Ambroise Thomas
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Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas (; 5 August 1811 – 12 February 1896) was a French composer and teacher, best known for his operas ''
Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. The ...
'' (1866) and ''
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 ...
'' (1868). Born into a musical family, Thomas was a student at the
Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...
, winning France's top music prize, the
Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
. He pursued a career as a composer of operas, completing his first opera, ''La double échelle'', in 1837. He wrote twenty further operas over the next decades, mostly comic, but he also treated more serious subjects, finding considerable success with audiences in France and abroad. Thomas was appointed as a professor at the Conservatoire in 1856, and in 1871 he succeeded
Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally when ...
as director. Between then and his death at his home in Paris twenty-five years later, he modernised the Conservatoire's organisation while imposing a rigidly conservative curriculum, hostile to modern music, and attempting to prevent composers such as
César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...
and
Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 â€“ 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...
from influencing the students of the Conservatoire. Thomas' operas were generally neglected during most of the 20th century, but in more recent decades they have experienced something of a revival both in Europe and the US.


Life and career


Early years

Thomas was born in
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...
, the youngest of four children of Martin Thomas (1770–1823) and his wife, Jeanne, ''née'' Willaume (1780–1866),Garric, Alain
"Ambroise Thomas: Essai de Généalogie"
Geneanet. Retrieved 24 September 2018
both music teachers."Ambroise Thomas"
, ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 37, No. 637 (1 March 1896), pp. 165–166
By the age of ten he was already an experienced pianist and violinist. When he was twelve his father died, and Ambroise's elder brother Charles moved to Paris, where he played the cello in the
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 ...
orchestra. In 1828, aged 17, Ambroise joined him in Paris, where he was admitted as a student by the
Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...
. He studied the piano with Pierre Zimmerman and harmony and counterpoint with Victor Dourlen. He won premiers prix in these subjects in 1829 and 1830. He went on to study the piano with
Friedrich Kalkbrenner Friedrich Wilhelm Michael Kalkbrenner (2–8 November 1785 – 10 June 1849), also known as ''Frédéric Kalkbrenner'', was a pianist, composer, piano teacher and piano manufacturer. German by birth, Kalkbrenner studied at the Conservatoire de ...
, and composition with
Jean-François Lesueur Jean-François is a French given name. Notable people bearing the given name include: * Jean-François Carenco (born 1952), French politician * Jean-François Champollion (1790–1832), French Egyptologist * Jean-François Clervoy (born 1958), Fr ...
and Auguste Barbereau. In 1832, at his second attempt, Thomas won France's premier music prize, the
Grand Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...
, with his cantata ''Hermann et Ketty''.Langham Smith, Richard
"Thomas, (Charles Louis) Ambrose"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press 2001. Retrieved 21 September 2018
The prize brought him three years' study at the
Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, ...
, the
French Academy in Rome The French Academy in Rome (french: Académie de France à Rome) is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio (Pincian Hill) in Rome, Italy. History The Academy was founded at the Palazzo Capranica in ...
. During his time there he became friendly with the painter
Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres ( , ; 29 August 1780 â€“ 14 January 1867) was a French Neoclassicism, Neoclassical Painting, painter. Ingres was profoundly influenced by past artistic traditions and aspired to become the guardian of academic ...
, the head of the academy, with whom he shared an admiration for both
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...
and
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
; he also met Berlioz, who encouraged him and wrote about him favourably. During his Italian sojourn he wrote chamber music – a piano trio, a string quintet and a string quartet – and a set of six songs, ''Souvenirs d'Italie''. After leaving Rome, Thomas stayed briefly in Germany, before returning to Paris in 1835, when he began writing for the stage.


