Ambroise Thomas
Source: H Berlioz
Born on 5 August 1811 in Metz, France, Ambroise Thomas was a minor composer who completed twenty-four operas along with a few ballets, numerous pieces for solo organ and piano, vocal music sacred and secular, and orchestral works. Having music teachers for parents, Ambroise studied piano and violin as a child before entering the Paris Conservatoire in 1828. In 1832 his cantata, 'Hermann et Ketty', won the Prix de Rome to study in Italy at the Villa Medici for three years. While in Rome he associated with Hector Berlioz and the French painter, Ingres, while writing chamber music along with a set of six songs titled 'Souvenirs d'Italie'. After a trip to Germany he was back in Paris again in 1836 to premiere his first opera comique, 'La Double Echelle' ('The Double Scale'), on 23 August 1837, making him very popular straight out of the box as it received 247 performances. The libretto had been written by Eugène de Planard.
'String Quartet' E minor Op 1 Ambroise Thomas
1833 Scored for 2 violins / viola / cello
Daniel String Quartet
Thomas' fifth opera, 'Le Comte de Carmagnola' of 1841, featured a libretto by major dramatist, Eugène Scribe. Thomas premiered three more operas in Paris to nominal success before the big splash of 'Le Caid' ('The Commander') on 3 January 1849 which enjoyed above 400 performances. That was the second with libretto by Thomas Sauvage, their first having been 'Angélique et Médor' in 1843. Thomas would premiere four more operas with librettos by Sauvage.
'Le songe d'une nuit d'été' ('A Midsummer Night's Dream') premiered on 20 April 1850. Though alluding to Shakespeare's' play, Shakespeare is a character in the libretto by the team of Joseph-Bernard Rosier and Adolphe de Leuven. The latter pair also wrote the libretto for 'Raymond' of 1851. Rosier composed the text for 'La Cour de Célimène' ('The Heart of Celimene') of 1855 as well, that gaining a mediocre response of only nineteen performances.
'Le songe d'une nuit d'été' Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 20 April 1850 in Paris
Libretto: Joseph-Bernard Rosier / Adolphe de Leuven
Choeurs du Théâtre Français de la Musique
Wielka Orkiestra Symfoniczna P.R. i Tv Katowice / Michel Swierczewski
Compiègne 1994
IMSLP Open Edition Opera Wire Seen and Heard International Wikipedia
Overture to 'Raymond' ('The Queen's Secret') Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 5 June 1851 in Paris
Libretto: Joseph-Bernard Rosier / Adolphe de Leuven
Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra
IMSLP Wind Repertory Project Wikipedia
Overture to 'La Cour de Célimène' Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 11 April 1855 in Paris
Libretto: Joseph-Bernard Rosier
Philharmonia Orchestra / Andrew Litton
Thomas became a professor at the Paris Conservatoire on 1856. The librettos of Thomas' most famous operas were authored by the partnership of Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Their first was 'Psyché' on 26 January 1857, a second version to later premiere in 1878. That tells of the frustrated love between Psyché' and Eros. Their next was 'Mignon' on 27 November 1866. Inspired by Goethe's novel, 'Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship', Thomas made his name throughout Europe and thereafter with 'Mignon'. Mignon is a mistreated girl who is eventually reunited with her father, Lothario, who has gone mad upon her abduction by gypsies. In the meanwhile she wins away the student, Wilhem, from a more fortunate actress named Philine. Featuring the air, 'Connais-tu le pays', 'Mignon' saw above 1200 performances. It's second version, translated into Italian by Giuseppe Zaffira, got taken to London for performance at the Drury Lane Theatre on 5 July 1870. The next opera by Thomas, Barbier and Carre was Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', albeit much altered. Premiered in Paris as usual on 9 March 1868, 'Hamlet' was also greatly successful, though until 2010 at the MET hadn't seen a performance since 1897 at the MET.
