Ferdinand Hérold

Herold composed in a variety of genres including opera, comique, opera, lyric vocal pieces and songs, orcehstral piano concertos, chamber music and piano music. His forte became, after a long struggle with bad librettos, opera. He studied at the Paris Conservatory with Adam, Kreutzer, Catel, and Mehul. Mehul's influence dominated the compositions of Herold. His first opera was written and performed in Italy in 1814 but met with littel success because of the libretto. He was only twenty three years old. It took Herold another twelve years (at the age of thirty five) to compose not only a successful opera but a triumphantly successful opera "Marie." He acceeded to a position with the Theatre-Italien in Paris, and later became a singing coach there. He also composed two well received ballets, "La somnambule," and "La fille mal gardee." Herold is best remembered for two popular operas. "Zampa, ou La fiancee de marbre" was developed with full theatrical effects and provided a venue to demonstrate the brilliance of the tenor Chollet. "Le pre aux clercs" was Herold's reflective and cognizant treatment of a controversial subject.