Composing career

The first opera Thomas composed was ''La double échelle'' (The Double Ladder, 1837), a one-act comedy, praised by Berlioz for its "extreme vivacity and wit". It was produced at the
Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...
, received 247 performances,Forbes, Elizabeth
"Thomas, (Charles Louis) Ambroise (opera)"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press 2001. Retrieved 21 September 2018
and in the next few years was given in Brussels,
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
, Berlin, Vienna and London. His first full-length opera, ''Le perruquier de la Régence'' (The
Regency A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
Wigmaker, 1838) was followed in the next decade by six more, none of which made any permanent impression. During this period he also composed a ballet (''La Gipsy'', 1839). His first completely successful three-act opera was ''
Le caïd ''Le caïd'', also spelled ''Le kaïd'' (''The Qaid''), is a comic opera (' or ') in two acts composed by Ambroise Thomas to a libretto by Thomas Sauvage. It was premiered on 3 January 1849 by the Opéra-Comique at the second Salle Favart in Pari ...
'' (The
Qaid Qaid ( ar , قائد ', "commander"; pl. '), also spelled kaid or caïd, is a word meaning "commander" or "leader." It was a title in the Norman kingdom of Sicily, applied to palatine officials and members of the ''curia'', usually to those ...
, 1849), described by the musicologist Elizabeth Forbes as "a mixture of ''
Il barbiere di Siviglia ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was base ...
'' and ''
L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...
''"; it remained in the French operatic repertoire throughout the nineteenth century, and achieved more than four hundred performances over the next fifty years. Thomas' next work for the Opéra-Comique, ''Le songe d'une nuit d'été'' (The Summer Night's Dream, 1850), was also a popular success. The text, by Joseph-Bernard Rosier and
Adolphe de Leuven Adolphe de Leuven (30 September 1802 – 14 April 1884) was a French theatre director and a librettist. Also known as Grenvallet, and Count Adolph Ribbing. He was the illegitimate son of Adolph Ribbing, who was involved in the assassination of G ...
, owes nothing to ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
'':
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
appears as one of the characters, along with
Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". El ...
and Shakespeare's
Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...
, the governor of "Richemont", where the action takes place. The premiere in Paris was followed by productions in many European and American theatres. The work, described by ''
The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainze ...
'' as "a little masterpiece", was frequently revived, but fell out of the repertory after the composer's death. Later in 1850 Thomas' next opera, ''Raymond'', was premiered. It has not survived in the operatic repertoire, but the overture became a popular orchestral showpiece. In 1851, following the death of the composer
Gaspare Spontini Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (14 November 177424 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor from the classical era. Biography Born in Maiolati, Papal State (now Maiolati Spontini, Province of Ancona), he spent most of his ...
, Thomas was elected to succeed him as a member of the
Académie des Beaux Arts An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...
.


