| Birth: | May 27, 1799 | | Death: | Mar. 17, 1862 | 
Composer. He and Giacomo Meyerbeer were considered the "twin pillars" of 19th Century French Grand Opera. His masterpiece, "La Juive" ("The Jewess", 1835), was a staple of the Paris Opera repertory for nearly 100 years. Jacques-Francois-Fromental-Elie Halevy was born in Paris, a cantor's son. The family name was originally Levy. Entering the Paris Conservatory at age nine, he became a favorite pupil of that institution's director, Luigi Cherubini, and won the prestigious Prix de Rome for his cantata "Herminie" (1819). Cherubini backed his appointment as professor of harmony there in 1827, and of composition in 1840. "La Juive", with its spectacle, stirring choruses, and heartfelt melodies, took audiences by storm and established Halevy's reputation. Interestingly, its best known number, the aria "Rachel, quand du Seigneur", was a last-minute addition demanded by tenor Adolphe Nourrit, who created the role of Eleazar. That same season he had another resounding success with the intimate comedy "L'Eclair" (1835). On the strength of these he was elected to the Academie des Beaux-Arts in 1836. Halevy went on to write 40 more operas, and while several were hits - "Le Sherif" (1839), "La Reine de Chypre" (1841), "Charles VI" (1843), "Le Val d'Andorre" (1848), "Jaguarita l'Indienne" (1855) - they have long since vanished from the operatic stage. At the time of his death he was Secretary of the French Academy. Halevy's daughter Genevieve married one of his students, Georges Bizet, and his nephew Ludovic co-wrote the libretto for Bizet's "Carmen" (1875). "La Juive" continued to receive international performances until just before World War II and has experienced a mild resurgence in recent times. (bio by: Bobb Edwards)
Search Amazon for Jacques Halevy | | | Burial:
Cimetiere de Montmartre
Paris
Paris
Ile-de-France, France
Plot: 3rd division |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: May 13, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 22128 |
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(3.9 after 16 votes)
