19th
Century Opera Web site global visitors since,
2000:
MICHAEL WILLIAM BALFE ©
Composer of "The Bohemian Girl"
and 27 other operas
This site covers the life,
times and works of the important nineteenth-century Irish born composer,
Michael W. Balfe. He
wrote 28 operas, for London, Paris, Vienna, Berlin,
Milan, Trieste and Palermo - many of his operas have been performed around the world during the
past 170 or more years.
BASIL WALSH
basilwalsh@msn.com
©
The Playbill for Balfe's most famous opera, The Bohemian Girl which
premiered at the
Theatre Royal Drury Lane, in November 1843.
___________________________________
"Balfe was the
most interesting British musical figure of the nineteenth-century... he was a very good, highly intelligent and cultivated musician"
Sir Thomas Beecham -
Festival
of Britain, August 1951
_____________________________________
"....
Balfe indeed was our Rossini and also, in a measure, our Auber...."
Remembrance notice (J. W. Davison)
- London Times, 12 June 1874
Biography (Published
2008)
Michael
W. Balfe, A Unique Victorian Composer
(Foreword by conductor, Richard Bonynge)
This biography of Dublin born composer, Michael W. Balfe in its third printing is now available in PAPERBACK. The successful 296 page biography was published in Europe and the USA by Irish Academic Press in association with the Arts Council of Ireland, for the composer's bicentenary celebrations in 2008.
Details are provided
at:
www.iap.ie --- Michael
W. Balfe: A Unique Victorian Composer
or www.Amazon.com or www.amazon.co.uk
____________________________________________
INDEX
to time-line sections for general Balfe website below
(Scroll-down to your section of
interest below)
I. ) The Singer and Composer's Active Years
Page No. 1-Section A - Years - 1808-1824 - Early life as a child prodigy in Dublin and London.
Page No. 2-Section B - Years - 1825-1834 - Paris, Milan, Venice. Rossini, Bellini, Grisi, Malibran.
Page no. 3-Section C - Years - 1835-1840 - With Maria Malibran in Venice. London's new composer.
Page No. 4-Section D - Years - 1841-1850 - Paris, London - The Bohemian Girl. Vienna, Dublin.
Page
No. 5-Section E -
Years - 1851-1870 -
St. Petersburg, Vienna, Jenny Lind, Giuseppe
Verdi.
II.) The Composer's Personal Life, His Operatic Works, Recordings & Literary References
Page No. 6-Section F - Balfe's personal side - his wife and family. Balfe' death.
Page
No. 7-Section G -
Balfe's memory is honored in London and Dublin. His final opera performed.
Page
No. 8-Section H -
Listing of Balfe's 28 operatic works and
Balfe's
250+ songs
Page No. 9-Section I - Listing of recordings of Balfe's music and operas. Italian opera Falstaff CD set.
Page No. 10-Section J - Books and Literary references, including James Joyce. New Balfe Book.
Page No. 11-Section K - Great singers who performed Balfe's operas and musical works.
Page No. 12-Section L
- Balfe's 200th anniversary, Falstaff recording and availability of
Scores
Read the outstanding review of Balfe's Falstaff CD set in Opera News (June 2009) Visit
Amazon review of the Falstaff CD set:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RMY4DJDJPPPH3 |
III.) The Web Site Author & Writer on 19th Century Opera & Related Links
Page
No. 13-Final Section M
-
Basil Walsh - Author and writer on 19th Century opera.
Related Web site links of interest.
Balfe biography published for his bicentenary in 2008
Irish Classical Music Pioneers - Seven Irish born who made a difference
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Page No. 1 - SECTION A
TIME-LINE: 1808-1824
1.1) Balfe early days in Dublin
Michael W. Balfe 'was born on 15 May 1808, at 10 Pitt Street (changed to Balfe Street, in 1917), Dublin, Ireland.
Young Balfe demonstrated significant musical abilities from an early age. In Dublin he took violin and music lessons with the well established musician James Barton and composer William (Rourke) Rooke (1794-1847), and with Meadows in Wexford.
1.2) The Child Prodigy performs at the Rotunda Concert Rooms, Dublin
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"Balfe, a child prodigy first performed publicly on the violin at a concert in the Rotunda Concert Rooms (shown here) Dublin on 30 May 1817, at the age of nine. As far as it is known, this was his "debut" concert. Other concerts quickly followed, at the Crow Street Theatre and again at the Rotunda all with great success over the next few years. The young performer's first musical composition "The Lover's Mistake," was published in December 1822 by Isaac Willis, Music Publisher of, 7 Westmoreland Street, Dublin and London. |
©
On the death of his father early in January 1823, Balfe left Dublin for
London where he took music lessons with Charles Horn (1786-1849) and Horn's father "Carl Frederick Horn (1762-1830). During this time he also participated in
selected concerts as a soloist on the violin. His first concert was
in 1823, at Drury Lane when he performed a concerto for violin.
In March 1823 the 15 year old Balfe participated in his first major concert in
London
Shortly thereafter, Balfe, joined the orchestra at the Drury Lane Theatre, which was then under the direction of fellow Irishman Tom Cooke (1782- 1848).
