(b Metz, 5 Aug 1811; d Paris, 12 Feb 1896). French opera composer. He studied with Le Sueur at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1832. He then devoted himself to writing for the stage. Though his early opéras comiques marked a modest improvement on Auber's in melodic invention, sentiment and delicacy of orchestration, they followed contemporary taste in their dependence on virtuoso coloratura soprano roles and in the absurdity of their librettos; Le caïd (1849) and Le songe d′une nuit d′été (1850) were successful, leading to a professorship at the Conservatoire (1856). Thomas won still higher acclaim with the sentimental Mignon (1866) and Hamlet (1868), in emulation of Gounod's Faust and Romeo et Juliette respectively. Despite their conventionality, these works contain effective vocal characterization and appealing atmospheric writing. Mignon received over 1000 performances at the Opéra-Comique between 1866 and 1894, becoming one of the most successful operas in history. His critical and popular reputation clinched, Thomas succeeded Auber as director of the Conservatoire (1871), instituting reforms while remaining essentially conservative. He was troubled by the growing influence of Wagner and showed little sympathy for the work of younger French composers (except Massenet). His reputation, once comparable with Verdi's, was eclipsed within a few years of his greatest triumphs.

The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.