Robert le diable

Giacomo Meyerbeer

1831

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 Opera in 1831, not least because of its innovative set design, use of advanced staging, and ballet dancers. It remained a favorite part of opera repertoire throughout the nineteenth century.

Credits

  1. Giacomo Meyerbeer, from Robert le diable (opera), piano reduction by Johann Peter Pixis (Paris: Maurice Schlesinger, n.d.[1831]), Plate M.S. 1157.
  2. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK / Bridgeman Images.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 6.

Engage with this Source

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.

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.

You may also like

Printed page with French text.
Tooltip info icon

Le prophète

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…
View Source

Account of a Vision

Listen carefully to my words. When I was in the land of Safed, one night, when the sun had set, I was tired and weary, lying on my bed. I was asleep, but my heart was awake; my beloved was knocking…
View Source
Drawing of pottery fragment with painting of seated and bearded male with neck-length hair wearing bracelets.
Tooltip info icon

Seated Male Figure

This is a modern artist’s illustration of a painting of a seated male in profile, perhaps an enthroned dignitary. The painting was made on a potsherd from Ramat Rahel. It measures around 5 × 3 inches…
View Source