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Page No. 2 - SECTION B
TIME-LINE: 1825-1834
2.1) In Search of a Career
In 1825, Balfe, interested in broadening his studies
first went to Paris where he was introduced to the great composer, 'Luigi Cherubini, (1760-1842).
He took lessons in composition with Cherubini during this period. Balfe also
spent the next few years in Italy studying to be an operatic singer and a
composer.
While in Milan in the summer of 1825 Balfe was given an assignment to compose
the music for a "Ballo Pantomino Serio" by the Director of the Teatro
Canobbiana, an Englishman by the name of Joseph Glossup (1793-1850). The
Ballo Pantomino was called, Il Naufragio di La Peyrouse by William (Blewit)
Barrymore (1759-1830) of the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
La Peyrouse,
Teatro Canobbiana, Milan autumn 1825
Dissatisfied with his progress in Italy Balfe returned to Paris in 1827 where he
went to see Cherubini who introduced him to Gioachino Rossini
(1792-1868). Rossini then at his very zenith as a composer in Europe took a personal interest in the young Irishman and his musical and
vocal talents. At Rossini's invitation and after a period of vocal study
with Giulio Bordogni (1789-1856) Balfe made his debut early in 1828 at the
Theatre des Italiens as
"Figaro" in "Il barbiere di Siviglia,"
singing opposite 'Henriette Sontag (1806-1854), and other leading singers.
Theatre Italiens,
Paris where Balfe made his professional operatic debut in 1828
2.2) The
Emerging Singer and Composer - Italy
M. W. Balfe's, 21 "Continental" Operas - http://balfecontinentaloperas.wordpress.com/
Balfe a baritone, decided to return to Italy late in 1828. Towards the end of December 1828, he was in Milan where he sang in a concert. 'He then went on to Bologna where he became the guest of Rossini's friend, 'Marchese Francesco Sampieri, an important patron of the arts and a composer, whom he had met in Paris.
Here he met the young soprano 'Giulia Grisi (1811-1869) at the start of what would become a brilliant career for the soprano in Europe, Russia and briefly America. "These two young vocalists, Balfe aged 21 and Grisi 18 were immediately attracted to each other. They enjoyed each others company and musical talents. Balfe composed a musical cantata for Grisi to perform and another vocalist to perform. This early relationship in 'Italy developed into a life-long friendship. She was the premier soprano in London and Paris for decades and helped Balfe with his career there as a composer.
2.3) Italy - 1829
During this period
in Italy, Balfe composed his first and only known "Sinfonia" 'and a Cantata
for two voices which Giulia Grisi and
the tenor Francesco Pedrazzi sang. Balfe was also recognized by the prestigious
Bologna 'Academy of Music, for his talents. He was made a
honorary lifetime member of the Academy in the composer category.
Balfe's only known "Sinfonia -
Composed in 1829 in Bologna - Instruments page No. 2 of 88 pages.
'After Bologna, Balfe moved south, to Palermo, in Sicily where he had an operatic engagement and also composed his first opera, I rivale di se stessi at the request of the manager of the Teatro Carolina in Palermo. He subsequently sang in several operas including the part of Valdeburgo in Bellini's opera "La straniera" at the Teatro Carolino in Palermo.
"The next several years were spent as a singer and a composer of operas. 'By 1833, he had composed three (3) operas which had been produced at Palermo(1829), Pavia(1831) and Milan (1833).
©
A soprano aria from Balfe's opera Enrico IV al passo della Marna (Teatro
Carcano, Milan 1833)
"It was also during this
time (1831) while in Milan that he first met and later married (in
Lugano, Switzerland), Lina
Roser
(1810-1888),
who was then
singing
in Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini operas and the works of other composers at, the Teatro Carcano in Milan
and the Teatro Riccardi in Bergamo.
Balfe and his new wife, Lina Roser-Balfe were both in the Milan area during such historic moments, as the premiers of Bellini's Norma (December 1831) and La Sonnambula (March 1831), and possibly, Donizetti's Anna Bolena (December 1830).
During the early 1830s Balfe and his wife, also kept up a busy schedule performing in operas by Bellini, Pacini, Ricci, Donizetti, Rossini and others in places such as, Venice, Milan, Trieste, Bergamo, Mantua, Parma, Piacenza, Turin, Varese, Pavia, Novara, and no doubt, other places in northern Italy.
2.4) Maria Malibran & Balfe at La Scala, Milan
In May 1834 Balfe made his debut at La Scala, Milan, singing opposite his friend, (from Paris) the renowned mezzo-soprano, 'Maria Malibran (1808-1836), in Rossini's "Otello." "The performances were so successful that they gave repeat performances in October of the same year at La Scala with the same cast.
©
La Scala, Milan around the time Balfe and
Malibran sang there together in 1834
Page No. 3 - SECTION C
TIME-LINE: 1835-1840
3. Balfe and Maria Malibran in Venice
Balfe sang with Maria Malibran again, this time in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice. This was early in 1835. Malibran also sang Norma there in April 1835 with Lina Roser Balfe singing Adalgisa.
