Ernest Guiraud
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Ernest Guiraud (June 26, 1837 – May 6, 1892) was a French composer born in New Orleans, USA.
He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won the Grand Prix de Rome. His father had gained the same distinction many years prior to his son winning the award. Notably, this was the only instance of both father and son obtaining this prize. Ernest Guiraud composed the following operas:
- Sylvie (1864)
- Le Kobold (1870)
- Madame Turlupin (1872)
- Piccolino (1876)
- Galante Aventure (1882)
- The ballet Gretna Green, given at the Opera in 1873
His opera Frédégonde was left unfinished and was completed by Camille Saint-Saëns. Guiraud, a fellow-student and intimate friend of Georges Bizet, also collected Bizet's original score and published L'Arlésienne Suite Number Two after Bizet's death. In addition, Guiraud was for some years professor of composition at the Conservatoire. He was a founding member of the Société Nationale de Musique and the author of an excellent treatise on instrumentation.
He is perhaps most famous for constructing the infamous recitatives that replace the dialogue in Bizet's opera Carmen.
He died in Paris on May 6, 1892.
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
