Adolphe Adam (1803–1856)
A French composer of opéras-comiques and ballets, author of “Giselle” and the carol “Minuit, chrétiens” (“O Holy Night”).
The son of the pianist and teacher Louis Adam, who taught at the Paris Conservatoire, Adolphe Adam studied there, notably composition with François-Adrien Boieldieu.
He became one of the most prolific composers of the Parisian stage: dozens of opéras-comiques, including Le Postillon de Lonjumeau (1836) and Si j’étais roi (1852), and ballets, including Giselle (1841), a masterpiece of Romantic ballet, and Le Corsaire.
In 1847 he composed the Christmas carol “Minuit, chrétiens”, known in English as O Holy Night. A professor of composition at the Conservatoire, he died in Paris in 1856.
His melodious, theatrical music lends itself well to piano arrangements: it teaches how to convey a dance character, shape clear melodies and play with elegance.
Piano sheet music (1)
- Giselle - Pas de deux (1er Acte) · level 5