Arrival at the Teatro La Fenice, Venice 19th century
It was
during this time she also agreed to sing a "benefit" performance of Bellini's La Sonnambula (with
Balfe at Count Rodolfo and the tenor Lorenzo Bonfigli as Elvino) at the Teatro Emeronittio
for the manager, Gallo. To show his
appreciation, Gallo renamed his Theatre "Teatro M. F. G.
Malibran" (Maria Felicia Garcia-Malibran) in recognition of her generosity.
This turned out to be a sensational performance, with Malibran receiving over 30
curtain calls.
The theatre still retains the
Malibran name today, in remembrance
of that long ago eventful night in April 1835 when
Malibran and Balfe sang together in Bellini's beautiful opera in Venice.
Maria Malibran & Balfe in La Sonnambula in Venice
La Sonnambula at The Teatro Malibran - April, 1835
The notice
of the special performance of La Sonnambula in
April 1835, in Venice
with
Maria Malibran in the title role and "Guglielmo Balfe" as Count
Rodolfo.
During this period Malibran recognized
Balfe's emerging musical talents as a composer. She called him the "English Rossini."
given his musical skills. He
in turn committed to write an opera for her they talked about Hamlet
as the subject and later, Esmeralda (Hunchback of Notre Dame
story) however, they decided to postpone the project until a time in the future.
London would be the location where Balfe would compose his new opera for
Malibran in 1836.
3.
0) Return To LondonBalfe returned to London in May 1835, with his wife Lina and their firstborn child, Louisa "Gigia" as they called her, where he performed at a concert with Lablache, Tamburini, Rubini and Grisi and others, at Vauxhall Gardens.
3.1) It was shortly after this period that Balfe completed his first opera for London. His London debut as an operatic composer took place, in October 1835 with the premiere of what was to be his highly successful, "The Siege of Rochelle" at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
3.2) This was the start of Balfe's brilliant career as a composer of operatic works for London. He was 27 years old!
3.3) Maria Malibran premieres Balfe's "The Maid of Artois" London 1836
His initial success was quickly followed by another opera
" 'The Maid of Artois " which he composed to fulfill his promise to his good friend, "Maria Malibran" who performed in
the premiere on May 27, 1836 at Drury Lane theatre in
London. The presence of Malibran created a great financial success'. 'Tragically,
the renowned Malibran died the following September age 28, in Manchester as a result of
an earlier horse-riding accident. Balfe was devastated when he
heard the new.It also appears that the last complete opera the great prima donna
sang was one composed by Balfe, The Maid of Artois.
©
Maria Malibran who created the Maid of Artois, in London (1836)
Along with his success as a composer of operas, Balfe continued to sing in opera and concerts in the 1830s.
Balfe sang in two Mozart operas in London
in the late 1830's.
3.4) "Falstaff "
'In 1838 Balfe composed
his first Italian opera for London', "Falstaff"
based on the Shakespeare play, "The Merry Wives of Windsor." The
Italian libretto was written by an experienced London based translator of operas for leading
composers, S. Manfredo Maggioni (1810-1870?)
©
Playbill for the premiere of Falstaff,
London, July 1838
"The great Luigi Lablache was in the title role with
Grisi, Rubini and Tamburini creating the other principal parts The opera was very successful. This same group of singers
had created Bellini's beautiful opera,
I Puritani, in Paris
three years earlier, in 1835,
also with great success. The
Librettist was S. Manfredo Maggioni.
Balfe
Falstaff librettist,
S. Manfredo Maggioni, who also
worked with Verdi on songs.
Read the outstanding review of the Balfe Falstaff CD set in Opera News (June 2009)
TO ORDER click on: http://amazon.com
- or
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3.5) First Return Visit to Ireland -1838
Balfe first returned to Ireland in 1838, where he sang in operas and in concerts. In addition to Dublin he also traveled to other places in Ireland, Cork being one of the cities.
Page No. 4 - SECTION D
TIME-LINE: 1841-1850
4.1) The London Theatre Manager
Balfe turned theatre manager in London in 1841, fot the purpose of creating a National English Opera organization in Britain. Queen Victoria supported the venture to create a permanent national operatic group at the Lyceum Theatre on the Strand.
This venture was quite unsuccessful for a variety of reasons not the least of which was the lack of support Balfe received from his fellow composers who were supposed to write new operas for the occasion, and didn't. However, additionally Balfe's managerial and financial skills did not measure-up either. He went bankrupt after six months.
Disgusted with the entire endeavor he announced from the stage of the Lyceum that he would never venture into Theatre Management again. Shortly afterwards he left for Paris, where he gave concerts with the help of Érard the piano manufacturer. He later received a commission to write a new opera, for the Opera Comique. It would be his first opera for Paris.
4.2) The New Operatic Composer in Paris
-1843
©
Balfe's first French opera, Le Puits D'Amour premiered early in 1843 in Paris
Balfe went on to compose several other operas for Paris. His success in Paris gave him great international recognition at a level never previously experienced by any British composer.