Professor

In 1856 Thomas was appointed professor of composition at the Conservatoire, under the directorship of
Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally when ...
. He remained on the staff, as professor and subsequently director, until his death forty years later. Over these years his students included the composers
Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are '' Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...
,
Gaston Serpette Henri Charles Antoine Gaston Serpette (4 November 1846 â€“ 3 November 1904) was a French composer, best known for his operettas. After winning the prestigious Prix de Rome as a student at the Paris Conservatoire, he was expected to pursue ...
, and, late in Thomas' career,
George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biog ...
; future academics included
Théodore Dubois Clément François Théodore Dubois (24 August 1837 – 11 June 1924) was a French Romantic composer, organist, and music teacher. After study at the Paris Conservatoire, Dubois won France's premier musical prize, the Prix de Rome in 1861. He bec ...
and
Charles Lenepveu Charles-Ferdinand Lenepveu (4 October 1840 – 16 August 1910), was a French composer and teacher. Destined for a career as a lawyer, he defied his family and followed a musical career. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, and won France's to ...
; and conductors who were Thomas' students included Edouard Colonne and
Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht (17 September 188014 February 1965) was a French composer, conductor and writer. Life and career Inghelbrecht was born in Paris, the son of a violist. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and made his debut as a ...
."Search: Ambroise Thomas"
, ''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 23 September 2018
During the 1850s Thomas continued to compose, writing five operas, none of which made much impression. After a fallow spell in the early 1860s he wrote ''
Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. The ...
'', the work by which his name became most widely known. The
libretto 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 theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...
was by
Jules Barbier Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 182516 January 1901) was a French poet, writer and opera librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré. He was a noted Parisian bon vivant and man of letters.Michel Carré Michel Carré (20 October 1821, Besançon – 27 June 1872, Argenteuil) was a prolific French librettist. He went to Paris in 1840 intending to become a painter but took up writing instead. He wrote verse and plays before turning to writing libre ...
, based on
Goethe's Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German people, German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, politician, statesman, theatre director, and critic. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe bibliography, His works include pla ...
novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. Forbes writes that, unusually, Thomas had the advantage of a well-judged and theatrically effective libretto, and that although in the novel Mignon dies, the happy ending works well in the opera. (A happy ending was then compulsory at the Opéra-Comique: it was another nine years before ''
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
'' defied the convention there, ending with the death of the main character.) The strong original cast featured, in the title role, Célestine Galli-Marié, a celebrated singer who later created the part of Carmen in Bizet's opera. Thomas was similarly fortunate in his cast for his next success, ''
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 ...
'' (1868), which starred
Jean-Baptiste Faure Jean-Baptiste Faure () (15 January 1830 – 9 November 1914) was a French operatic baritone and art collector who also composed several classical songs. Singing career Faure was born in Moulins. A choirboy in his youth, he entered the Pari ...
as Hamlet and
Christine Nilsson Christina Nilsson, Countess de Casa Miranda, also called Christine Nilsson (20 August 1843 – 22 November 1921) was a Swedish dramatic coloratura soprano. Possessed of a pure and brilliant voice of first three then two and a half octaves tr ...
as Ophelia. The opera was distantly based on Shakespeare by way of a French adaptation by
Alexandre Dumas, père Alexandre Dumas (, ; ; born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie (), 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (where ''Suffix (name)#Generational titles, '' is French language, French for 'father', to distinguish him from ...
, and
Paul Meurice Paul Meurice (5 February 1818 - 11 December 1905) was a French novelist and playwright best known for his friendship with Victor Hugo. Biography Meurice was born and died in Paris. In 1836, aged eighteen, he was introduced to Hugo by his frie ...
, further adapted as a libretto by Carré and Barbier. Although the adaptation was seen as a travesty of the play, with a ballet-divertissement (obligatory at the Opéra) and a happy ending, with Hamlet acclaimed as king, the work was successful not only in Paris but in London.Forbes, Elizabeth
"Hamlet"
''Grove Music Online'', Oxford University Press, 2002. Retrieved 23 September 2018
Despite disparaging reviews of the libretto from English-speaking critics at the time and subsequently, the work has remained an occasional part of the operatic repertoire; later singers of Ophelia included
Emma Calvé Emma Calvé, born Rosa Emma Calvet (15 August 1858 – 6 January 1942) was a French operatic soprano. Calvé was probably the most famous French female opera singer of the Belle Époque. Hers was an international career, and she sang regularly ...
,
Emma Albani Dame Emma Albani, DBE (born Marie-Louise-Emma-Cécile Lajeunesse; 1 November 18473 April 1930) was a Canadian-British operatic soprano of the 19th century and early 20th century, and the first Canadian singer to become an international star. He ...
,
Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, ...
and
Mary Garden A Mary garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue or shrine of the Virgin Mary, who is known to many Christians as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, or the Mother of God. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Mary ...
, and among the Hamlets have been
Victor Maurel Victor Maurel (17 June 184822 October 1923) was a French operatic baritone who enjoyed an international reputation as a great singing actor. Biography Maurel was born in Marseille. Educated in music and stagecraft at the Paris Conservatory, ...
,
Titta Ruffo Titta Ruffo (9 June 1877 – 5 July 1953), born as Ruffo Cafiero (double forename) Titta, was an Italian operatic baritone who had a major international singing career. Known as the "Voce del leone" ("voice of the lion"), he was greatly admi ...
,
Mattia Battistini Mattia Battistini (27 February 1856 – 7 November 1928) was an Italian operatic baritone, referred to as the "King of Baritones" in multiple publications.Steane, J.B., 1998. Singers of the Century, vol. 2. Amadeus Press, Portland, pp.&nbs ...
and more recently
Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American dramatic baritone most famous for his Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera. His voice is a high dramatic baritone, combining good legato with an inc ...
,
Thomas Allen Thomas Allen may refer to: Clergy *Thomas Allen (nonconformist) (1608–1673), Anglican/nonconformist priest in England and New England *Thomas Allen (dean of Chester) (died 1732) *Thomas Allen (scholar) (1681–1755), Anglican priest in England * ...
and
Thomas Hampson Thomas Walter Hampson (born June 28, 1955) is an American lyric baritone, a classical singer who has appeared world-wide in major opera houses and concert halls and made over 170 musical recordings. Hampson's operatic repertoire spans a range ...
. Although Thomas had by now a reputation for musical conservatism, the score of ''Hamlet'' was innovative in one respect: its incorporation of
saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
s into the instrumentation. Later in Thomas' life his academic career largely overtook his activities as a composer, and after ''Hamlet'', he composed only one more opera: '' Françoise de Rimini'' (1882), which was well received but did not enter the regular operatic repertoire.


