Comte Émile de Najac (December 1828 – 11 April 1889) was a French

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 ...

. He was a prolific writer during the

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

and early part of the Third Republic, supplying plays and opéra comique librettos, many in one act.

Biography

Émile de Najac was born in

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, the descendant of naval commander and

bonapartist Bonapartism (french: Bonapartisme) is the political ideology supervening from Napoleon Bonaparte and his followers and successors. The term was used to refer to people who hoped to restore the House of Bonaparte and its style of government. In thi ...

Benoît Georges de Najac. His son Raoul Charles Eugène was also a writer for the stage. Najac died in Paris on 11 April 1889.

Works

Always writing with a co-author, Najac provided librettos for several opéras comiques and opéras bouffes: ''La Momie de Roscoco'', with Eugène Ortolan, music by Émile Jonas, ( Bouffes-Parisiens, 1857);Lamb, Andrew
"Jonas, Emile"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press 2002. Retrieved 27 August 2020 ''Les Noces de Fernande'', with

Victorien Sardou Victorien Sardou ( , ; 5 September 18318 November 1908) was a French dramatist. He is best remembered today for his development, along with Eugène Scribe, of the well-made play. He also wrote several plays that were made into popular 19th-centur ...

, music by Louis Deffès, (Opéra-Comique, 1878); ''La Bonne Aventure'', with Henri Bocage, music by Émile Jonas, (

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 ...

, 1882); ''Le Premier baiser'', with Raoul Toché, music by Jonas (Nouveautés 1883).Larousse, Pierre
"Najac (Émile, comte de)"
''Grand dictionnaire universel du XIXe siècle''. Bibliothèque nationale de France. Retrieved 27 August 2020 ''La vie mondaine'' and Paul Ferrier, 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 des Nouveautés, 1885); and ''

Le roi malgré lui ''Le roi malgré lui'' (''King in Spite of Himself'' or ''The reluctant king'') is an opéra-comique in three acts by Emmanuel Chabrier of 1887 with an original libretto by Emile de Najac and Paul Burani. The opera is revived occasionally, but ...

'', 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 ...

, music by Emmanuel Chabrier (Opéra-Comique, 1887). In ''

Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', Christopher Smith says of Najac, " eformed no lasting association with any one librettist or composer, which may explain why he made comparatively little of his talents despite his industriousness". For the non-musical theatre, Najac was known for his comedies. For the Théâtre du Gymnase he collaborated with Alfred Hennequin on '' Bébé'' (1877) and ''Petite Correspondance'' (1878), both comédies in three acts, followed by ''Nounou'' (comédie, five acts, 1879). He wrote, or co-wrote four plays for 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 ...

: ''Les Provinciales à Paris'' (comédie, four acts, with Pol Moreau, 1878); ''Divorçons'' (comédie, three acts, with Sardou, 1880); ''Elle et lui'' (comédie, three acts, 1885); ''Bijou et Bouvreuil'' (vaudeville, three acts, with Albert Millaud) and ''On le dit'' (comédie, three acts, with Charles Raymond, 1888). For the

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 ...

Najac wrote ''Le Chant du coq'' (comédie, one act, 1879, and collaborared with Millaud on ''Le Fiacre 117'' (comédie, three acts,1886); ''La Noce à Nini'' (vaudeville, three acts, 1887); and ''La Japonaise'', (comédie-vaudeville, four acts, 1888). For the

the two co-wrote ''L'Hypnotisé'' (comédie, three acts, 1888). ''Divorçons'' remains in the French theatrical repertoire, and was the basis for two films 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 ...

: '' Kiss Me Again'' (1925) and '' That Uncertain Feeling''.Adam, p. 703

References and sources

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Najac, Emile de French opera librettists French musical theatre lyricists Counts of France 1828 births 1889 deaths Writers from Lorient 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French male writers