4.3) A New Opera for London The Bohemian Girl - His Most Successful Work
After about a year and a half in Paris Balfe returned to London where he introduced an English version of his successful French opera
, under the title of "Geraldine - The Lover's Well" in August 1843.A few months later, his most famous and most lasting opera, "'The Bohemian Girl," was first produced at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on November 27, 1843. Balfe composed most of this work at his home in central London
; although it's quite possible that some of work on the score was initially done in Paris earlier in the year."After the highly successful run of over 100 nights at Drury Lane, performances of 'The Bohemian Girl" were soon mounted in: New York 1844; Dublin 1844, Philadelphia 1844, Vienna (with a German libretto) 1846, Sydney 1846, Prague 1847, Stockholm 1849, Berlin 1850, Trieste, Brescia, Verona & Bologna (with an Italian libretto) in 1854, in Zurich 1854, Amsterdam 1855, Rouen 1862 (French libretto), Gothenburg 1865, Paris 1868/9, Toronto 1874, New Orleans 1876, Mexico 1884 and in Cape Town in 1887, etc., etc.
4.4) The Bohemian Girl - Performed the World Over.
For more than 150 years, Balfe's
most popular opera, "'The Bohemian Girl," has been performed with remarkable success in the English speaking world of, America, Australia, Britain, Canada, Ireland, New
Zealand and elsewhere. A CD recording of the opera is
available. See recordings section below. It received a concert
performances in Carnegie Hall in New York as recently as 2003 and in Dublin and
in the UK in 2008.
4.5)
Vienna, Pest
(Budapest), Danzig, Munich, Linz and Stuttgart - 1844-1850s
Balfe's opera Die Vier Haimonskinder (translated from his 1844 French work, Les quatre fils Aymon) was performed with great acclaim during this period in these cities. It later was staged in Leipzig and other cities and towns and again in Vienna over a period of many years.
©
Balfe's opera, Die Vier
Haimonskinder (Les quatre fils Aymon) was performed in Vienna, Berlin,
Leipzig, Frankfurt, Prague and other German speaking cities throughout the 19th century
4.6) Paris 1845 - Balfe's opera L'etoil de Seville
Towards the end of 1845 Balfe returned to Paris to prepare for the premiere of his new opera which was written specially for the Paris Opera.
This was a historical moment as it was the first time a "British" musician had been invited to compose a new opera for this important venue. and the great pianist, Frederic Chopin and most of the leading composers of the period. Chopin recorded the event somewhat negatively in his writings to family members in Poland, complaining about the Balfe work being given priority over a Meyerbeer opera!
L'Etoile De Seville, Paris Opera, December 1845 - 15 performances with a stellar cast
Balfe's cast included such distinguished singers as, tenor Italo Gardoni, mezzo-soprano, Rosine Stoltz, soprano Maria Nau, and the baritone Paul Barroilhet. The opera was given 15 performances with considerable success. It was later performed in Brussels and then translated into German for Vienna, however it does not appear to have ever been performed there. 4.7) London - 1846-1852 - Balfe Director at the Italian Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre, London
Balfe was appointed the director of Her Majesty's Theatre in London in 1846. It was a position he held for the next seven years until 1852. During that time he introduced several of Verdi's opera to London along with other local operatic premieres.
He also premiered his own work, I Quattro Fratelli an augmented version of his very successful, French opera Les quatre fils Aymon (Paris 1844)
In August 1851, Balfe premiered his three act opera buffa, I Quattro Fratelli at London's Italian Opera with significant new dynamic vocal music written for his star dramatic coloratura soprano, Sophie Cruvelli. The opera was a remarkable success. The libretto was by his friend, S. Manfredo Maggioni (1808-1870?)
©The Italian Opera - London circa 1850
4.8 Balfe with Giuseppe Verdi and Jenny Lind in London 1846-47
Balfe was also the principal conductor for the Italian Opera at Her Majesty's theatre, London. He conducted Jenny Lind's (1820-1887) London debut in opera and most of her subsequent performances in that city and in Dublin. Balfe also conducted the local London premiere of the young Italian composer, Giuseppe Verdi's (1813-1901), first successful opera, Nabucco.
©
The famous soprano, Jenny Lind
(c.1849)
Giuseppe Verdi circa 1847
When Giuseppe Verdi first arrived in London to conduct his new opera, I Masnadieri, with Jenny Lynn and Luigi Lablache, Balfe worked with him at rehearsals. Later when the Italian composer left London after conducting two performances, Balfe took up the baton to finish the run of the Italian composer's new opera.
4.9 "Irish
Famine" Relief Concert
Early in the year 1847, Benjamin Lumley the London impresario and Balfe
mounted a special concert at Her Majesty's Theatre for the benefit of Famine
related distressed Irish people. The concert raised £2,000. Various
members of the aristocracy were also directly involved as part of the fund raising
committee and funds distribution. The money was distributed in Ireland.
5.0) Balfe at the premiere of his Die Zigeunerin in Vienna
In 1846 Balfe went to Vienna to direct and conduct his opera Die Zigeunerin (The Bohemian Girl). The opera once again had incredible success. It went on to be performed there and also in other German speaking cities until the end of the century.
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©
An elegant looking
Michael Balfe, age 38, in Vienna (1846) at the
time of the premiere of Die Zigeunerin
the German version of
his famous opera, The Bohemian Girl
Page No. 5 - SECTION E
TIME-LINE: 1851-1870
5.2) Cantata - Inno Delle Nazioni - (London 1851)
In London
in 1851 in honor of the upcoming Great International Exhibition in
London, Balfe composed an extraordinary
cantata titled, Inno Delle Nazioni -
Onore alla Gran Bretagna in
which the nine (9) vocal parts were sung by nine leading females singers each
representing a country. The accompaniment was piano, harp and horn.
