Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold

(b Paris, 28 Jan 1791; d there, 19 Jan 1833). French composer of Alsatian descent. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire with Louis Adam, Kreutzer, Catel and Méhul (who became the dominant influence on his style), composing his first opera in Italy in 1814. For several years he had difficulty finding adequate texts and his works frequently failed. Not until the delightful Marie (1826) did he score a triumphant success, meanwhile working as an accompanist at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris and later as singing coach at the Opéra, where he composed music for five ballets, including La somnambule and La fille mal gardée. The two operas for which he is remembered - Zampa, ou La fiancée de marbre (1831; originally Le corsaire) and the finer Le pré aux clercs (1832) - were both popular successes, the first full of effective theatrical situations and showing the brilliant tenor Chollet to advantage, the second treating thoughtfully a controversial subject. Such accomplished scores suggest that had Hérold lived longer, he might have fulfilled his ambitions to compose grand opera.

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Hérold, Louis-Joseph-Ferdinand (b Paris, 28 Jan. 1791, d Paris, 19 Jan. 1833). French composer. While working as repetiteur at the Paris Opera he composed several ballet scores, all of which were choreographed by Aumer, including La Somnambule (1827), a new version of La Fille mal gardée (1828), and La Belle au bois dormant (1829).

• Period: Romantic (1820-1869)
• Country: France
• Born: January 28, 1791 in Paris, France
• Died: January 19, 1833 in Paris, France

Biography

Herold composed in a variety of genres including opera, comique, opera, lyric vocal pieces and songs, orcehstral piano concertos, chamber music and piano music. His forte became, after a long struggle with bad librettos, opera. He studied at the Paris Conservatory with Adam, Kreutzer, Catel, and Mehul. Mehul's influence dominated the compositions of Herold. His first opera was written and performed in Italy in 1814 but met with littel success because of the libretto. He was only twenty three years old. It took Herold another twelve years (at the age of thirty five) to compose not only a successful opera but a triumphantly successful opera "Marie." He acceeded to a position with the Theatre-Italien in Paris, and later became a singing coach there. He also composed two well received ballets, "La somnambule," and "La fille mal gardee." Herold is best remembered for two popular operas. "Zampa, ou La fiancee de marbre" was developed with full theatrical effects and provided a venue to demonstrate the brilliance of the tenor Chollet. "Le pre aux clercs" was Herold's reflective and cognizant treatment of a controversial subject. ~ Keith Johnson, All Music Guide