Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especiallyThe Bohemian Girl.
After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to compose. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed at least 29 operas, almost 250 songs, severalcantatas and other works. He was also a noted conductor, directing Italian Opera atHer Majesty's Theatre for seven years, among other conducting posts.
Balfe was born inDublin and grew up on Pitt Street, which was renamed Balfe Street in 1917 in his honour.[1] His musical gifts became apparent at an early age, and he received instruction from his father, a dancing master and violinist, and from the composerWilliam Rooke.[2] Balfe's family moved toWexford when he was a child. Between 1814 and 1815, Balfe played the violin for his father's dancing-classes, and at the age of seven composed apolacca.
In 1817, he appeared as a violinist in public, and in this year composed aballad, first called "Young Fanny" and afterwards, when sung inPaul Pry byMadame Vestris, "The Lovers' Mistake". In 1823, upon his father's death, the teenaged Balfe moved to London and was engaged as a violinist in the orchestra of theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane. He eventually became the leader of that orchestra.[3] While there, he studied violin withCharles Edward Horn and composition withCharles Frederick Horn, the organist, from 1824, atSt George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
While still playing the violin, Balfe pursued a career as an opera singer. He debuted unsuccessfully atNorwich inCarl Maria von Weber'sDer Freischütz. In 1825, his wealthy patron[4] Count Mazzara took him to Rome for vocal and musical studies and introduced him toLuigi Cherubini. Balfe also pursued composing: in Italy, he wrote his first dramatic work, a ballet,La Perouse. He became a protégé ofRossini's, and at the close of 1827, he appeared as Figaro inThe Barber of Seville at the Italian opera in Paris.
Balfe soon returned to Italy, where he was based for the next eight years, singing and composing several operas. He metMaria Malibran while singing at theParis Opera during this period. In 1829 inBologna, Balfe composed his firstcantata for thesopranoGiulia Grisi, then 18 years old. She performed it with the tenor Francesco Pedrazzi with much success. Balfe produced his first complete opera,I rivali di se stessi, atPalermo in the carnival season of 1829–30.
In Lugano, Switzerland,[5] around 1831, he married Lina Roser (1806–1888), a Hungarian-born singer of Austrian parentage whom he had met atBergamo.[6] The couple had two sons and two daughters. Their younger son, Edward, died in infancy. Their elder son, Michael William Jr., died in 1915. Their daughters were Louisa (1832–1869) andVictoire. Balfe wrote another opera,Un avvertimento ai gelosi, atPavia, andEnrico Quarto atMilan, where he had been engaged to sing in Rossini'sOtello with Malibran atLa Scala in 1834. An unpopular attempt at "improving"Giacomo Meyerbeer's operaIl crociato in Egitto by interpolating music of his own compelled Balfe to throw up his engagement at the theatreLa Fenice in Venice.
Balfe returned to London with his wife and young daughter in May 1835. His initial success took place some months later, with the premiere ofThe Siege of Rochelle on 29 October 1835 at Drury Lane. Encouraged by his success, in 1836 he producedThe Maid of Artois, which was followed by more operas in English.