©
Balfe's cantata for nine female voices, performed in London in May 1851
The Bohemian Girl -
Performed in English, German, Italian and French. And other languages.
An Italian adaptation and translation of " 'The Bohemian Girl" titled, "La Zingara" was mounted in Trieste in 1854. It was a great success. Performances quickly followed in other Italian cities, Bologna, Bergamo, Brescia, and Verona.
Later La Zingara was performed in: London (1856), Dublin (1858), New York (1858) and in Boston and San Francisco. A German language version, "Die Zigeunerin" premiered in Vienna, in 1846. It was later heard in Berlin, Frankfurt (Balfe's friend, Jenny Lind attended the Frankfurt performance), Hamburg, Darmstadt, Munich, Stuttgart, Budapest, Leipzig and other cities.
In 1862 a four-act French version "La Bohemienne" premiered in Rouen, in France with the very young (20 years old) future great French composer, Jules Massenet conducting. The star of the evening however, was Celestine Galli-Marie (role of the Gypsy Queen) who a number of years later went on to create Thomas' Mignon (1866), and Bizet's Carmen (1875). A revised augmented version of Balfe's opera reached Paris
©
An greatly augmented French version of The Bohemian Girl, premiered in Paris in
1869
The success of The Bohemian Girl was unprecedented for opera in the 19th century. The only other work that was close to it in terms of popularity around the world was Verdi's Ernani (1844).
5.3) The Composer in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vienna and Trieste
'The years 1852-53 saw Balfe travel to Danzig to visit his eldest daughter Louisa "Gigia" (Balfe) Behrens and her family after which he traveled by coach to St. Petersburg in Russia for concerts. He later went on to Moscow for more concerts, after which he returned to Danzig for a rest before going on to Vienna to direct a German version of his opera Keolanthe. In 1854 he went to Trieste to premiere La Zingara. He also returned to Russia in the 1860's.
5.4) New York - The Academy of Music -1854
Strangely, 'Balfe never visited America, although there were strong rumors circulating in New York in 1854-5 that the composer was to become the Director of the Academy of Music on 14th Street. However, nothing came of it.
5.5) The Successful
Composer of 250 Songs, Several Cantatas and at least One Symphony
Balfe was
remarkably productive during these years, between composing operas he wrote
songs with text by some of the most famous poets of the time. These
included, Tennyson, Longfellow, Falconer, Morris, Rankin, Kingsley,
Desmond Ryan, Guernsey, Carpenter, and Thomas Moore were some of the poets and writers who
penned the words
for Balfe songs.
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5.6)
Popular Songs/Moore's Irish Melodies 5.7)
Cantatas
'He also composed at least eight other Cantatas, one for the great singer Maria Malibran, and one for such other illustrious singers as the mezzo-soprano, Pauline Viardot-Garcia (Malibran's sister) and the great tenor, Gilbert Duprez in Paris in 1842.
The
performers of this 1842 Paris
cantata (with harp, violin and piano)
were detailed in
Balfe's own handwriting Balfe composed his better known Cantata Mazeppa later on in 1862 to words by J. Rankin. 5.8) The Composer's only known Symphony Balfe composed his one and only known Sinfonia in 1829. The music for this (88 pages) and other early works has recently been discovered in Europe and copies obtained. Hopefully these important pieces will get an airing some day soon. |
©5.9) The Astounding Michael William Balfe - Summary, The Years, 1835-60
Balfe's output and energy during the years 1835-1860 was astounding. Some years he was actually composing operas for London, Paris and/or Vienna at the same time, or had two of his opera running in London while he was conducting other composer's works there. He was simply amazing.
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Page No. 6 - SECTION F
BALFE'S
PERSONAL SIDE
6.1)
Marriage/Family
'Balfe was married for
almost 40 years to Lina Roser-Balfe. She survived him by 18 years, dying in
London in 1888.
They had two sons and two daughters. The
younger son, Edward died in infancy. The other son named Michael
William after his father, survived his parents by many years spending most
of his life between London and New York. He died in London in 1915.
6.2) Balfe's Wife - Lina (Magdalena) Roser Balfe (1810-1888) - also an important singer
Balfe's wife Lina was born in Budapest (Pest), Hungary of an Austrian father in 1810, and perhaps an Austrian mother. It appears that her mother possibly died during childbirth, as she was raised by Austrian foster parents, the Vogels. Her father, Franz de Paula Roser (1779-1830) who was working as a musician, theatre manager and composer in Pest when she was born. The father had been a pupil of W. A. Mozart during the year 1789, when he was a child. He was also a composer of significance in Vienna where more than 60 of his operettas were performed during his lifetime.
Lina a
soprano, was an excellent singer, performing in Milan from around 1829 and
afterwards in Venice, Bergamo, Parma, Mantua, Turin, Varese and elsewhere in
Italy in the 1830s. She studied with one of Mozart's sons, Karl T.
Mozart in Milan during 1828/29.
