother of Gertrude Stein. He became an influential promoter of 20th-century paintings. Education ...

and Victor Léon, music by Franz Lehar). * ''Le Café du roi'',

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...

in 1 act, music by Louis Deffès. *1862: ''L'Échéance'', comédy in 1 act (with Arthur Delavigne), Théâtre du Gymnase, 15 March. *1862: ''Les Moulins à vent'', comedy in 3 acts with couplets (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 22 February. *1862: ''Les Brebis de Panurge'', one-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Vaudeville, 24 November. *1862: ''La Clé de Métella'', one-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Vaudeville, 24 November. *1861: ''Les Bourguignonnes'', one-act opéra comique, music by Louis Deffès,

Opéra-comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

, 16 July. *1863: ''Le Brésilien'', one-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), music by

, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 9 May *1863: ''Le Train de minuit'', two-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Gymnase, 15 June. *1864: ''

La Belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy, Helen's elopement with Paris (myt ...

'', opéra-bouffe in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 17 December. *1864: ''Fiammetta'', ballet-pantomime in 2 acts (with

and

Arthur Saint-Léon Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet ''Coppélia''. Biography He was ...

), music by

Léon Minkus Ludwig Minkus (russian: link=no, Людвиг Минкус), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was a Jewish-Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is no ...

, Moscou, Ballet de Bolshoi, 12 (24) novembre 1863; entitled ''Néméa, ou l'Amour vengé'' - Paris,

Académie impériale de musique 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 k ...

, 11 July. *1864: ''Les Curieuses'', one-act comedy (with Arthur Delavigne), Théâtre du Gymnase, 17 October. *1864: ''Le Photographe'', one-act comédie en vaudeville (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 24 December. *1865: ''Fabienne'', comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre du Gymnase, 1 September. *1865: ''Le Singe de Nicolet'', one-act comedy with singing (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 29 January. *1865: ''Les Méprises de Lambinet'', one-act comedy with couplets (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 3 December. *1866: '' Barbe-bleue'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts and 4 tableaux (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 5 February *1866: ''José Maria'', three-act opéra comique (with

Eugène Cormon Pierre-Étienne Piestre, known as Eugène Cormon (5 May 1810 – March 1903), was a French dramatist and librettist. He used his mother's name, Cormon, during his career. Cormon wrote dramas, comedies and, from the 1840s, libretti; around 15 ...

), music by Jules Cohen,

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

, 16 July. *1866: '' La Vie parisienne'', opéra bouffe in 5 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 31 October *1867: ''

'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts and 4 tableaux (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 12 April *1867: ''Tout pour les dames'', comédie en vaudeville in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 8 September *1868: ''L'Élixir du docteur Cornelius'',

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

(with Arthur Delavigne), music by

Émile Durand Émile Durand (; 16 February 18307 May 1903) was a French musical theorist, teacher and composer. He was better known for his theoretical writings than for his compositions. Biography Émile Durand was born in 1830, at Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d' ...

, Fantaisies-Parisiennes, 3 February *1868: ''La Pénitente'', one-act opéra comique (with William Busnach), music by

Mme de Grandval Madam (), or madame ( or ), is a polite and formal form of address for women in the English language, often contracted to ma'am (pronounced in American English and this way but also in British English). The term derives from the French ''mada ...

, Opéra-Comique, 13 March. *1868: ''Le Château à Toto'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 6 May. *1868: ''Garde-toi, je me garde'', comedy in 1 act with songs, revived at the théâtre des Variétés 28 June 1868 (Théâtre du Palais-Royal in 1856). *1868: ''Fanny Lear'', comedy in 5 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Gymnase, 13 August. *1868: ''

'', opéra bouffe in 2 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 6 October. *1868: ''Suzanne et les deux vieillards'', comedy in 1 act, Théâtre du Gymnase, 10 Octobre. *1868: ''Le Bouquet'', comedy in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 23 October. *1869: ''

Vert-Vert ''Vert-Vert'' is an opéra comique in three acts by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Charles Nuitter, first performed on the 10th of March 1869 at the Paris Opéra-Comique. Based on the 1734 poem « Vert-Vert ou les voy ...

'', opéra comique in 3 acts (with

Charles Nuitter Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

), music by Jacques Offenbach, Opéra-Comique, 10 March. *1869: ''La Diva'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach,

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 ...

