BOIELDIEU, FRANcOIS ADRIEN (1775-1834), French composer of comic opera, was born at Rouen, Dec. 16, He began composing songs and chamber music at a very early age—his first opera, La Fille coupable (the libretto by his father), and his second opera, Rosalie et Myrza, being duced on the stage of Rouen in 1795. In 1796 Les deux Lettres was produced in Paris, where the composer had now settled, and in 1797 La Famille suisse was well received. Several other operas followed in rapid succession, of which only Le Calife de Bagdad (I800) has escaped oblivion. Boieldieu, then recognizing the deficiencies of his earlier musical training, took lessons in counter point from Cherubini, the influence of that great master being clearly discernible in his pupil's later compositions. In 1802 Boieldieu went to St. Petersburg (Leningrad), where he com posed a number of operas. He also set to music the choruses of Racine's Athalie, one of his few attempts at the tragic style of dramatic writing. In 1811 he returned to his own country, and in 1812 produced one of his finest works, Jean de Paris. He succeeded Mehul as professor of composition at the Con servatoire in 1817. Le Petit Chaperon rouge was produced with success in 1818. Boieldieu's second and greatest masterpiece was La Dame blanche (1825). The libretto, written by Scribe, was partly suggested by Walter Scott's Monastery, and several orig inal Scottish tunes introduced by the composer add to the charm and local colour of the work. On the death of his wife in 1825, Boieldieu married the singer, Philis Desroyes. The Revolution of 183o reduced him to poverty, but he was ultimately relieved by a pension. He died in Paris of consumption, 1834.
Lives of Boieldieu have been written by G. Hequet 0864), A. Pougin (1875) and Emile Duval (Geneva, 1883). See also P. L. Robert, Une correspondance inedite de Boieldieu 0916).