Jean-Nicolas Bouilly (24 January 1763 – 14 April 1842) was a French playwright,

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 ...

children's writer Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

, and politician of the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. He is best known for writing a libretto, supposedly based on a true story, about a woman who disguises herself as a man to rescue her husband from prison, which formed the basis of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

's opera ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Op. 72, is Ludwig van Beethoven's only opera. The German libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of Jean-Nicolas Bouilly, ...

'' as well as a number of other operas.

Life

Bouilly was born near

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

, and was briefly a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solicit ...

for the

Parlement de Paris The Parliament of Paris (french: Parlement de Paris) was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. It was fixed in Paris by Philip IV of France in 1302. The Parliament of Paris would hold sessions inside the ...

. At the outbreak of the Revolution he held office under the new government and was head of the military commission in Tours during the

Reign of Terror The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...

. In 1795, he served as a member of the

Committee of Public Instruction The Committee of Public Instruction (french: Comité de l'Instruction Publique), often called the Committee of Public Education, was established in 1791 by the Legislative Assembly in an attempt to reorder the education system in France. The Com ...

having a considerable share in the organization of primary education, but retired from public life four years later in order to devote himself to literature. Bouilly died in Paris.

Works

;Theatre *1790: ''Pierre le Grand'', comedy in 4 acts and in prose,mingled with singing, music by André Grétry, Comédie Italienne, 13 January *1790: ''Jean-Jacques Rousseau à ses derniers moments'', historical trait in 1 act and in prose, Comédie Italienne, 31 December read online
/small> *1798: '' Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal'', historical fact in 2 acts and in prose mingled with songs, music by Pierre Gaveaux, created at the Théâtre Feydeau 19 Februar
Read online
The play formed the basis for the libretto which Ludwig van Beethoven used for the opera ''

''; it was also set by Pierre Gaveaux as ''Léonore, ou L’amour conjugal'', by

Simon Mayr Johann(es) Simon Mayr (also spelled Majer, Mayer, Maier), also known in Italian as Giovanni Simone Mayr or Simone Mayr (14 June 1763 – 2 December 1845), was a German composer. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the ...

as ''

L'amor coniugale ''L'amor coniugale'' (Conjugal Love) is an opera in one act by Simon Mayr set to an Italian libretto by Gaetano Rossi. It premiered at Padua's Teatro Nuovo on 26 July 1805. Background and performance history Like Beethoven's '' Fidelio'', t ...

'', and by

Ferdinando Paer Ferdinando Paer (1 July 1771 – 3 May 1839) was an Italian composer known for his operas. He was of Austrian descent and used the German spelling Pär in application for printing in Venice, and later in France the spelling Paër. Life and career ...

as '' Leonora''. *1797: ''La Mort de Turenne'', historical and military play with extravaganza, in 3 acts, mingled with pantomimes, fights and evolutions, with Jean-Guillaume-Antoine Cuvelier, Théâtre de la Cité, 11 June *1796: ''René Descartes'', historical trait in 2 acts and in prose, Théâtre-Français, 20 September Read online
/small> *1796: ''La Famille américaine'', comedy in 1 actand in prose, mingled with songs, music by

Nicolas Dalayrac Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac (; bapt. 13 June 175326 November 1809), nicknamed the Musician poet, more commonly Nicolas Dalayrac, was a French composer of the Classical period. Intended for a military career, he made the acquaintance of many mu ...

, Comédie Italienne, 17 February *1799: ''Le Tombeau de Turenne, ou l'Armée du Rhin à Saspach'', historical fact in 1 act, mingled with vaudevilles, pantomimes, dances and military evolutions, with Jean-Guillaume-Antoine Cuvelier and Hector Chaussier, Palais des Variétés, 8 January *1799: ''L'Abbé de L'Épée'', historical comedy in 5 acts and in prose, Théâtre-Français, 14 December Read online
/small> *1800: ''Les Deux Journées'',

comédie lyrique 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 ...

in 3 acts, music by

Luigi Cherubini Luigi Cherubini ( ; ; 8 or 14 SeptemberWillis, in Sadie (Ed.), p. 833 1760 – 15 March 1842) was an Italian Classical and Romantic composer. His most significant compositions are operas and sacred music. Beethoven regarded Cherubini as the gre ...

