(-Charles), celebrated French opera and ballet composer; b. Paris, July 24, 1803; d. there, May 3, 1856. He studied piano, then attended the Paris Conservatory. Adam was a prolific composer of operas, writing two or more a season, with a total of 53 in all, many of which have been forgotten. However, Adam ranks with DANIEL-FRANÇOIS-ESPRIT AUBER as one of the creators of French opera, and he wrote expressive melodies that contributed to the dramatic development of his works. Le Postillon de Longjumeau (1836) and the comic opera Si j'étais roi (1852) are the best remembered. Despite his fame as an opera composer, Adam's most durable work is probably the ballet Giselle (1841), a perennial favorite to this day. The song Cantique de Noël (O Holy Night) also became popular. Unfortunately, Adam was a poor businessman; in 1847 he ventured into the field of management with the Opéra-National, which failed miserably and brought him to the brink of financial ruin. In 1849 he was appointed professor at the Paris Conservatory; he also traveled widely in Europe, visiting London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg.