Louis Joseph Saint-Amans
Encyclopedia
Louis Joseph Saint-Amans (26 June 1749 Marseilles-c.1820 Paris
) was a French
composer
. Initially studying to be a lawyer
, Saint-Amans abandoned his studies to travel around southern France
with an Italian theater troupe performing opere buffe. He then spent three years in Italy
as a tutor
to the children of a Swiss baron
. Interested in music, he studied the works of
Italian composers on his own, ultimately deciding to pursue his own career as an opera
composer. He returned to Paris in 1769 and his first opéra comique
, Dom Alvar et Mincia, débuted the following year. He composed several more operas and ballets over the next few years, some of which appeared at the Opéra National de Paris. However, none of these works were met with particular success. In 1778, Saint-Amans moved to Brussels to become the conductor of the Théâtre de la Monnaie. Saint-Amans finally found success while working in Brussels, enjoying a six-year period of well received compositions. After returning to Paris in 1884, he was appointed professor of singing at the Ecole Royale de Chant (later the Paris Conservatoire). He continued to write opéras comiques until the early years of the 19th century, but lack of critical acclaim and a move to Brest (following the loss of his position at the Conservatoire) may have led him to abandon composing for the stage during his last 15 years. Over his entire career, Saint-Amans wrote twenty-six operas, of which all but two have been lost. He also composed several religious works including a number of motets and oratorios. In 1807 he composed a Te Deum for Napoleon’s birthday celebrations.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Initially studying to be a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Saint-Amans abandoned his studies to travel around southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with an Italian theater troupe performing opere buffe. He then spent three years in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
as a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
to the children of a Swiss baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
. Interested in music, he studied the works of
Italian composers on his own, ultimately deciding to pursue his own career as an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
composer. He returned to Paris in 1769 and his first opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
, Dom Alvar et Mincia, débuted the following year. He composed several more operas and ballets over the next few years, some of which appeared at the Opéra National de Paris. However, none of these works were met with particular success. In 1778, Saint-Amans moved to Brussels to become the conductor of the Théâtre de la Monnaie. Saint-Amans finally found success while working in Brussels, enjoying a six-year period of well received compositions. After returning to Paris in 1884, he was appointed professor of singing at the Ecole Royale de Chant (later the Paris Conservatoire). He continued to write opéras comiques until the early years of the 19th century, but lack of critical acclaim and a move to Brest (following the loss of his position at the Conservatoire) may have led him to abandon composing for the stage during his last 15 years. Over his entire career, Saint-Amans wrote twenty-six operas, of which all but two have been lost. He also composed several religious works including a number of motets and oratorios. In 1807 he composed a Te Deum for Napoleon’s birthday celebrations.
Operas
- Alvar et Mancia, ou Le Captif de retour (1770)
- La Coquette du village, ou Le Baiser pris et rendu (1771)
- Le Poirier (1772)
- Le Médecin de l'amour (1773)
- La Forêt enchantée (1774)
- Le Faux vieillard (1774)
- Oroés (1776)
- Daphnis et Thémire (1778)
- L'Occasion (1778/80)
- La Fausse veuve (1778)
- Psyché et l'Amour (1778)
- La Rosière de Salency (1778)
- Emirène (1780)
- La Fête de Flore (1784)
- Le Prix de l'arc (1785)
- Ninette à la cour, ou Le Caprice amoureux (1785)
- La Fée Urgèle (1788)
- Scène d'Alcyone (1789)
- Laurence (1790)
- L'Heureux démenti (1794)
- Aspasie (1795)
- Le Pauvre homme (1797)
- La Tireuse de cartes (1799)
- L'Isle déserte (1801)
- Chacun à son plan (1802)
- La Leçon littéraire (1807)
Sources
- Elisabeth Cook. The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5 - The Oxford Dictionary of Opera, by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), ISBN 0-19-869164-5