Delibes, Léo
Delibes, Léo (1836–91),French composer of opera and ballet. At the Paris Conservatoire Delibes studied composition with Adolphe Adam, whose influence helped him secure the post of accompanist at the Théâtre Lyrique in 1853. In the same year he also took on the post of organist at St Pierre de Chaillot. There then followed a series of operettas, the second of which, Deux vieilles gardes (The Patient) in 1856, was much praised. The ballet La Source (1866) marked a turning point in his career.
Delibes's wealth of melodic invention and assured style suited him for work as a composer of ballet music, the culmination of which was his masterpiece, Coppélia (première Paris Opera, 1870). The work is in three scenes and is based on a fairy tale by E. T. A. Hoffmann. The toymaker, Coppelius, has produced a number of lifelike mechanical dolls which are able...
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