Théophile (Joseph Alexandre) Tilmant, (''Tilmant aîné'') was a French violinist and conductor born on 9 July 1799 in

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

France, and died on 7 May 1878, Asnières.Tilmant was a founding Sociétaire of the Société des Concerts in 1828, becoming a Chef and Vice-President on 5 May 1860, retiring from the Société on 17 November 1863.

Bibliography

Tilmant was a founding Sociétaire of the Société des Concerts in 1828, becoming a Chef and Vice-President on 5 May 1860, retiring from the Société on 17 November 1863. At the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris, he was a student of Kreutzer and played in the orchestra of the Opéra-Comique and the orchestra of the Opéra (viola from 1824 and violin from 1826–38). He also led the orchestra at the Théâtre-Italien and the Concerts du Gymnase. He was principal conductor of the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

from 1849-68. Tilmant received the

Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

in 1861. Tilmant conducted the premieres of '' Le caïd'' by

Ambroise Thomas Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas (; 5 August 1811 – 12 February 1896) was a French composer and teacher, best known for his operas ''Mignon'' (1866) and ''Hamlet (opera), Hamlet'' (1868). Born into a musical family, Thomas was a student at the C ...

on 3 January 1849, '' Le toréador'' by

Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (; 24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer, teacher and music critic. A prolific composer for the theatre, he is best known today for his ballets ''Giselle'' (1841) and ''Le corsaire'' (1856), his operas ''Le post ...

on 18 May 1849, ''Galathée'' by

Victor Massé Victor Massé (; born Félix Marie Massé; 7 March 1822 – 5 July 1884) was a French composer. Biography Massé was born in Lorient (Morbihan) and studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1844 for his cantata ''Le Rénég ...

on 14 April 1852, ''Le Sourd ou l’Auberge Pleine'' by Adam on 2 February 1853, '' Les noces de Jeannette'' by Massé on 4 February 1853, ''

L'étoile du nord ' (''The North Star'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe. The work had its first performance at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, on 16 February 1854. Much of the material, incl ...

'' on 16 February 1854, and ''

Mignon ''Mignon'' () is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. ...

'' by Thomas on 17 November 1866.Wolff S. ''Un demi-siècle d'Opéra-Comique (1900-1950).'' André Bonne, Paris, 1953.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tilmant, Theophile 1799 births 1878 deaths People from Valenciennes Musicians from Nord (French department) French male conductors (music) 19th-century French violinists 19th-century French male musicians French male classical violinists Conservatoire de Paris alumni Recipients of the Legion of Honour Chief conductors of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire