Creator Bio

Giacomo Meyerbeer

1791–1864

A pathbreaking composer, Giacomo Meyerbeer surprised and delighted generations of opera fans in Europe and around the world. To the staid formula of live performances, he added sound effects, electric spotlights, and an erudite conception of history, making opera at once smarter and more spectacular. Meyerbeer was born Jacob Liebermann Beer, in Prussia, to a wealthy Jewish family. He studied piano and composition before finding success with the Paris Opera. Condemned by the antisemitic Wagner, Meyerbeer’s reputation suffered, though he is today credited with transforming his chosen medium, making opera more attractive to its audiences.

Entries in the Posen Library by This Creator

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Robert le diable

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Robert le diable (Robert the Devil) is an opera in five acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer between 1827 and 1831. One of the first grand operas, it caused a sensation when it debuted at the Paris…

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Le prophète

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Le prophète (The Prophet) is a grand opera in five acts based on the life of John of Leiden, a sixteenth-century Anabaptist leader. It premiered in Paris in 1849 and was soon being performed in London…

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Hallelujah: Eine Cantatine für 4 Männerstimmen mit begleitung einer obligaten orgel und des chores ad libitum

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The manuscript is believed to be the earliest extant Reform Jewish liturgical composition. An early example of the work of Giacomo Meyerbeer, “Hallelujah” was probably prepared for use at a service at…
Sheet music.
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Related Guide

Music and Opera in Jewish Culture, 1750–1880

One of the most striking changes in European Jewish culture toward the later eighteenth century was marked by the entry of Jews into art music, opera houses, and the stage.