, 22 March. *1869: ''Frou-Frou'', comedy in 5 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Gymnase, 30 October, published in 1870 by Michel Lévy frère
Read online
*1869: ''L'Homme à la clé'', comedy in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 11 August. *1869: ''

Les Brigands ''Les brigands'' (''The Bandits'') is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Meilhac and Halévy's libretto lampoons both serious drama (Schiller's play ''The Robbers'') ...

'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 10 December. *1871: ''Tricoche et Cacolet'', comédie en vaudeville in 5 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 6 December. *1872: ''Madame attend Monsieur'', comedy in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 8 February. *1872: ''Le Réveillon'', comedy in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 10 September (this play served as a basis for the operetta ''

'', libretto by

Richard Genée Franz Friedrich Richard Genée (7 February 1823 – 15 June 1895) was a Prussian born Austrian libretto, librettist, playwright, and composer. Life Genée was born in Gdańsk, Danzig. He died at Baden bei Wien. Works He is most famous for the ...

and Karl Haffner, music by

Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...

). *1872: ''Les Sonnettes'', comedy in 1 act in prose (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 15 November. *1873: ''Le Roi Candaule'', one-act comedy in prose (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 9 April. *1873: ''L’Été de la Saint-Martin'', one-act comedy in prose (with Ludovic Halévy),

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 ...

, 1 July. *1873: ''Toto chez Tata'', one-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés 25 August. *1874: ''La Petite Marquise'', three-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 13 February. *1874: ''La Mi-carême'', folie-vaudeville in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy),

, 2 April. *1874: ''L'Ingénue'', one-act comedy (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 24 September. *1874: ''La Veuve'', comedy in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Gymnase, 5 November. *1874: ''La Boule'', comedy in 4 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 24 November. *1875: ''

'',

in four acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by

, Opéra-Comique, 3 March. *1875: ''Le Passage de Vénus'', "leçon d'astronomie" in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 4 May. *1875: '' La boulangère a des écus'', opéra bouffe in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Jacques Offenbach, Théâtre des Variétés, 5 August. *1876: ''Loulou'', folie-vaudeville in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 31 March. *1876: ''Le Prince'', comedy in 4 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 25 November. * (year unknown) ''Paturel'', comedy in 1 act. *1877: ''La Cigale'', comedy in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 6 October. *1877: ''Le Fandango'', ballet-pantomime in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy and Louis Mérante),

Opéra de Paris 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 ...

, 26 November. *1878: ''Le Petit Duc'', opéra-comique in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable success in the 1870 ...

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 th ...

, 25 January. *1878: ''La Cigarette'', comedy in 1 act (with Charles Narrey), Gymnase-Dramatique, 20 April. *1879: '' Le Mari de la débutante'', comedy in 4 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 5 February. *1879: ''Le Petit Hôtel'', comedy in 1 act in prose (with Ludovic Halévy), Comédie-Française, 21 February. *1879: ''La Petite Mademoiselle'', opéra comique in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Charles Lecocq, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 12 April. *1879: ''Lolotte'', comedy in 1 act (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre du Vaudeville, 4 October. *1880: ''La Petite Mère'', comedy in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), Théâtre des Variétés, 6 March. *1880: ''Nina la tueuse'', comedy in 1 act in verse (with Jacques Redelsperg), Théâtre du Gymnase, 2 October. *1881: ''Janot'', opéra-comique in 3 acts (with Ludovic Halévy), music by Charles Lecocq, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 22 January. *1881: ''

La Roussotte ''La Roussotte'' (''The Redhead'') is a French ''vaudeville-opérette'' in three acts with a prologue. The words were written by Henri Meilhac, Ludovic Halévy, and Albert Millaud, and the music composed by Hervé, Charles Lecocq, and Marius Boul ...

'', comédie en vaudeville, music by

, Charles Lecocq, and Marius Boullard, libretto by Ludovic Halévy, Henri Meilhac and

Albert Millaud Albert Millaud was a French journalist, writer and stage author, born in Paris, 13 January 1844, and died in the same city on 23 October 1892.Philippe Gille Philippe Emile François Gille (10 December 1831 – 19 March 1901) was a French dramatist and opera librettist, who was born and died in Paris. He wrote over twenty librettos between 1857 and 1893, the most famous of which are Massenet's '' Mano ...

), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 31 December. *1882: ''Madame le diable'', féerie-opérette in 4 acts and 12 tableaux including a prologue (with

Arnold Mortier Arnold Mortier (1843 – 2 January 1885) was a 19th-century French journalist, playwright, and librettist. Arnold Mortier was responsible for the drama column at ''Le Figaro'', gathered in a collection entitled ''Les soirées parisiennes de 18NN p ...

), music by

Gaston Serpette Henri Charles Antoine Gaston Serpette (4 November 1846 – 3 November 1904) was a French composer, best known for his operettas. After winning the prestigious Prix de Rome as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, he was expected to pursue ...

, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 4 April. *1883: ''

'', comédie en vaudeville in 3 acts (with

Albert Millaud Albert Millaud was a French journalist, writer and stage author, born in Paris, 13 January 1844, and died in the same city on 23 October 1892.Jules Prével), Théâtre du Gymnase, 11 May. *1883 ''Ma camarade'', five-act play (with Philippe Gille), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 9 October. *1884: ''

'', opéra comique in 5 acts and 6 tableaux (with Philippe Gille), music by

, 19 January. *1884: ''Le Cosaque'', opéra bouffe (with

Albert Millaud Albert Millaud was a French journalist, writer and stage author, born in Paris, 13 January 1844, and died in the same city on 23 October 1892.Ernest Blum Ernest Blum (15 August 1836 – 18 September 1907) was a French playwright. Biography He made his debut as a writer at the age of sixteen with ''Une femme qui mord''. As a journalist, he was associated with ''Le Charivari'', '' Le Rappel'', '' L ...

), music by Hervé, Théâtre des Variétés, 26 January. *1884: ''La Duchesse Martin'', one-act comedy, Comédie-Française, 16 May. *1884: ''Rip'', opéra comique in 3 acts (with Philippe Gille after

Henry Brougham Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

's English-language ''

''), music by

, Folies-Dramatiques, 11 November. *1886: ''Les Demoiselles Clochart''. *1886: ''Gotte'', comedy in 4 acts, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 2 December. * ''La lettre de Toto'',

monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...

in verse. *1888: ''Décoré'', comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre des Variétés, 27 January. *1888: ''Pepa'', comedy in 3 acts (with

Louis Ganderax Charles Étienne Louis Ganderax (25 February 1855 – January 1940) was a French journalist and drama critic. He was literary editor of the ''Revue de Paris'' with Henri Meilhac, a member of the Académie française. A student at the École Norm ...

), Comédie-Française, 31 October. * ''Le Train de minuit''. *1890: ''Margot'', comedy in 3 acts, Comédie-Française, 18 January. *1890: ''Ma cousine'', comedy in 3 acts, Théâtre des Variétés, 27 October. * ''M. l'Abbé''. * ''Brevet supérieur''. *1893: ''Kassya'', opera in 5 acts (with Philippe Gille, after

Leopold von Sacher-Masoch Leopold Ritter von Sacher-Masoch (; 27 January 1836 – 9 March 1895) was an Austrian nobleman, writer and journalist, who gained renown for his romantic stories of Galician life. The term ''masochism'' is derived from his name, invented by h ...

), music by

Léo Delibes Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and operas. His works include the ballets ''Coppélia'' (1870) and '' Sylvia'' (1876) and the opera ''Lakm� ...

, Opéra-Comique, 13 March. *1894: ''Villégiature'', comedy in 1 act, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 15 January.

Filmography

** Films based on ''Carmen'' ** Films based on ''Die Fledermaus'' (The operetta ''Die Fledermaus'' is based on the play ''Le Reveillon'') ** Films based on ''The Merry Widow'' (The operetta ''The Merry Widow'' is based on the play ''L'Attaché d'ambassade'') ** Films based on ''Mam'zelle Nitouche'' *', directed by (1914, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *''

A Hungry Heart ''A Hungry Heart'' is a 1917 silent film drama directed by Emile Chautard and starring Alice Brady. It was produced and distributed by World Film Corporation. It is sometimes called The Hungry Heart but shouldn't be confused with the Pauline Fre ...

'', directed by

Émile Chautard Émile Chautard (7 September 1864 – 24 April 1934) was a French-American film director, actor, and screenwriter, most active in the silent era. He directed more than 100 films between 1910 and 1924. He also appeared in more than 60 films ...

