About
Henri Meilhac (1831-1897) was a French playwright and librettist, best known for his collaboration with Ludovic Halévy. Together they wrote over fifty stage works, including librettos for Offenbach's operettas such as La Belle Hélène and La Vie parisienne, as well as Bizet's Carmen. Meilhac also co-wrote the libretto for Massenet's Manon with Philippe Gille. Elected to the Académie française in 1888, he left a significant mark on the lyrical and light theater of his time.
* 1831-02-23 — † 1897-07-06
Major works
- La Belle Hélène (1864)operetta
- La Vie parisienne (1866)operetta
- La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein (1867)operetta
- Carmen (1875)opera
- Manon (1884)opera
Key milestones
- 1875Premiere of Bizet's Carmen, with a libretto co-written with Ludovic Halévy.
- 1888Elected to the Académie française.
Themes
Social satireParisian lifeArtistic collaborationOperettaLiterary adaptation
Sources: id.loc.gov · oxfordreference.com · archives.yale.edu