Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 182516 January 1901) was a French poet, writer and

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 libr ...

librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré. He was a noted Parisian bon vivant and man of letters.Baltimore Opera Study Guide – ''Roméo et Juliette''

Works

His libretti for extant operas (those co-written with Carré are shown with an asterisk) include: * Charles Gounod: **''La Colombe'', '' Faust'' (*), '' Le médecin malgré lui'' (*), ''Philémon et Baucis'', ''

Polyeucte ''Polyeucte'' is a drama in five acts by French writer Pierre Corneille. It was finished in December 1642 and debuted in October 1643. It is based on the life of the martyr Saint Polyeuctus (Polyeucte).La reine de Saba ''La reine de Saba'' (''The Queen of Sheba'') is a grand opera in four or five acts by Charles Gounod to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré inspired by Gérard de Nerval's ''La Reine de Saba'', in '' Le voyage en Orient''. It was pr ...

'' and '' Roméo et Juliette'' (*) * Victor Massé: **''Galathée'' **''Les Saisons'' (*) *

Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera '' Robert le ...

: **''Le pardon de Ploërmel'' (later revised as ''

Dinorah ''Dinorah'', originally ''Le pardon de Ploërmel'' (''The Pardon of Ploërmel''), is an 1859 French opéra comique in three acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. The story takes place near the rura ...

'') * Jacques Offenbach: **'' The Tales of Hoffmann'' *

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...

: **'' Le timbre d'argent'' * Ambroise Thomas: **''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (*), '' Mignon'' (*) and '' Françoise de Rimini'' (*). He also wrote the libretto for ''La Guzla de l'Émir'', a one-act comic opera by

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

. This was never performed and probably destroyed. He wrote the scenario for

Léo Delibes Clément Philibert Léo Delibes (; 21 February 1836 – 16 January 1891) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his ballets and operas. His works include the ballets ''Coppélia'' (1870) and '' Sylvia'' (1876) and the opera ''Lakm� ...

' ballet '' Sylvia''. Charles Gounod wrote

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

to Barbier's play ''Jeanne d'Arc'', and the libretto to

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

's opera '' The Maid of Orleans'' was partially based on it.

References

External links

Polyeucte : opéra in quatre actes / paroles de Jules Barbier et Michel Carré; partition, piano et chant réduite par H. Salomon, opera vocal scores with piano
from the Sibley Music Library Digital Score Collection
Reine de Saba. Inspirez-moi, race divine. Vocal score. English & French
from the Sibley Music Library Digital Score Collection 1825 births 1901 deaths 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights 19th-century French poets French ballet librettists French opera librettists Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Writers from Paris {{Opera-bio-stub

Works

See also

References

External links