Later years

On the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 Thomas, though aged nearly sixty, volunteered to serve in the
Garde Nationale The National Guard (french: link=no, Garde nationale) is a French military, gendarmerie, and police reserve force, active in its current form since 2016 but originally founded in 1789 during the French Revolution. For most of its history the ...
. The following year Auber resigned as director of the Conservatoire, shortly before his death, and Thomas was appointed his successor. He was so widely seen as Auber's heir apparent that the minister of education,
Jules Simon Jules François Simon (; 31 December 1814 – 8 June 1896) was a French statesman and philosopher, and one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans in the Third French Republic. Biography Simon was born at Lorient. His father was a linen-dra ...
, said in his letter offering Thomas the post, "You are so obviously fitted for the office that if I did not nominate you I should seem to be signing your dismissal from a post already yours." As director Thomas ran an intransigently conservative regime.Nichols, p. 35; and Orenstein, p. 26 The music of Auber, Halévy and especially
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 d ...
was regarded as the correct model for students, and early French music such as that of
Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; – ) was a French composer and music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of French opera an ...
and modern music, including that of
Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
were kept rigorously out of the curriculum. Thomas strove to keep progressive musicians from being appointed to the faculty of the Conservatoire – unsuccessfully in the case of
César Franck César-Auguste Jean-Guillaume Hubert Franck (; 10 December 1822 – 8 November 1890) was a French Romantic composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher born in modern-day Belgium. He was born in Liège (which at the time of his birth was p ...
, who was appointed against Thomas' wishes in 1872, but successfully as regards
Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 â€“ 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...
whose appointment to the Conservatoire was delayed until after Thomas' death. Thomas was, on the other hand, innovative in the running of the Conservatoire: he increased the number of classes, improved the conditions of the faculty, and expanded the curriculum to include
solfège In music, solfège (, ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a music education method used to teach aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, Western music. Solfège is ...
, sight-reading and compulsory orchestral practice. The faculty under Thomas included, at various times the composers Franck, Théodore Dubois, Jules Massenet and
Ernest Guiraud Ernest is a given name derived from Germanic word ''ernst'', meaning "serious". Notable people and fictional characters with the name include: People *Archduke Ernest of Austria (1553–1595), son of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor *Ernest, M ...
, and the singers
Pauline Viardot Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García, her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Pauli ...
and
Romain Bussine Romain Bussine (4 November 1830 – 20 December 1899) was a French voice teacher, singer, translator and poet active in the second half of the 19th century. Career He was born in Paris; and from the late 1860s until his death Bussine was pr ...
.Milnes, Rodney
"Massenet, Jules"
''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 July 2014
In 1889 the Opéra staged Thomas' ballet ''La tempête'' (another treatment of a Shakespeare play – '' The Tempest''), but it made little impression. In 1894, after the 1,000th performance of ''Mignon'' at the Opéra-Comique, the octogenarian composer was embraced on the stage by
Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 â€“ 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
, his junior by two years, before President Carnot decorated Thomas with the ribbon of the
Grand-Croix de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon B ...
. Thomas died in his flat in the Conservatoire in 1896, aged 84, of congestion of the lungs. He was survived by his widow, Elvire, ''née'' Remaury (1827–1910), whom he married in 1878. He was succeeded as director of the Conservatoire by Dubois.