(1917, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *', directed by (Italy, 1918, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *''Fanny Lear'', directed by

Robert Boudrioz Robert Pierre Frédéric Boudrioz (12 February 1887 – 22 June 1949) was a French screenwriter and film director. Boudrioz was born in Versailles and died in Paris. Selected filmography Director * ''Tom Thumb'' (1920) * '' Tillers of the Soil'' ( ...

and

Jean Manoussi Jean Manoussi (14 November 1868 - 21 December 1929) was a French dramatist, film director and screenwriter. Jean Manoussi has written several theatre plays in collaboration with playwrights such as Paul Armont, Marcel Gerbidon or Gabriel Ti ...

(France, 1919, based on the play ''Fanny Lear'') *''Frou-Frou'', directed by

Otto Rippert Otto Rippert (22 October 1869 – 15 January 1940) was a German film director during the silent film era. Biography Rippert was born in Offenbach am Main, Germany, and began his career as a stage actor, working in theatres in Baden-Baden, Forst ...

(Germany, 1922, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *''Frou-Frou'', directed by

Guy du Fresnay Guy Du Fresnay (1877-1937) was a French writer and silent film director best known for his silent films of the late 1910s and early 1920s. He was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1919.decree of the French Ministry of war dated 11 January 1919. He i ...

(France, 1924, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *'' So This Is Paris'', directed by

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...

(1926, based on the play ''Le Reveillon'') *'' La Vie parisienne'', directed by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German film director who also worked in the United States. He is best remembered as a thriller specialist and for a series of films noirs he made in the 1940s, such as ''The Killers'' (19 ...

(France, 1936, based on the operetta '' La Vie parisienne'') **'' Parisian Life'', directed by

(English version, 1936, based on the operetta '' La Vie parisienne'') *''

The Toy Wife ''The Toy Wife'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Luise Rainer and Melvyn Douglas. The period film was produced by Merian C. Cooper and written by Zoë Akins. Plot Set before the American Civil War, ''The T ...

'', directed by

Richard Thorpe Richard Thorpe (born Rollo Smolt Thorpe; February 24, 1896 – May 1, 1991) was an American film director best known for his long career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Biography Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe in Hutchinson, Kansas, Richard Thorpe began his en ...

(1938, based on the play ''Frou-Frou'') *''

Tricoche and Cacolet ''Tricoche and Cacolet'' (French: ''Tricoche et Cacolet'') is a 1938 French comedy film directed by Pierre Colombier and starring Fernandel, Frédéric Duvallès and Ginette Leclerc.Ginibre, Lithgow & Cady p.97 It is based on an 1872 play of the ...

'', directed by

Pierre Colombier Pierre Colombier (1896–1958) was a French screenwriter and film director. Selected filmography Director * ''The Marriage of Rosine'' (1926) * '' His Best Client'' (1932) * ''Charlemagne'' (1933) * '' School for Coquettes'' (1935) * ''La Marraine ...

(France, 1938, based on the play ''Tricoche et Cacolet'') *''

Sköna Helena ''Sköna Helena'' ''(Beautiful Helen)'' is a Swedish musical film of 1951 directed by Gustaf Edgren, and based loosely on the story and music of the opéra bouffe ''La belle Hélène''. It was director Gustaf Edgren's last film and stars Max Hansen ...

'', directed by

Gustaf Edgren Gustaf Edgren (1 April 1895 – 10 June 1954) was a Swedish screenwriter, film director and producer.Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Cinema p.327 Selected filmography * '' 40 Skipper Street'' (1925) * '' First Mate Karlsson's Sweethearts'' ...

(Sweden, 1951, based on the operetta ''

'') *''Die schöne Helena'', directed by

Axel von Ambesser Axel Eugen Alexander von Oesterreich (22 June 1910 – 6 September 1988), better known as Axel von Ambesser, was a German playwright, actor and film director. Ambesser's father was Alexander Constantin von Oesterreich. Ambesser was born in Hambur ...

(West Germany, 1975, TV film, based on the operetta ''

'') *'' Parisian Life'', directed by

Christian-Jaque Christian-Jaque (byname of Christian Maudet; 4 September 1904 – 8 July 1994) was a French filmmaker. From 1954 to 1959, he was married to actress Martine Carol, who starred in several of his films, including ''Lucrèce Borgia'' (1953), '' ...

(France, 1977, based on the operetta '' La Vie parisienne'')

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Meilhac, Henri 1831 births 1897 deaths Writers from Paris French opera librettists Operetta librettists Members of the Académie Française French musical theatre lyricists 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Burials at Montmartre Cemetery 19th-century French male writers French male dramatists and playwrights