, Théâtre of the

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 ...

, 15 January *1800: ''Zoé, ou la Pauvre Petite'', opera in 1 act, music by

Charles-Henri Plantade Charles-Henri Plantade (14 October 1764 – 18 December 1839) was a French classical composer and singing professor. His compositions included several operas, numerous romances, sacred music, and a sonata for harp. He taught singing at the Conser ...

, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 3 July *1800: ''Téniers'', comedy in 1 act and in prose, mingled with vaudevilles, with

Joseph Pain Marie Joseph Pain (4 August 1773, Paris – March 1830, ibid.) was a 19th-century French playwright, poet and essayist. Biography A member of the , censor and office manager at the Prefecture of the Seine under the Bourbon Restoration in France, ...

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 ...

, 18 October *1800: ''Florian'', comedy in 1 act, in prose, mingled with vaudevilles, with Joseph-Marie Pain, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 18 December *1801: ''Berquin, ou l'Ami des enfants'', comedy in 1 act, on prose, mingled with vaudevilles, with Joseph-Marie Pain, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 7 December Read online
/small> *1802: ''Une Folie'', comedy in 2 acts, mingled with songs, music by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 4 April *1803: ''Fanchon la vielleuse'', comedy in 3 acts, mingled with vaudevilles, with Joseph-Marie Pain, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 16 January Read online
/small> *1803: ''Héléna'', opera in 3 acts, music by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 1 March *1804: ''Le Désastre de Lisbonne'', heroical drama in 3 acts, in prose, mingled with dance and pantomime, music by Alexandre Piccini, Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin, 24 November Read online
/small> *1805: ''L'Intrigue aux fenêtres'', opera bouffon in 1 act, with Emmanuel Dupaty, music by

Nicolas Isouard Nicolas Isouard (also known as ''Nicolò'', ''Nicolò Isoiar'' or ''Nicolò de Malte''; 18 May 1773 – 23 March 1818) was a Maltese-born French composer. Biography Born in Porto Salvo, Valletta, Malta, Isouard studied in Rabat or Mdina with Fra ...

, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 25 February Read online
/small> *1805: ''Madame de Sévigné'', comedy in 3 acts and in prose, Théâtre-Français, 6 June Read online
/small> *1806: ''Les Français dans le Tyrol'', historical fact, in 1 act and in prose, Théâtre-Français, 1 February *1806: ''Agnès Sorel'', comedy in 3 acts mingled with vaudevilles, with Emmanuel Dupaty, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 9 April *1808: ''Haine aux femmes'', comedy in 1 act, mingled with vaudevilles, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 23 February *1809: ''Françoise de Foix'', opera comique in 3 acts, with Emmanuel Dupaty, music by Henri Montan Berton, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 28 January *1809: ''Le Petit courrier, ou Commé les femmes se vengent'', comedy in 2 acts, in prose, mingled with vaudevilles, with Charles-François-Jean-Baptiste Moreau de Commagny, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 20 April *1810: ''La Vieillesse de Piron'', comedy in 1 act, in prose, mingled with vaudevilles, with Joseph-Marie Pain, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 9 April *1811: ''La Belle au bois dormant'', féerie-vaudeville in 2 acts, with

Théophile Marion Dumersan Théophile Marion Dumersan (4 January 1780, Plou, Cher – 13 April 1849, Paris) was a French writer of plays, vaudevilles, poetry, novels, chanson collections, librettos, and novels, as well as a numismatist and curator attached to the Cabinet ...

, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 20 February *1812: ''Robert le diable'', comedy in 2 acts, mingled with vaudevilles, with Théophile Marion Dumersan, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 31 December *1813: ''Le Séjour militaire'', opera comique in 1 act, music by Auber, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 27 February *1817: ''Le Prince en goguette, ou la Faute et la leçon'', comedy in 2 acts and in prose, mingled with couplets, music by

Marc-Antoine Désaugiers Marc-Antoine Désaugiers (1742 – 10 September 1793) was a French composer of numerous operas as well as a cantata on the storming of the Bastille and several pieces of sacred music. He was born in Fréjus. He studied music there but was largely ...