Music

Emmanuel Chabrier Alexis-Emmanuel Chabrier (; 18 January 184113 September 1894) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and pianist. His Bourgeoisie, bourgeois family did not approve of a musical career for him, and he studied law in Paris and then worked ...
's jibe, "There is good music, there is bad music, and then there is Ambroise Thomas" is often quoted, but, as the musicologist
Richard Langham Smith Richard Langham Smith (born 10 September 1947, Barnes, London) is an English musicologist who has written on Debussy and contemporary French music in general. For his contribution to the latter he was admitted to rank of Chevalier of the Ordre d ...
observes, it is not clear whether Chabrier meant that Thomas' music was worse than bad, somewhere between good and bad, or something else.Langham Smith Richard
"Good, Bad and..."
, ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 138, No. 1857 (November 1997), p. 32
A contemporary assessment was given in the first edition of ''
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the History of music, ...
'' (1889), where
Gustave Chouquet Gustave Chouquet (16 April 1819 – 30 January 1886)Grove & Charlton 2001. was a French music historian, music critic, and teacher of French. Early life and career Born Adolphe-Gustave Chouquet in Le Havre, he spent six years in Paris studying ...
wrote of Thomas: In the 2001 edition of ''Grove'', Langham Smith writes, "In the context of French opera of the late 19th century Thomas was a figure of considerable importance, an imaginative innovator and a master of musical characterization." Langham Smith concludes that after years of neglect, Thomas' work saw a considerable revival, beginning in the late 20th century, with major productions of ''Mignon'' and ''Hamlet'' in France, Britain and the US. Forbes writes that Thomas was an eclectic composer able to write in a wide variety of styles. She identifies Hérold and Auber as influences on his early works, and considers ''Le caïd'' the first of his works to show true originality, though nonetheless clearly showing the influence of
Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...
. In later works, Thomas' music could still be derivative: Forbes cites ''Psyché'' (1857) as "an inferior copy of
Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
's '' Sapho''" and his ''Le carnaval de Venise'' (also 1857) as imitating
Victor Massé Victor Massé (born ''Félix-Marie Massé''; 7 March 1822 – 5 July 1884) was a French composer. Biography Massé was born in Lorient (Morbihan) and studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1844 for his cantata ''Le Rénà ...
. She concludes that at his best – which he was not always – Thomas wrote delightful and individual music, was capable of orchestration that is "often quite ravishing", and musically conveyed the character of the important roles strongly and clearly. "If Thomas had written no stage works except ''Mignon'' and ''Hamlet'' he would probably be more widely recognized as one of the most influential and important of French 19th-century operatic composers."


List of compositions


Operas

''See: List of operas by Ambroise Thomas.''


Non-operatic vocal: secular

*"Hermann et Ketty", cantata, 1832 *"Silvio Pellico", 1831, lost *"Nel iginia d'Asti", scena e aria, 1834 *"Nel Foscarini", 2 voices, orchestra, 1834 *"Duos Italiens-Téresa", 2 voices, orchestra, 1834 *"Storia di Colombo", scena e duetto, voices, orchestra, 1834 *"Maria e Leicester", 2 voices, piano, 1834 *"Della Pia", scena e romanza, 1834 *"La charité du couvent", cantata, 1843 *"Hommage à Lesueur", cantata, 1852 *"Hommage à Boieldieu", cantata, 1875 *"Via", via!", canzone veneziano, 4 voices, piano, undated *"Scènes chorales" for mixed voices, 1853 *"L'harmonie des peuples", c. 1855 *"Choeur des gardes-chasses, c. 1857 *"Le chant des amis", 1858 *"Salut aux chanteurs de la France" 1859 *"France", 1860 *"Le forgeron", 1861 *"Le Tyrol", 1862 *"Les archers de Bouvines", 1863 *"Les traîneaux", 1864 *"Le carnaval de Rome", 1864 *"Le temple de la paix", 1867 *"Paris!", Vaudin", 1867 *"La nuit du sabbat", 1869 *"L'Atlantique", undated *"Chant patriotique


