author
Adolphe Adam
1803–1856
Best known for the ballet Giselle and the beloved Christmas carol "O Holy Night," this prolific French composer helped shape 19th-century musical theater. His music combined melodic charm with a strong feel for drama, and it has outlasted many of the stage works that first made him famous.
2 Audiobooks
Derniers souvenirs d'un musicien
by Adolphe Adam
About the author
Born in Paris on July 24, 1803, Adolphe Adam was the son of pianist and teacher Jean-Louis Adam. Although his father was cautious about a musical career, he went on to study at the Paris Conservatoire and became one of France’s busiest composers for the stage.
Adam wrote operas, ballets, and songs, and during his lifetime he was widely admired for his gift for memorable melody and theatrical pacing. Today he is especially remembered for the ballet Giselle (1841), often considered his masterpiece, as well as Le corsaire, the opera Le postillon de Lonjumeau, and the Christmas carol "Minuit, chrétiens!," later known in English as "O Holy Night."
He also worked as a teacher and music critic, showing how deeply involved he was in Parisian musical life beyond composing. He died in Paris on May 3, 1856, but his music—especially Giselle and "O Holy Night"—has kept his name alive for audiences far beyond the world he originally wrote for.