Shortly after the death of her husband, Michael W. Balfe in 1870, Lina Balfe
donated her large collection of his original scores and music to the British
Museum/Library. The Balfe collection which is very extensive is held by the
British Library today. The listing of the collection can be viewed online.
Copies of musical scores can also be ordered online.
6.3) Daughter - Louisa Balfe-Behrend (1832-1869)
Balfe's first daughter Louisa "Gigia," was born in Italy (probably in Milan) in 1832. In 1850 she married a well established Danzig merchant 28 year old Maximiliam Behrend in London and lived in Danzig and Berlin, before the family eventually moved to England. 'Louisa Behrend (Balfe) died in London in 1869. 'There were eight children from the Louisa/Max Behrend marriage. Descendants of this branch of the Balfe/Behrend family exists today, in Britain and elsewhere.
6.4) Son - Michael W. Balfe Jr. (1836(?) -1915)
Balfe's son who was born in London circa late 1836 (?), was not successful in his efforts to follow in his father's footsteps as a composer. He was married in London in 1863. He later spent several years in New York where he went with his wife, Norah and their young daughter, Maud. His wife later died and he remarried. Their family grew, they had another daughter, Victoria and two sons, Michael William and William each born in New York (Brooklyn). While in New York he worked not too successfully as a, "Fitter" and later an Insurance sales person. He died in London at an Infirmary in 1915 aged 79.
6.5) Daughter - Victoire Balfe-de Frias (Paris 1837?-1871)
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Balfe's youngest daughter, Victoire (shown here circa 1861) is reported to have been born in Paris in September, 1837. She studied singing with her father and with the noted teacher Manuel Garcia in London. She had a short but successful career as a soprano in London, Dublin, Paris, Turin and Milan. While on a visit to Russia with her father she met the eccentric British Ambassador, 55 year old, Sir John F. Crampton whom she married in St. Petersburg in 1860. He was 32 years her senior. The marriage was nor a success. However, a court order and a Papal decree eventually annulled the marriage. Subsequently, she remarried the 29 year old Duke deFrias, of Burgos, a Spanish nobleman then residing in Madrid. Victoire died in Madrid in 1871. There were three children from this marriage. |
©
Balfe Dies at his Home, Rowney Abbey, Ware, Herts. (outside London)
20th October 1870
©
Michael W. Balfe 1808-1870
Page No. 7 - SECTION G
BALFE'S MEMORY IS HONORED
7.1) The Composer Remembered in London & Dublin
Today, a large marble statue of Balfe stands on a pedestal in the center of the entrance foyer to the 'Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London, (see below), the very same theatre where Balfe experienced so much success with his operas, during the nineteenth-century. The statue was placed there in 1874.
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Balfe Statue at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. Erected in 1874
The Balfe statue which is still in place at the Drury Lane
theatre is flanked by three other similar statutes of "immortals" of the British theatre,
Shakespeare, Garrick and Keane.
In 1879 a stained glass window, honoring Michael W. Balfe was installed in St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin. The window is still there today. A plaque was installed in Westminster Abbey, London honoring the composer in 1882. See Image below.
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The Balfe window at St. Patrick Cathedral, Dublin, (1879) The Balfe memorial at Westminster Abbey, London (1882)
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Balfe's gravesite (1870) at Kensal
Green Cemetery, London
7.2 Balfe's Final Work
Balfe had nearly completed his final opera, The Knight of the Leopard - based on Sir Walter Scott's work, "The Talisman," in 1870 when he died.
'His friend Michael Costa finalized the work.
It was given an Italian libretto (G. Zaffira) and title and first performed as Il Talismano
in London in 1874. It had a stellar cast in soprano Christine Nilsson, and tenor
Italo Campanini. Michael Costa conducted it.
The opera achieved great success and was
praised highly by the critics as Balfe's best work on a grand Italian scale. The
opera was later performed in Dublin, New York and in Monte Carlo in 1918 and elsewhere.
_________________________________________________________
Page No. 8 - SECTION H
Balfe's Operatic Works
8. 1) His Operatic Compositions (For recordings of operas * or excerpts ** see below)
|
I rivale di se stessi (1829 - Palermo) |
Die Zigeunerin - (The Bohemian Girl - 1846 Vienna) |
L' etoile de Seville (1845 Paris) |
|
Un Avvertimento di Gelosi (1831Pavia) |
Keolanthe/The Unearthly Bride(1841) |
The Bondman (1846) |
|
Enrico IV al passo della Marna (1833 - Milan) |
Le Puits d'Amour (1843 Paris) |
The Maid of Honour (1847) |
Siege of Rochelle (1835) * |
Geraldine/The Lover's Well (1843) |
The Sicilian Bride (1852) |
The Maid of Artois (1836) ** |
The Bohemian Girl (1843) * |
The Devil's in it (1852) |
|
Catherine Grey (1837) |
'La Zingara (Bohemian Girl) (1854 Trieste) |
Letty, the Basket Market (1852) |
Die Vier Haimonskinder (1844 Vienna) |
Les quatre fils Aymon (1844 Paris/Vienna 1844) |
Der Mulatte (The Bondman -1850 Berlin) |
|
Joan of Arc (1837) |
The Castle of Aymon (1844)/I quattro fratelli (1851) |
Pittore e Duca (1854 Triests) |
|
Diadeste/The Veiled Lady (1838) |
The Daughter of St. Mark (1844) * |
Moro, Painter of Antwerp (1882) |
|
Falstaff (1838) |
The Enchantress (1845) |
The Rose of Castile (1857) * |
|
Satanella/The Power of Love (1858)* |
Bianca, the Bravo's Bride (1860) |
The Puritan's Daughter (1861) * |
|
La Bohemienne (Bohemian Girl) (1862 Rouen/1869 Paris) |
The Armourer of Nantes (1863) |
Blanche de Nevers (1863) |
|
The Sleeping Queen (Cantata) (1864) |
Il Talismano (1874)** + + |
In addition, at least eight cantatas, one symphony and over 240 songs |
+Completed by Michael Costa and performed after Balfe's death. (*See details of recordings below) ++Play with music.
