Étienne Aignan (9 April 1773, Beaugency – 21 June 1824, Paris) was a French translator, political writer,

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 ...

and playwright. In 1814 he was made a member of the Académie française, succeeding

Bernardin de Saint-Pierre Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre (also called Bernardin de St. Pierre) (19 January 1737, in Le Havre – 21 January 1814, in Éragny, Val-d'Oise) was a French writer and botanist. He is best known for his 1788 novel '' Paul et Virginie'', ...

in Seat 27. He died on 21 June 1824 aged 51 years old.

Main works

*1793: ''Le Martyre de Marie-Antoinette d'Autriche, reine de France'', five-act tragedy *1793: ''La Mort de

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...

'', three-act tragedy. *1795: ''Aux Mânes des neuf victimes d'Orléans. Chants funèbres exécutés pour la première fois sur le théâtre d'Orléans, le 29 prairial, an IIIe. de la République française, et suivis de notes historiques'': libretto/text, set in music by Brochiez for soloist singers, choir and orchestra (with narrator). (''in memoriam'' the nine national guards from Orléans guillotined under the reign of Terror following the Léonard Bourdon case.) *1798: ''L'Hôtellerie portugaise'', opéra comique, Paris,

Théâtre Feydeau The Théâtre Feydeau (), a former Parisian theatre company, was founded in 1789 with the patronage of Monsieur, Comte de Provence (later to become Louis XVIII), and was therefore initially named the Théâtre de Monsieur. It began performing in t ...

, 7 thermidor an VI *1801: ''Essai sur la critique, poëme en trois chants, suivi de deux discours philosophiques, traduction en vers libres de l'anglais de

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

''. *1803: ''Le Ministre de Wakefield, by Oliver Goldsmith'', new translation. *1803: ''Chimère et réalité'', opéra comique in 1 act and in verse, Paris, Théâtre Feydeau, 17 nivôse an XI. *1804: ''Le Connétable de Clisson'', three-act opera, Paris,

Opéra 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 ...

, 20 pluviôse an XII. *1804: ''Polyxène'', tragedy in three acts and in verse, Paris, Théâtre-Français, 23 nivôse an XII. *1806: ''Nephtali ou les Ammonites'', three-act opera. *1809: ''L' Iliade, traduite en vers français, suivie de la comparaison des divers passages de ce poëme avec les morceaux correspondants des principaux poètes hébreux, grecs, français, allemands, italiens, anglais, espagnols et portugais'', 3 vol. *1810: ''Brunehaut, ou les Successeurs de Clovis I'', tragédie en 5 actes et en vers, Paris, Théâtre-Français, 24 February. *1817: ''De la justice et de la police, ou Examen de quelques parties de l'instruction criminelle considérées dans leur rapport avec les mœurs et la sûreté des citoyens''. *1818: ''De l'État des protestants en France depuis le XVIe jusqu'à nos jours, avec des notes et éclaircissements historiques'' (1818). *1819: ''Des Coups d'État dans la monarchie constitutionnelle''. *1822: ''Histoire du jury''. *1823–1828: ''Bibliothèque étrangère d'histoire et de littérature ancienne et moderne, ou Choix d'ouvrages remarquables et curieux, traduits ou extraits de diverses langues, avec des notices et des remarques'' (3 vol.). *1825: ''Extraits des Mémoires relatifs à l'histoire de France depuis 1757''.

Sources

* J. Debarbouiller, « Aignan (Étienne) », ''in'' Charles Brainne (dir.), ''Les Hommes illustres de l'Orléanais: biographie générale des trois départements du Loiret, de l'Eure-et-Loir et de Loir-et-Cher'', A. Gatineau, 1852
p. 259-261
* « Notice sur M. Aignan », ''in'' Pierre Marie Michel Lepeintre Desroches, ''Suite du Répertoire du Théâtre-Français, with a selection of plays from several other theatres, arranged and classified'', Chez Mme veuve Dabo, 1822, tome 7
p. 178-179
* Gustave Vapereau, ''Dictionnaire universel des littératures'', Paris, Hachette, 1876, p. 40.

External links

Étienne Aignan
on Wikisource
Académie française Étienne Aignan page
(in French)
Full images of all pages for ''La mort de Louis XVI: ...''
in the

University of Florida Digital Collections The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) are supported by the University of Florida Digital Library Center in the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC) comprise a ...

University of Maryland copy of ''La mort de Louis XVI: ...''Château d'Oron library search
(in French)
Dates
(in French) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Aignan, Etienne 1773 births 1824 deaths People from Loiret 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Members of the Académie Française Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery 18th-century French writers 18th-century French male writers 19th-century French translators