Henri, vicomte de Bornier (25 December 1825, Lunel – 28 January 1901,

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

) was a French poet and

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Biography

He came to Paris in 1845 with the object of studying

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

, but in that year he published a volume of verse, ''Les Premieres Feuilles'', and the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

accepted a play of his entitled ''Le Mariage de Luther''. He was given a post in the library of the Arsenal, where he served for half a century, becoming director in 1889. In 1875, his heroic drama in verse, ''La Fille de Roland'' was produced at the Théâtre Français. The action of the play turns on the love of Gerald, son of the traitor

Ganelon In the Matter of France, Ganelon (, ) is the knight who betrayed Charlemagne's army to the Saracens, leading to the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. His name is said to derive from the Italian word ''inganno'', meaning fraud or deception.Boiardo, ''Orl ...

, for the daughter of Roland. The patriotic subject and the nobility of the character of Gerald, who renounces

Berthe Saint Bertha or Saint Aldeberge (c. 565 – d. in or after 601) was the queen of Kent whose influence led to the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England. She was canonized as a saint for her role in its establishment during that period of Eng ...

when he learns his real origin, procured for the piece a great success. The conflict between honor and love and the grandiose sentiment of the play inevitably provoked comparison with

Corneille Pierre Corneille (; 6 June 1606 – 1 October 1684) was a French tragedian. He is generally considered one of the three great seventeenth-century French dramatists, along with Molière and Racine. As a young man, he earned the valuable patronag ...

. The piece would indeed be a masterpiece if, as its critics were not slow to point out, the verse had been quite equal to the subject. Among the numerous other works of de Bornier should be mentioned: '' Dmitri'' (1876), libretto of an

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 ...

Victorin de Joncières Félix-Ludger Rossignol, known as Victorin de Joncières (12 April 1839 – 26 October 1903), was a French composer and music critic.Wright LA. "Victorin de Joncières". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London & New York, 19 ...

; and the dramas, ''Les Noces d'Attila'' (1880) and ''Mahomet'' (1888). The production of this last piece was forbidden in deference to the representations of the Turkish ambassador. In 1890, his play ''Mahomet'' on Islamic prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...

was completely banned by the orders of Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II. Henri de Bornier was critic of the '' Nouvelle Revue'' from 1879 to 1887. His ''Poésies complètes'' were published in 1894. He died in January 1901.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bornier, Henri de 1825 births 1901 deaths People from Lunel French librarians 19th-century French poets 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights Members of the Académie Française Members of the Ligue de la patrie française

Biography

See also

References

External links