A. Adam letter - 1846
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TRANSCRIPTION

Mercredi soir

Mon cher ami, voilá
ma position à moins de
passer pour un imbécille
fieffé, je ne peux faire l'article
sans dire tout ce qui en
a été de la représentation de
ce soir. Si je le dis, je me
brouille avec Pillet1, avec
Monet2, avec Royer3, avec
tous ceux enfin dont j'ai plus

(Page 2)

que jamais besoin. Délivrez-
moi donc de ce couteau
de Damoclès4 qui me pèsera
sur ma tête jusqu'a
ce que j'aie votre réponse
et rendez-moi ma parole.
Vous voyez bien qu'il
m'est impossible de faire
cet article. J'attends
votre visite ou un mot
de vous.

Bien à vous

Ad.[olphe] Adam

Décembre 1846

TRANSLATION

Wednesday night

Here is my position. I cannot write the article and omit what happened at this evening's performance without looking like a complete imbecile. If I talk about it, I get myself in hot water with Pillet1, with Musset2, with Royce3, and in fact, will all those whom I need now more than ever. Deliver me from this Damoclean sword4 which will hang over my head until I have your answer, and allow me to break my promise! You can see that I just can't write the article. I await a visit or a message from you.

Ad.[dolphe] Adam

December 18465

NOTES:

1) Leon Pillet, Director of the Paris Grand Opera
2) Alfred de Musset (1810-1857) was a well-known French Romantic poet and playwright, remembered as the first French writer of modern dramas.
3) Alphonse Royer (Paris 1803 – 1875) — Librettist
4) Damoclean sword - In classical Greek mythology, Damocles became a sycophant, or informer [also defined as a mean, servile, cringing, or abject flatterer; a parasite] at the court of Dionysius, and constantly praised Dionysius for his wealth and power. The story goes that Dionysius, in order to demonstrate to Damocles the precarious nature of status and power, gave a banquet, and had a sword suspended above the head of Damocles by a single hair. The expression, "The Sword of Damocles" represents the ever-present perils that exist in life; imminent threat or danger.
5) Wednesdays in December 1846 were Dec. 2, Dec. 9, Dec. 16, Dec. 23, and Dec. 30

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Adolphe Charles Adam was born in Paris in 1803. His father was Jean Louis Adam (1758-1848), a pianist, composer, and professor of piano at the Paris Conservatory from 1797 until 1843. Jean-Louis did not encourage his son to become a musician. Despite his father’s wishes, Adolphe entered the Paris Conservatory in 1817. Four years later, in 1821, Adolphe began studying composition with François Boïeldieu. During his studies with Boïeldieu, Adolphe found himself a niche as a composer of opéra-comique [French opera with spoken dialogue—not necessarily comic or humorous], a medium in which he would find much success.

In 1844, Adam was elected Member of the Institut and in 1849 was made a professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory. He attempted to establish a National Théatre as a venue for young opera composers in order to have their works heard. This he funded himself, but because of political troubles in France, the Théatre had to be shut down leaving Adam in serious debt.

Overall, Adam’s reputation today rests on two creations: the ballet Giselle and the Christmas song O, Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) [1850]. He wrote two books published posthumously: Souvenirs d’un Musicien (1857) and Derniers souvenirs d’un Musicien (1859).

Adam died suddenly in Paris in 1859, four days after the premiere of Les Pantins de Violette.

Important Operas

Pierre et Catherine (1829)
Danilowa (1830)
Le Châlet (1834)
Le Postillon du Longjumeau (1836)
Le Fidèle Berger (1838)
Le Brasseur de Preston (1838)
Régine, ou Les Deux Nuits (1839)
La Reine d’un jour (1839)
La Rose de Péronne (1841)
Lambert Simnel (1843)
Cagliastro (1844)
Richard en Palestine (1844)
Le Roi d’Yvetot (1842)
Le Toréador, ou L’Accord parfait (1849)
Giralda, ou La Nouvelle Psyché (1850)
La Poupée de Nuremberg (1852)
Le Farfadet (1852)
Si j’étais roi (1852)
Le Sourd, ou L’Auberge pleine (1852)
Le Roi des Halles (1853)
Le Bijou perdu (1853)
La Muletier de Toléde (1854)
Falstaff (1856)
Les Pantins de Violette (1856)

Ballets

Faust (1832)
La Jolie Fille de Gand (1839)
Gisèlle (1841)
Le Corsaire

 

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