Non-operatic vocal: sacred

*"Messe de Requiem", chorus, orchestra, 1833 *"Ave verum", after Mozart, arr. Thomas, c. 1835 *"O salutaris", motet, SAA, organ, 1836 *"Sub tuum praesidium", motet, SSA, organ, 1836 *"Veni sponsa Christi", motet, TTBB, organ, 1836 *"Messe solennelle", solo voices, chorus, orchestra, 1852 *"Pie Jesu", tenor, organ, 1864, 1896 *"Beati mortui", voice, organ *"Agnus Dei", 3 voices, organ, c. 1895 *"Messe de l'Orphéon", TTBB, undated, Credo only; collaboration with
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and
Fromental Halévy Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy, usually known as Fromental Halévy (; 27 May 179917 March 1862), was a French composer. He is known today largely for his opera '' La Juive''. Early career Halévy was born in Paris, son of the cantor ...
*"Ave Maria", SAT, organ, undated *"Agnus Dei", 3 voices, org


Songs

solo voice and piano, except where otherwise stated *"Souvenirs d'Italie": 6 romances italiennes et venitiennes, 1835 *"Adieu les beaux jours", c. 1835 *"Doux abri", c. 1835 *"La Patrie", c. 1835 *"Romance sur les paroles anglaises", c. 1835 *"Romance sur les paroles allemandes", c. 1835 *"C'est vous", 1840 *"La vierge Marie", c. 1840 *"Viens", c. 1840 *"Ah sur ma parole", 1842 *"La charité du couvent", 1843 *"Belle folle espagnole", 1844 *"Ange et mortel", c. 1855 *"Sérénade", c. 1861 *"Le petit chou", c. 1861 *"Ah sur ma parole", c. 1862 *"Le soir", 1869 *"Le berger de la Reuss", c. 1870 *"Fleur de neige", 1880 *"Croyance", 2 voices", 1885 *"Passiflore", 1887 *"Chanson de Margyane", 1896 *"Baissez les yeux", 1897 *"Souvenir", 1900 *"L'amiable printemps", 1900 *"Ainsi va le monde", 1903 *"Belle, ayez pitie", undated *"C'est le bonheur", undated *"La folle d'Yarmouth", undated *"L'aimable printemps", undated


Orchestral

*"Overture, 1832, lost *"Fantaisie brillante, piano, orchestra/string quartet, undated, arranged for piano, c. 1836 *"Marche religieuse", 1865 *"Chant du psaume laudate, violin, orch, 1883 *"arr. of "La marseillaise" for military band, 1887


Ballets

*"La gipsy – 2nd act of 3-act ballet, 1839 *"Betty – 2 acts, 1846 *"La tempête, ballet fantastique, 3 acts, 1889


Chamber

*String Quartet, op.1, 1833 *Piano Trio, op.3, c. 1835 *String Quintet, op.7, c. 1839 *Romance, violin, piano, c. 1835 *"Morceau" e concours trombone, piano, 1848 *"Morceau" e concours violin, cello, 1850 *"Souvenir", piano, violin/viola, undated *"Barcarolle", flute/violin, piano


Piano solo

*"6 caprices en forme de valses caractéristiques", op.4, 1835 *"L'absence", nocturne", op.8, c. 1835 *"Andantino", c. 1835 *"Mazurka valaque", c. 1835 *"Fantaisie sur un air favori écossais", op.5, 1836 *"Valse de salon", 1851 *"Cantabile", 1865 *"La dérobée", fantaisie sur un air breton, 1888 *"Rêverie", undated *"Printemps", undated


Organ solo

*"Absoute", 1857 *"Offertoire", 1858 *"Prière", 1859 *3 préludes, 1860 *"Elevazione", undated *"Dirge", undated *"10 pastorales", undated ::Source: ''Grove''.


Notes, references and sources


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

Statue of Thomas in Paris. * *Georges Masson, 1996. ''Ambroise Thomas'' (Metz: Editions Serpentoise) *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Ambroise 1811 births 1896 deaths 19th-century classical composers 19th-century French composers 19th-century French male musicians Conservatoire de Paris faculty Burials at Montmartre Cemetery Conservatoire de Paris alumni Directors of the Conservatoire de Paris French ballet composers French male classical composers French opera composers French Romantic composers Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Male opera composers Musicians from Metz Prix de Rome for composition Pupils of Jean-François Le Sueur