Jak Eli Galevi French composer Date of Birth: 27.05.1799 Country: France

1. Early Life and Education
2. Breakthrough and Early Success
3. Operatic Masterpieces
4. Notable Works
5. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Education

Jacques Fromental Élie Halévy (born Élie Lévy) was a French composer. He received his musical education at the Paris Conservatoire, studying piano with Lambert, harmony with Ambroise-Marie Burton, and composition with Luigi Cherubini.

Breakthrough and Early Success

In 1819, Halévy's cantata "Herminie" earned him the prestigious Prix de Rome. He worked as a concertmaster at the Théâtre-Italien and taught harmony and accompaniment at the Conservatoire. By 1833, he had become a professor and taught counterpoint, fugue, and composition, with students including Charles Gounod, Georges Bizet, and Charles Lecocq.

Operatic Masterpieces

Halévy made his debut as an opera composer with the one-act comic opera "L'Artisan" in 1827. He continued to produce new operas almost annually. His "grand operas," such as "La Juive" (1835), featured historical plots with patriotic undertones. He also wrote comic operas in the spirit of Auber and Adam.

Notable Works

Among Halévy's most celebrated works is "La Juive," known as "The Cardinal's Daughter" in English. Its music is characterized by dramatic tension, emotionality, and sincerity. Other notable operas include "L'Éclair" (1835), a comedy written for two sopranos and two tenors, and "Guido et Ginevra" (1838), also known as "The Plague in Florence."

Later Career and Legacy

Halévy wrote an opera based on Pushkin's tale "The Queen of Spades" (1850), which bore little resemblance to the original story beyond the episode with the three cards. His opera "Noé" was completed by Bizet and renamed "Le Déluge." Halévy also wrote memoirs and published articles. His compositions continue to be performed and admired by audiences today.