Leo Delibes Composer
Season 25/26 Artist

Biography

Born in 1836, Léo Delibes studied music at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1853, thanks to his teacher Adolphe Adam, he became an accompanist at the Théâtre-Lyrique. In 1856, Delibes was entrusted with the libretto of Deux sous de charbon by Jules Moineaux, which he set to music—marking his debut as a composer. Offenbach soon took notice of him and programmed his work at the Bouffes-Parisiens in August of the same year: the score of Les Deux vieilles gardes brought Delibes success, as did Les Six demoiselles à marier.

In 1859, Delibes composed the music for L’Omelette à la Follembuche, an operetta by Labiche and Marc-Michel featuring the comedian Léonce. Through Offenbach, Delibes was introduced to Bad Ems, near Koblenz, a spa town known for its famous “Fridays.” There, he composed Les Eaux d’Ems, an operetta based on a libretto by Crémieux and Halévy. In 1863, he left the Théâtre-Lyrique and became chorus master at the Paris Opera. He then composed an opéra-comique, Le Jardinier et son seigneur, as well as Le Serpent à plumes and Le Bœuf Apis. The Opera then invited Delibes to compose half of the ballet La Source, based on a libretto by Charles Nuitter and Arthur Saint-Léon. Premiered in 1866, La Source was a success and revealed Delibes’s strong affinity for ballet music.

In 1870, Delibes composed the music for Coppélia, a ballet that has remained in the Opera’s repertoire ever since its premiere. In 1871, shortly after the war, Delibes resigned from his position at the Opera. In 1875, however, La Source was performed at the inaugural gala of the Palais Garnier.

In 1876, Delibes composed the score for the ballet Sylvia. In 1877, he was awarded the Legion of Honour. In 1881, he succeeded Reyer as head of the composition class at the Conservatoire. Around the same time, he began composing Lakmé, an opera set in 19th-century India, which became his greatest success. In 1884, Delibes was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He died in 1891, leaving behind an unfinished opera, Kassya, which was later orchestrated by Jules Massenet.

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