Olivier Métra
Jules Louis Olivier Métra (born June 2, 1830 in Reims , † October 22, 1889 in Paris ) was a French composer and conductor.
Live and act
The son of the actor Jean Baptiste Métra was already on stage with his father as a child. In 1842 he made his debut at the Théâtre Comte in Paris . In addition, he learned to play the violin by himself and, at the age of nineteen, directed the orchestra at a ball on Rochechouart Boulevard. On the advice of an orchestra musician, he also attended courses from Antoine Elwart at the Paris Conservatory , where he received first prize in the subject of harmony.
From 1855 he directed the Bal Mabille Orchestra . It was during this time that many of his waltzes were written that made him very popular, such as Le Tour du Monde , Valse des Roses , Gambrinus , La Nuit and La Sérénade . From 1872 to 1877 he was orchestra leader at the Folies Bergère , for which he composed several ballets, including Les Volontaires . He also directed the opera balls at La Monnaie in Brussels from 1874–76 .
In 1877 he was engaged by Henri Halenzier-Dufreynoy , director of the Paris Opera , together with Johann Strauss as conductor of the opera ball. In 1878 he composed the Japanese ballet Yedda for Halenzier , which was performed with great success in January 1879.
In 1885 he founded the Soirées Métra in the Palais Vivienne , which consisted of promenade concerts, balls and the Wednesday and Saturday night parties. In 1888 his operetta Le Mariage avant la Lettre was published at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, based on a libretto by Alphonse Jaime and Georges Duval .
In addition to waltzes and operettas, Métra composed numerous arrangements of operettas by other composers such as Jacques Offenbach , Emile Tédesco , Louis Ganne , Robert Planquette , Charles Lecocq , Edmond Audran and Léon Vasseur . Métra's compositions were used as film music a. a. Used in Ciboulette (by Claude Autant-Lara , 1930) and Les Destinées Sentimentales (by Olivier Assayas , 2000).
Web links
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Métra, Olivier |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Métra, Jules Louis Olivier |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French composer and conductor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 2, 1830 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Reims |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 22, 1889 |
| Place of death | Paris |