MEYERBEER, GIACOMO. (1791-1864). German-French composer of spectacular and enormously popular 19th-century grand operas. AMsS. (“Giacomo Meyerbeer”). 2/3p. Small 4to. Paris, November 25, 1838. On monogrammed stationery blind embossed with “GM” in the upper left corner. In French with translation.
“The primary woman’s role in The Huguenots is, in my opinion, beyond a doubt, that of Valentine, sung in Paris by Mademoiselle Falcon. It belongs to the singer who sings la Juive, Countess Ankerström [sic] in Gustave [III] etc etc.
Meyerbeer, born into a wealthy, German-Jewish family was the most prominent among his talented brothers. Though he enjoyed a rich musical education, success came only after he left Germany. “While in Italy Meyerbeer met the foremost artists, won the interest of leading librettists and impresarios and was more successful as an opera composer than he had ever hoped,” (The New Grove Dictionary). In 1831, the Paris Opéra debuted his five-act opera Robert le diable, based on a libretto by Eugéne Scribe and Germain Delavigne. It is considered one of the first grand operas staged in Paris and its popularity led to productions throughout Europe, and even in French-speaking New Orleans. Meyerbeer’s international reputation grew with the popularity of his Les Huguenots in 1836 and Le prophète in 1849.