Balfe's Songs & Concert Arias
In addition to 28
operas, Balfe also composed about 250 or more songs (including several concert arias
with Italian text) during his career which spanned almost 50 years as a
composer. The majority of these were published in London, where Balfe resided for most
of his life.
The following is a list of known songs that were published during his lifetime.
There obviously will be more songs added as they are identified. There were many songs that appear to
have been published after his death in October 1870, in which Balfe's music was
used with a different or new text. These songs have not been included in the following compilation,
as their authenticity is perhaps somewhat questionable, since the composer was
dead when they were first published.
Generally, Balfe operatic arias/ballads have been excluded from this listing.
Although some operatic numbers did in fact take on "a life of their
own" as "songs" on the concert circuit. A list of the principal arias in each Balfe opera is provided in
the author's recently published Michael W. Balfe biography.
(NOTE: The publication
dates shown below are estimates/best known, as dates of publication are
frequently difficult to specifically verify in many instances).
| Song/Concert Aria | Lyricists/Poet | Published | ||
| A | ||||
| Ahi forse in tal momento (It.) | F. Jannetti | 1847 | ||
| Ah! Would that I could love thee less | M. J. Andrews | c.1850 | ||
| Angels call me, The | G. Linley | c.1852 | ||
| Angel of Prayer, The | W. H. Bellamy | 1858 | ||
| Annie of Tharaw | H. W. Longfellow | 1858 | ||
| Arrow and the song, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1857 | ||
| B | ||||
| Ballroom Belle, The | G. P. Morris | 1857 | ||
| Banner of St. George, The | J. Brougham | 1860 | ||
| Bard that on his harp expired, The | H. Costley | 1865 | ||
| Beautiful Nun, The | G. Linley | c.1840 | ||
| Beautious maid who bids the world adieu, The | S. Rogers | c.1845 | ||
| Bells, The | E. A. Poe | 1865 | ||
| Beloved | ? | 1860 | ||
| Bel Mestier del gondoliere (It.) | S. M. Maggioni | c.1838 | ||
| Bird of the twilight | J. E. Carpenter | 1861 | ||
| Blighted Flower, The | J. Hazlett | 1838 | ||
| Bridal wreath is on thy brow, The | S. Rogers | c.1845 | ||
| Bride's Father, The | C. Swain | c.1842 | ||
| By the rivulet side | W. Crossman | 1856 | ||
| C | ||||
| Canteenveer, The | W. H. Bellamy | 1853 | ||
| Christmas comes but once a year | J. Oxenford | 1857 | ||
| Come away to the sands | W. H. Bellamy | 1835 | ||
| Come, come from thy sparry cave | W. H. Bellamy | c.1840 | ||
| Come into the garden Maud | A. Tennyson | 1857 | ||
| Coronation stanza | J. A. Hoy | 1838 | ||
| Cymbalier, The | W. H Bellamy | 1857 | ||
| Could's thou but know (Si tu savais) Duet | ? | c.1859 | ||
| D | ||||
| Day is done, The | H. W. Longfellow | c.1858 | ||
| Daybreak | H.W. Longfellow | 1859 | ||
| Dawn is breaking o'er us, The | T. Moore | c.1840 | ||
| Deserted Bride, The | G. P. Morris | 1857 | ||
| Despair, the night is dark | W. H. Bellamy | c.1840 | ||
| Don't let the roses listen | J. Rankin | c.1858 | ||
| E Excelsior |
H.W. Longfellow | 1858? | ||
| Eileen Bawn | H. J. St. Ledger | c.1866 | ||
| Echoes of the heart, The | R. Taylor | c.1842 |
||
| F | ||||
| Fail me not | V. P. Willis | 1859 | ||
| Falling river; Fortune and her Wheel | A. Tennyson | 1860 | ||
| Farewell dear home | W. H. Bellamy | 1860 | ||
| Fairy, The | W. H. Belamy | c.1840 | ||
| First Kiss, The | D. Ryan | c.1859 | ||
| Five months ago, the stream did flow | E. B. Browning | 1856 | ||
| Flowers! Sweet Flowers | J. Rankin | 1861 | ||
| Fresh as a Rose | J. Rankin | 1860 | ||
| G | ||||
| Gently oe'r the rippling water | ? | c.1850 | ||
| Go lovely rose | ? | c.1858 | ||
| God save the Queen (Prayer of the Nation) | J. A. Hoy | c.1846 | ||
| Gondolieri (It.) | S. M. Maggioni | 1838 | ||
