Michael William Balfe Irish composer Date of Birth: 15.05.1808 Country: Ireland

1. Biography of Michael William Balfe
2. Early Life and Musical Talent
3. Early Career and Studies
4. Operatic Pursuits and International Recognition
5. Personal Life and Return to London
6. Later Career and Retirement

Biography of Michael William Balfe

Michael William Balfe was an Irish composer best known for his opera "The Bohemian Girl". He initially studied violin before transitioning to become an opera singer. Later, he began composing music and achieved great success in this field. Over the course of 40 years, Balfe wrote 38 operas, 250 songs, and various other works. He also gained recognition as a conductor, working for nearly seven years at the Italian Opera, Her Majesty's Theatre.

Early Life and Musical Talent

Balfe was born in Dublin and displayed impressive musical abilities from a young age. His father, who was a talented dancer and violinist, gave him his first lessons. When Balfe was still a child, his family moved to Wexford, where he played the violin in his father's dance class from 1814 to 1815. At the age of 7, Balfe composed his first piece, a polonaise. In 1817, he began performing with the violin in public and that same year, he wrote a ballad called "Young Fanny," later renamed "The Lovers' Mistake".

Early Career and Studies

In 1823, after his father's death, the 15-year-old Balfe relocated to London and joined the orchestra of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, as a violinist. He quickly gained recognition within the orchestra and eventually became its conductor. Balfe realized that he lacked a solid musical education and sought to fill in his knowledge gaps. Alongside his work in the orchestra, he studied under C.E. Horn, the organist of St. George's Chapel in Windsor.

Operatic Pursuits and International Recognition

In his youth, Balfe briefly tried his hand at opera singing. Unfortunately, his debut in Carl Maria von Weber's "Der Freischütz" in Norwich was unsuccessful. In 1825, with the assistance of Count Mazzara, Balfe traveled to Rome to study singing and music. It was in Italy that he composed his first ballet, "La Perouse". Balfe's talent caught the attention of Gioachino Rossini, who took him under his wing. In 1827, Balfe even performed as Figaro in Rossini's Parisian production of "The Barber of Seville".

Personal Life and Return to London

In 1831, Balfe married Hungarian singer Lina Roser. In May 1835, Balfe, his wife, and their two daughters returned to London. In the same year, he finally achieved recognition with the production of "The Siege of Rochelle" at Drury Lane on October 29th. The success inspired Balfe to continue creating new operas for the English stage. In 1841, he founded the National Opera at the Lyceum Theatre, but the project failed shortly after. Two years later, he presented his most successful work, "The Bohemian Girl". The production ran for 100 consecutive nights at Drury Lane and was later performed in New York, Dublin, Philadelphia, Vienna, and Sydney.

Later Career and Retirement

From 1846 to 1852, Balfe served as the musical director and principal conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre. It was through Balfe's efforts that Londoners first saw a series of highly successful opera productions by Verdi. In 1864, Balfe retired and moved to the countryside. He passed away in 1870 at the age of 62.