, Théâtre du Vaudeville, 21 April *1818: ''Les Jeux floraux'', opera in 3 acts, music by Léopold Aimon,

Académie royale 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 ...

, 16 November *1822: ''Valentine de Milan'', drame lyrique in 3 acts, posthumous music by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul, score completed by Joseph Daussoigne, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 28 November *1829: ''Les Deux Nuits'', opera comique in 3 acts, with

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of ma ...

, music by François Adrien Boieldieu, Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, 20 May *1832: ''Le Bandeau'', comédie en vaudeville in 1 act, with Louis-Émile Vanderburch, Théâtre du Gymnase-Dramatique, 21 May *1833: ''Guido Reni, ou les Artistes'', drama in 5 acts, with

Antony Béraud Antony Béraud, real name Antoine-Nicolas Béraud, (11 January 1791 – 6 February 1860) was a French military, chansonnier, writer, poet, historian and playwright. Life In 1809 he entered the École militaire de Saint-Cyr and became second ...

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 February ;Tales *1807: ''Causeries d'un vieillard'', *1819: ''Contes à ma fille'', *1811: ''Conseils à ma fille'' Read online
/small> *1817: ''Les Jeunes Femmes'', 2 vol. *1817: ''Annales de la jeunesse'', with M. et M^me Hyacinthe Azaïs, by Rougemont and Lefebvre, *1817: ''Les Encouragements de la jeunesse'' read online
/small> *1823: ''Les Mères de famille'', 2 vol. *1824–1825: ''Contes offerts aux enfants de France'', 2 vol., *1827: ''Contes à mes petites amies, ou Trois Mois en Touraine'', 1827 Texte en ligne
/small> *1829–1831 ''Le Portefeuille de la jeunesse, ou la Morale et l'histoire enseignées par des exemples, précédé d'un discours sur l'ensemble de l'ouvrage'', 20 vol., *1830: ''Contes populaires'', read online
/small> *1835: ''Les Adieux du vieux conteur'', *1836: ''Alfred et Nathalie, ou les Coupables supposés'', *1838: ''Nouvelles Causeries d'un vieillard'', *1846: ''La Discrétion'', *1846: ''Petits Contes d'une mère à ses enfants'', *1877: ''Nouveaux conseils à ma fille'', Read online
/small> *1883: ''Contes moraux pour les jeunes élèves'', read on line
/small> *1884: ''Geneviève et Marcelin, ou les Jumeaux de la Beauce. La Charrette à bras'', Read online
/small> *1884: ''Le Dévouement filial, ou la Chanteuse volée'', Read online
/small> *1885: ''La Petite Gouvernante, suivie d'autres épisodes'', Read online
/small> *1886: ''Causeries pour la jeunesse'', read online
/small> *1886: ''Causeries et nouvelles causeries'', Read online
/small> ;Varia *1836–1837: ''Mes Récapitulations'', 3 vol., *1837: ''Explication des douze écussons qui représentent les emblèmes et les symboles des douze grades philosophiques du rite écossais dit ancien et accepté, par l'ill.* F.* Bouilly'', *1838: ''Nouvelles Récapitulations'', *1842: ''Soixante ans du Théâtre-Français, par un amateur, né en 1769'', *undated: ''Le Vieux Glaneur, ou de Tout un peu'', poems. In 1836 he published an autobiography.

Quote

*"''Whatever we possess becomes of double value when we have the opportunity of sharing it with others.''"

References

External links

* * *
Bouilly article
on th
CÉSAR site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouilly, Jean-Nicolas 1763 births 1842 deaths People from Joué-lès-Tours 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights 18th-century French writers 18th-century French male writers 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Writers from Centre-Val de Loire French children's writers French male non-fiction writers French male short story writers French memoirists 19th-century French politicians French opera librettists French short story writers People of the French Revolution 19th-century memoirists