BALFE

balfe, michael william (1808-1870), irish musical composer, was born on the 15th of may 1808, at dublin. his musical gifts became apparent at an early age. the only instruction he received was from his father, who was a dancing master, and from a musician, c. e. horn (1786-1849). between 1814 and 1815 he played the violin for his father's dancing-classes, and at the age of seven composed a polacca. in 1817 he appeared as a violinist in public, and in this year composed a ballad, first called "young fanny" and afterwards, when sung in _paul pry_ by madame vestris, "the lovers' mistake." on the death of his father in 1823 he was engaged in the orchestra of drury lane, and being in possession of a small but pleasant baritone voice, he chose the career of an operatic singer. an unsuccessful debut was made at norwich in _der freischuetz_. in 1825 he was taken to rome by count mazzara, being introduced to cherubini on the way. in italy he wrote his first dramatic work, a ballet, _la perouse_. at the close of 1827 he appeared as figaro in rossini's _barbiere_, at the italian opera in paris. balfe soon returned to italy, where, during the next nine years, he remained, singing at various theatres and composing a number of operas. during this time he married mdlle luisa roser, a hungarian singer whom he had met at bergamo. fetis says that the public indignation roused by an attempt at "improving" meyerbeer's opera _il crociato_ by interpolated music of his own compelled balfe to throw up his engagement at the theatre la fenice in venice. by this time he had produced his first complete opera, _i rivali di se stessi_, at palermo in the carnival season of 1829-1830; the opera _un avvertimento ai gelosi_ at pavia; and _enrico quarto_ at milan, where he had been engaged to sing with malibran at the scala. he returned to england in the spring of 1833, and on the 29th of october 1835 his _siege of rochelle_ was produced and rapturously received at drury lane. encouraged by his success, he produced _the maid of artois_ on the 27th of may 1836--the success of the opera being confirmed by the exquisite singing of malibran. balfe was a prolific composer, as may be seen from the following imperfect list of his english operas alone:--_siege of rochelle_ (1835); _the maid of artois_ (1836); _catherine grey_ (1837); _joan of arc_ (1837); _falstaff_ (1838, lablache in title-role); _amelia, or the love test_ (1838); _keolanthe_ (1841); _the bohemian girl_, his best known work (1844); _the daughter of st. mark_ (1844); _the enchantress_ (1845); _the bondman_ (1846); _the devil's in it_ (1847); _the maid of honour_ (1847); _the sicilian bride_ (1852); _the rose of castile_ (1857); _satanella_ (1858); _bianca_ (1860); _the puritan's daughter_ (1861); _the armourer of nantes_ (1863); _blanche de nevers_ (1863). balfe also wrote several operas for the opera comique and grand opera in paris, where mm. scribe and st george provided him with the libretti for his _le puits d'amour_ (1843) and his _les quatre fils aymon_ (1844). his _l'etoile de seville_ was written in 1845 for the academie royale. the fact that balfe was an irishman, who produced operas in english, french and italian with conspicuous success, is in itself interesting. when to this we add the record of his operatic impersonations on the stage, the european success of his _bohemian girl_, his picturesque retirement into hertfordshire in 1864 as a gentleman farmer, and above all the undeniable gift for creating such pure melodies as his songs "when other hearts" and "i dreamt that i dwelt in marble halls," it is idle to refuse him a prominent place in the history of music. he wrote much that was trivial, but also much that was enduring. he died on the 20th of october 1870, and was buried at kensal green. in 1882 a medallion portrait of him was unveiled in westminster abbey.