BALFE, MICHAEL WILLIAM, an English composer of operas, etc., was b. flay 15, 1808, in Dublin. His musical talent received early culture, and several anecdotes arc related of his singular precocity. When only seven years old, he played publicly one of Viotti's concertos for the violin. At nine, he wrote the ballad entitled The Lover's Mistake, which achieved popularity through the singing of Madame Vestris. At six teen, lie made his debut in London, at the Drury lane theater, as conductor of the orchestra. In 1825, he left this situation, in order to visit Italy, where he studied counterpoint under Frederiei at Rome, and singing under Felippo Galli at Milan, and began his successful career as a compoSer, with music for the ballet La Peyrouse per formed at the theater La Scala, in Milan. In 1827, he returned to the stage and sang in the Italian opera at Paris, where, in concert with Malibran and Sontag, he gained great applause, and many warm friends. lie, however, returned to Italy, and devoted self to composition, in rapid succession the openis—I I?icali (1829), Lin Arrer timento (18'30), Enrico IT. (183l), Siege of Rochelle (183G), Maid of Artois (1836), Joan of
Are (1837), Falstaff (1828), Keolanthe (1641), The Bohemian Girl (1843), Les Quatre Fits Aymon (1844), The Bondman (184Q),.1" ha Magi of honor (1847), The Sicilian Bride (1852), The Rose of Castile (1857), B:anche (1860), The Puritan's Daughter (1861), The Armorer of Nantes (1863), and others. Il Talisman first saw the light iu June, 1874, nearly four years after B.'S detail, which happenedon Oct. 20, 1870; and is perhaps his 'greatest work. Of the others named, The Boltesnian Girl and The Rose of Castile have been most permanently successful. If B. was not a very original writer, he had a very thorough knowledge of effect and command of orchestral resources; and his compositions are distinguished by fluency, fatility, and melodic power, See Kenney's Memoir of Balfe (1875).—Ilis daughter, Mdlle. Victoria Balfe—who became duchess of Frias in Spain—was for some years a very acceptable public singer both in England and on the continent. She died in 1871.