'Mignon' Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 17 Nov 1866 in Paris
Libretto: Jules Barbier / Michel Carré
From Goethe's 'Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre' of 1795-96
Direction: Stéphane Vérité / Vincent Boussard
Chœurs et Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège / Frédéric Chaslin
Mignon: Stéphanie d'Oustrac
Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège 7 April 2022
IMSLP Music With Ease Wikipedia
'Hamlet' Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 9 March 1868 in Paris
Libretto: Jules Barbier / Michel Carré
From Shakepeare's 'Hamlet' of 1599-1601
Direction: Stage: Nicolas Joël Music: Michel Plasson
Théâtre du Châtelet June 2000
Berkeley Daily Planet IMSLP New York Concert Review Wikipedia
Thomas assumed directorship of the Paris Conservatoire in 1871. 'Gille et Gillotin' premiered on 22 April 1874, that a revision of 'Gillotin et son père' ('Gillotin and His Father') composed in 1859 with a libretto by Sauvage that never saw performance. Come a second version of 'Psyché' in 1878 before 'Françoise de Rimini' in 1882. The latter is the tale. as told by Dante Alighieri within this work, of two lovers Paolo and Françoise, who win pardon from Hell. Thomas' final opera premiere was a second version of 'Le Songe d'une nuit d'été' ('A Midsummer Night's Dream') on 19 April 1886, first performed in 1850 (above). His final work was an 1889 ballet called 'La Tempete' borrowing from Shakespeare's 'The Tempest'. This work features alto saxophone which was invented in 1841 by Adolphe Sax.
Seven airs from 'Françoise de Rimini' Opera by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 14 April 1884 in Paris
Libretto: Jules Barbier / Michel Carré
English Concert Otchestra / Richard Bonynge
Saxophone solo from 'La Tempête' Ballet by Ambroise Thomas
Premiere 19 June 1889 in Paris
Libretto: Jules Barbier / J. Hansen
Piano / saxophone: Mary Huntimer
Arrangement: Huntimer (originally scored for saxophone and viola)
Thomas died at his apartment at the Conservatoire in Paris on 12 February of 1896. Utah had just joined the Union on the 4th of the month before, the first modern Olympic games were held in Athens that year, and Republican, William McKinley, won the Presidency in November.
Sources & References for Ambroise Thomas:
Bruce Eder (All Music) VF History (notes) Wikipedia English
Audio of Thomas:
Classical Archives MusiekWeb Naxos Presto UCSB (cylinders 1891-1914)
Thomas presented on Broadway: IBDB
Compositions: Corpora:
Operone (operas) Wikipedia (by genre) Wikipedia (operas)
Compositions: Individual: Chronological (mentioned herein not referenced above):
La Double Echelle (premiere 23 Aug 1837 / 1st opera): IMSLP Opera Rara
La Caid (premiere 3 Jan 1849 / 9th opera): IMSLP Blair Johnston Wikipedia
Psyché (premiere 26 Jan 1857 / 14th opera): Bru Zane Carnet sur Sol IMSLP
Gille et Gillotin (premiere 22 April 1878 / 21st opera): IMSLP
Thomas in Film / Television: IMDb
Iconography: Gallica Wikimedia Commons
Librettos: Chronological (mentioned herein):
La Double Echelle (Planard / premiere 23 Aug 1837 / 1st opera)
Le Caid (Sauvage / premiere 23 Aug 1837 / 9th opera)
Psyché (Barbier / Carré / premiere 26 Jan 1857 / 14th opera / revised 1878)
Gille et Gillotin (Sauvage / premiere 22 April 1874 / 21st opera)
Recordings of Thomas: Catalogs:
45 Worlds Arkiv DAHR (shellac 1898-1942) Discogs Music Brainz RYM
Recordings of Thomas: Select:
Mignon (Ensemble Orchestral Harmonia Nova led by Stéphane Denève at the Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne in Nov 1996)
Scores: Corpora: IMSLP Musicalics (vendor) Scorser
Scores: Individual: Chronological (mentioned herein):
La Caid (premiere 3 Jan 1849 / 9th opera)
Le songe d'une nuit d'été (premiere 28 April 1850 / 10th opera)
Psyché (premiere 26 Jan 1857 / 14th opera / revised 1878)
La Tempete (premiere 19 June 1889 / ballet / final work)
Bibliography:
David Mason Greene (Greene's biographical encyclopedia of composers / Doubleday / 1985)
Authority Search: BNF Data VIAF
Other Profiles:
Liber Liber (Italian)
Philharmonie de Paris (French)
M. Arthur Pougin (Biographie Universelle des Musiciens / Firmin-Didot / 1881)
Wikipedia International: Deutsch Français Italiano
Classical Main Menu Modern Recording
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