DELIBES, CLEMENT PHILIBERT LEO French composer, was born at Saint Germain du Val on Feb. 21, 1836. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, and became ac companist at the Theatre Lyrique. His first essay in dramatic composition was his Deux sous de charbon (1853), and during several years he produced a number of operettas. His cantata Alger was heard at the Paris opera in 1865. Having become sec ond chorus master of the Grand Opera, he wrote the music of a ballet entitled La Source (1866) for this theatre, in collaboration with Minkous, a Polish composer. The composer returned to the operetta style with Malbrouk s'en va-t-en guerre,—written in collaboration with Georges Bizet, Emile Jonas and Legouix, and given at the Theatre de l'Athenee in 1867. Two years later came L'Ecossais de Chatou, a one-act piece, and La Cour du roi Petaud, a three-act opera-bouffe. The ballet Coppelia was produced at the Grand Opera on May 25, 187o, with enormous success.
Delibes gave up his post as second chorus master at the Grand Opera in 1872 when he married the daughter of Mademoiselle Denain, formerly an actress at the Comedie Francaise. His first important dramatic work was Le Roi l'a dit, a charming comic opera, produced on May 24, 1873, at the Opera Comique. Three years later, on June 14, 1876, Sylvia, a ballet in three acts, one of the composer's most delightful works, was produced at the Grand Opera. This was followed by La Mort D'Orphee, a grand scena (Trocadero concerts in 1878) ; Jean de Nivelle (Opera Comique, Mar. 8, 188o), and by Lakme (Opera Comique, April 14,1883). Lakme has remained his most popular opera. The com poser died in Paris on Jan. 16, 1891, leaving Kassya, a four-act opera, in an unfinished state. In 1881 Delibes became a profes sor of advanced composition at the Conservatoire; and in 1884 he took the place of Victor Masse at the Institut de France. See E. Guiraud Delibes (1892).