Halévy (Born Levy), (Jacques-François-) Fromental

(-Elie) celebrated French composer; b. Paris, May 27, 1799; d. Nice, March 17, 1862. The family changed its name to Halévy in 1807.

Halévy entered the Paris Conservatory at age 9, where he later studied with CONSTANT LAMBERT (piano), HenriMontan Berton (harmony), and LUIGI CHERUBINI (COUNTERPOINT). He took second place in the Prix de Rome in 1816 and 1817, finally achieving the Grand Prix de Rome in 1819 with his CANTATA Herminie. He became chef du chant (choral director) at the Théâtre-Italien in 1826. A year later, his first stage work was performed, the opéra-comique, L'Artisan, which had a small success. He gained further notice with his Clari, introduced to Paris by the famous Spanish mezzosoprano MARÍA MALIBRAN, in 1828.

In 1829 Halévy's first major success came with Le Dilettante d'Avignon. He then was named chef du chant at the Paris Opéra, a position he held from 1829 to 1845. He scored his greatest triumph with La Juive in 1835, which established his name and was performed throughout Europe and the U.S. His next opera, L'éclair, which opened later that year, also enjoyed favorable reception. Among his later operas that have been retained in the repertoire are La Reine de Chypre (1841), Charles VI (1843), and La Magicienne (1858).

Halévy was also active as a teacher at the Paris Conservatory, being made a professor of harmony and accompaniemnt in 1827, of counterpoint and FUGUE five years later, and of composition in 1840. His students included the composers CHARLES GOUNOD, GEORGES BIZET (who became his son-in-law), and CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS. He was elected to membership in the Institute in 1836, serving as its secretary from 1854.

Halévy was an extremely talented composer for the stage, winning the admiration of both HECTOR BERLIOZ and RICHARD WAGNER. Yet he could never equal GIACOMO MEYERBEER in popular success. As time went by, only La Juive gained a permanent place in the world repertoire.