Jules Barbier

A French poet, dramatist, and librettist, Jules Barbier was born in Paris on March 8, 1825, and died there on January 16, 1901. He is remembered above all for his work in opera, often writing with Michel Carré and helping turn literary ideas into works built for the stage.

Barbier had a major hand in several classics of French opera. He co-wrote the libretto for Charles Gounod’s Faust and also worked on Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette. With Carré, he adapted stories that inspired Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and he also wrote libretti for composers including Ambroise Thomas.

What makes Barbier stand out is how often his words became part of long-lasting repertoire. His career sits at the meeting point of poetry, theater, and music, and his collaborations helped define the sound and storytelling style of French opera in the 19th century.