Den franske komponist Adolphe Adam helligede den størstedel af sit kreative liv til den musikalske scene: han skrev operaer og balletter med samme store succes. Det gik så let for ham at skrive balletmusik at han så opgaven mere som fornøjelse end som pligt. Adam ville underholde, og hans musik fortsætter med at fortrylle i dag, mere end hundrede år senere, uden at virke overfladisk eller let.

       VIGTIGE DATA

1803        Fødes den 24. juli i Paris, søn af pianisten, komponisten og læreren Louis Adam

1820        Begynder på konservatoriet i Paris, hvor han undervises af operakomponisten Francois Boieldieu

1825        Vinder anden præmie i musikkonkurrencen Prix de Rome

1826        Træffer, i Geneve, dramatikeren og operalibrettisten Eugène Scribe, som hjælper med at få Adams tidlige operaer opført

1832        Flytter for en tid fra Paris til London, efter revolutionen i 1830

1839        Tilbringer en fremgangsrig opera- og balletsæson i Rusland

1848        Næste revolution i Frankrig tinger ham til at lukke sit eget operahus

1849        Professor i komposition ved konservatoriet i Paris

1856        Dør den 3. maj i Paris, 52 år gammel

       PLADS I HISTORIEN

Ud over sine militære mål havde Napoleon Bonaparte en ambition om at gøre Paris til "Lysets by", et verdenscentrum for kunst og videnskab. I denne ånd opførtes nogle af de fineste teatre og operahuse som tænkes kan, hvilket fulgtes af en blomstringsperiode for flere kunstarter, specielt opera og ballet. Adolphe Adam , søn af Napoleons Frankrig, blev en nøglefigur i denne udvikling. Han havde stor succes som komponist af romantiske operaer, og hans ry spredtes til andre dele af Europa, så langt som til London og Sankt Petersburg. Yngre franske komponister, Gounod og Massenet, fulgte i hans fodspor. Adam, som også var en pioner indenfor den romantiske ballet, førte denne tradition videre til Delibes i Frankrig, og hjalp til at knytte den til den lige så berømte russiske balletskole. I dag er Adolphe Adams musik i et vist omfang havnet i skyggen af andre populære komponisters værker, men hans betydning for den franske romantiske opera og ballet er uformindsket.

       VIGTIGE VÆRKER

1834        Operaen: Le Chalet (Alpehytten)

1836        Operaen: Le Postillon de Longjumeau (Postvognen fra Longjumeau); Balletten: La Fille du Danube (Donaus Datter)

1841        Balletten: Giselle

1850        Operaen: Giralda

1852        Operaen: Si j'etais roi (Konge for en dag)

1856        Balletten: Le Corsaire

       MEST BERØMTE VÆRK

Giselle

En stor del af Adams mest tiltalende musik findes i denne romantiske ballet. Historien skildrer heltinden Giselle, en bondepige, som bliver forelsket i en prins og siden dør af et bristet hjerte. Han forener sig da med Wilis, døde jomfruers ånder, som spøger i skovene ved nattetide.

Adolphe Adam (1803-1856)

The french composer Adolphe Adam devoted the most of his creative live to the muscian scene: he wrote operas, ballets with same great success. It went so easy for him to write balletmusic as he saw the job more like as an pleasent than a duty. Adam wanted to entertain, and his music continues to charme us still this day today, more than 100 years later, without to seem shallowly or easy.

       IMPORTANT DATES OF HIS LIFE

1803 Born on the 24th july in Paris, son of the pianist, composer and teacher Louis Adam

1820 Starts on the konservatorier in Paris, where he teaches by the operacomposer Francois Boieldieu

1825 Wins the 2nd prize in the musiccompitition Prix de Rome

1826 Meets, in Geneva, the dramatiseren and the operalibretist Eugène Scribe, who helps Adam to get his earlie work performed

1832 Moves for a time from Paris to London, after the revolution in 1830

1839 Spends an success time opera- and balletseason in Russia

1848 Next revolution in France force him to close his own operahouse

1849 Professor in composition at the academy of music in Paris

1856 Dies the 3rd of may in Paris, 52 years old

       A PLACE IN THE HISTORY

Besides his military gold had Napoleon Bonaparte an ambition to make Paris to “The city of lights“, a worldcentrum for arts and science. In this spirit performes some of the finest theatres and operahouses as can been thinking of, which is followed of a flowering period for more arts, specially in opera and ballet. Adaolphe Adam, a son of Napoleon's France, became a keyfigure in this development. He had great success as an composer of romantic operas, and his reputation was spred as far as to London and Skt. Petersborg. Younger french composers, as Gounod and Massenet, followed in his footstep. Adam who was an pioneer in the romantic ballet, moved this tradition on to Delibes in France, and helped to be connected to the russian balletschool. Today his Adolphe's music in some how in the shadow of others popular composers work, but his meaning for the french romantic opera and nallet is the same.

       IMPORTANT WORKS

1834 The opera: Le chalet

1836 The opera: Le postillon de Longjumeau (The postwagon from Longjumeau); The ballet: La fille du Danube (Donaus daughter)

1841 The ballet: Giselle

1850 The opera: Giralda

1852 The opera: Si j'etais roi (King for a day)

1856 The ballet: Le corsaire

       MOST FAMOUS WORK

Giselle

Most of the time in Adams most pleasent music finds this romantic ballet. The story is about the herione Giselle, a farm girl, who falls in love in a prince but dies with a wounded heart. She uniteds with Wilis, dead virgins spirits, which the ghost is haunting in the woods by night.