In 1841, Balfe founded the National Opera at theLyceum Theatre, but the venture was a failure. The same year, he premiered his operaKeolanthe. He then moved to Paris, presentingLe Puits d'amour (1843) in early 1843, followed by his opera based onLes quatre fils Aymon (1844) for theOpéra-Comique (also popular in German-speaking countries for many years asDie vier Haimonskinder) andL'étoile de Seville (1845) for theOpéra. Their libretti were byEugène Scribe and others.[7] Meanwhile, in 1843, Balfe returned to London, where he produced his most successful work,The Bohemian Girl, on 27 November 1843 at theTheatre Royal, Drury Lane. The piece ran for over 100 nights, and productions were soon mounted in New York, Dublin, Philadelphia, Vienna (in German), Sydney, and throughout Europe and elsewhere. In 1854, an Italian adaptation calledLa Zingara was mounted inTrieste with great success, and it too was performed internationally in both Italian and German. In 1862, a four-act French version titledLa Bohemienne was produced in France and was also a success.[6]
From 1846 to 1852, Balfe was appointed musical director and principal conductor for the Italian Opera atHer Majesty's Theatre,[8] withMax Maretzek as his assistant.[9] There he first produced several ofVerdi's operas for London audiences. He conducted forJenny Lind at her opera debut and on many occasions thereafter.[6]
In 1851, in anticipation ofThe Great Exhibition in London, Balfe composed an innovative cantata,Inno Delle Nazioni, sung by nine female singers, each representing a country. He continued to compose new operas in English, includingThe Armourer of Nantes (1863), and wrote hundreds of songs, such as "When Other Hearts", "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" (fromThe Bohemian Girl), "Come Into the Garden, Maud", "Killarney", and "Excelsior" (a setting of thepoem by Longfellow).[10] His last opera, nearly completed when he died, wasThe Knight of the Leopard and achieved considerable success in Italian asIl Talismano.[6][11]
In all, Balfe composed at least 29 operas.[13] He also wrote several cantatas (includingMazeppa in 1862) and a symphony (1829). Balfe's most notable opera, and his only large-scale piece that is still performed isThe Bohemian Girl.[14]
I rivali di se stessi (A. Alcozer), Palermo: Teatro Carolino, 29 June 1829
Un avvertimento ai gelosi (G. Foppa), Pavia: Teatro Condomini, 11 May 1831
Enrico IV al passo della Marna (unknown librettist), Milan: Teatro Carcano, 19 February 1833
The Siege of Rochelle (Edward Fitzball), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 29 October 1835
Austrian version:Die Belagerung von Rochelle (Joseph Kupelwieser), Vienna: Theater an der Wien, 24 October 1846
The Maid of Artois (Alfred Bunn), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 27 May 1836
Catherine Grey (George Linley), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 27 May 1837
Joan of Arc (Edward Fitzball), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 30 November 1837
Diadeste, or The Veiled Lady (Edward Fitzball), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 17 May 1838
Falstaff (Manfredo Maggioni), London: Her Majesty's Theatre (Italian Opera), 19 July 1838
Keolanthe (Edward Fitzball), London Theatre Royal (English Opera House), 9 March 1841
Austrian version:Keolanthe, oder Das Traumbild (Karl Gollmick), Vienna: Theater am Kärntnertor, 3 December 1853
Le Puits d'amour (Eugène Scribe and A. de Leuven), Paris: Opéra Comique, 20 April 1843
English version:Geraldine, or The Lover's Well, London: Princess Theatre, 14 August 1843
Austrian version:Der Liebesbrunnen (Joseph Kupelwieser), Vienna: Theater an der Wien, 4 November 1845
The Bohemian Girl (Alfred Bunn), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 27 November 1843
Austrian version:Die Zigeunerin (Joseph Kupelwieser), Vienna: Theater an der Wien, 24 July 1846
French version:La Bohemienne (J.H. Vernoy de Saint Georges), Rouen: Théâtre des Arts, 23 April 1862; revised version: Paris: Théâtre Lyrique, 30 December 1869
Les Quatre fils Aymon (A. de Leuven and L.L. Brunswick), Paris: Opéra Comique, 15 July 1844
English version:The Castle of Aymon (G.A. Beckett), London: Princess Theatre, 20 November 1844
Austrian version:Die vier Haimonskinder (Joseph Kupelwieser), Vienna: Josefstadt-Theater, 14 December 1844
Italian version (for London):I quattro fratelli (S.F. Maggione), London: His Majesty's Theatre (Italian Opera), 11 August 1851
The Daughter of St. Mark (Alfred Bunn), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 27 November 1844
The Enchantress (J.H. Vernoy de Saint Georges), London: Theatre Royal Drury Lane, 14 May 1845
Opera Rara CDs: ORR 239 includes Balfe's cantataSempre pensoso e torbido, and ORR 277 includes his songThe Blighted flower.
Opera Ireland (2008) live concert of Balfe'sFalstaff,RTÉ Concert Orchestra and National Chamber Choir of Ireland, conducted by Marco Zambelli, broadcast byRTÉ Lyric FM and later released on CD as RTÉ LyricFM CD119, available from Naxos.[3]
Biddlecombe, George:English Opera from 1834 to 1864 with Particular Reference to the Works of Michael Balfe (New York: Garland Publishing, 1994),ISBN0-8153-1436-1.
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