Prosper-Didier Deshayes (mid 18th century – 1815) was an

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 ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and dancer who lived and worked in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. In 1764 he was a balletmaster at the

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 ...

. By 1774 he had become an assistant (''adjoint'') at the

Paris Opéra 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 ...

. His first opera ''Le Faux serment ou La Matrone de Gonesse'', a ''

comédie mêlée d'ariettes The French term ''comédie mêlée d'ariettes'' ('comedy mixed with little songs') was frequently used during the late ''ancien régime'' for certain types of '' opéra comique'' (French opera with spoken dialogue). The term became popular in th ...

'' in two acts, was first performed on 31 December 1785 at the Théâtre des Beaujolais in Paris and became a popular success. He went on to have another 18 works performed at various venues in Paris, but only two, ''La faut serment'' and ''Zélie, ou Le mari à deux femmes'', a 3-act ''drame'' first performed at the Salle Louvois on 29 October 1791, were ever published as musical scores. He also participated in the collaborative

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective, to refer to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor. ...

opera ''

Le congrès des rois ''Le congrès des rois'' (''The Congress of the Kings'') was a 3-act French Revolutionary opera of the genre ''comédie mêlée d'ariettes'' with a libretto by De Maillot, a stage name used by Antoine-François Ève early in his career, and mus ...

'', a 3-act ''comédie mêlée d'ariettes'', which combined music written by Deshayes and 11 other composers and was first performed by 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 ...

at the Salle Favart on 26 February 1794. He died in Paris.Wild and Charlton (2005), p. 200.

References

Sources

*Sadie, Stanley, ed. (1992). ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. . *Wild, Nicole; Charlton, David (2005). ''Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique Paris: répertoire 1762-1972''. Sprimont, Belgium: Editions Mardaga. . 1815 deaths French opera composers French male opera composers Year of birth missing {{Ballet-bio-stub