| Good night! Good night! Beloved | H. W. Longfellow | 1858 | ||
| Good night, The | ? | 1860 | ||
| Green Trees, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1858 | ||
| Gushing from this living fountain | ? | c.1850 | ||
| H | ||||
| Happiest Land, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1859 | ||
| Hark to the wind upon the hill | W. M. Thackerary | c.1858 | ||
| Heroes of the Ranks, The | A. Matheson | 1857 | ||
| Heart broken, The | E. Cook | c.1840 | ||
| He'll be here tomorrow | E. Fitzball | c.1846 | ||
| Her last words at parting | T. Moore | c.1840 | ||
| Hidden Voices | C. Kingsley | c.1865 | ||
| Ho giarto tutto il mondo (It.) | A. Berettoni | c.1835 | ||
| Home in the heart, A | E. Cook | c.1840 | ||
| Home that waits for me, The | M. Sidwell | 1864 | ||
| Hopeful heart should banish care | A. Waymark | 1854 | ||
| How oft at night's calm silen moon | H. J. St. Leger | 1855 | ||
| I | ||||
| I am the spirit of light | ? | 1860 | ||
| I'm a merry Zingara | E. Fitzball | c.1845 | ||
| I'm not in love, remember | J. Rankin | 1859 | ||
| I'm leavin' hame, my Willie | J. Rankin | 1860 | ||
| I'm with you once again my friends | ? | c.1850 | ||
| I dream'ed I had a bow? | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| If I could change, as others change | J. Rankin | 1860 | ||
| If I sing my love at morning | F. W. N. Bayley | 1847 | ||
| I feel that thou art changed | E. Cook | c.1840 | ||
| I hear a voice you cannot hear | T. Tickell | c.1868 | ||
| Il bacio (It.) | L. Capranica | c.1851 | ||
| Il Postiglione (It.) | C. Pepoli | c.1840 | ||
| I love thee | O. Meridith | 1870 | ||
| I love you | G. P. Morris | 1860 | ||
| In the sweet May time | G. Linley | c.1842 | ||
| In this old chair my father sat | ? | c.1847 | ||
| Io sentiti tremar (It.) | F. Romani | c.1833 | ||
| I once was happy | F. Judd | 1853 | ||
| I wandered by the brook side | R. Monckton Milnes | c.1852 | ||
| I'll do thy bidding mother dear | E. Boucicault | c.1842 | ||
| I'll go and gather flowers | F. Enoch | 1869 | ||
| I'll wander when the twilight breaks | T. Newman | 1856 | ||
| 'Tis I that love her best | C. Hall | 1850 | ||
| I saw my love | S. Clark | ? | ||
| J | ||||
| Joy of Tears, The | E. Fitzball | 1851 | ||
| K | ||||
| Kathleen dear, forget me not | E. Fitzball | 1840 | ||
| Kathleen Machree | E. Falconer | 1862 | ||
| Keep thy heart for me | ? | c.1856 | ||
| Killarney | E. Falconer | 1861 | ||
| L | ||||
| Ladies, fly from love's smooth tale - Duet | S. Rogers | c.1845 | ||
| Lady Blanche, The | A. Smith | 1857 | ||
| Lady Hildred; Maid of Athens | G. Byron | 1865 | ||
| La Farfalla | S. M. Maggioni | 1838 | ||
| La Monaca (It.) | S. M. Maggioni | c.1838 | ||
| La speranza… dolce soave sperme (It.) | N. di Santo Mango | c.1840 | ||
| Le crespuscule… voici la nuit (Fr.) | M. de Lamartine | c.1841 | ||
| Let me whisper in thine ear | J. Rankin | 1858 | ||
| Light from loving eyes, The | G. Hodder | 1859 | ||
| List thy troubadour | G. Linley | c.1842 | ||
| Long ago… the tear that falls | J. P. Douglas | 1873? | ||
| Long Live the Queen | C. Sherad | c.1868 | ||
| Lonely Rose, The | E. Fitzball | 1850 | ||
| Lord be my guide | ? | c.1848 | ||
| Lost and found | P. Simpson | 1856 | ||
| Lover's Mistake, The (Balfe's first published song) | T. H. Bayly | 1822 | ||
| M | ||||
| Margarita | G. P. Morris | 1859 | ||
| Maid of Athens, Lady Hildred | G. Byron | 1869 | ||
| Maid and her Moorish Knight, The | R. McMurray | 1862 | ||
| Margaretta | G. P. Morris | 1860 | ||
| Mariner's Bride, The | J. F. Waller | c.1870 | ||
| Mary | G. P. Morris | 1861 | ||
| Mary don't forget me | J. Rankin | 1861 | ||
| Mary, Mavourneen | A. Greville | c.1862 | ||
| Matilda | E. Fitzball | c.1840 | ||
| Maureen | B. Cornwall | 1847 | ||
| Merry little Gipsy, The | E. Fitzball | 1857 | ||
| Merry little Savoyard | J. Rankin | 1857 | ||
| Merry May | C. H. Corley | 1856 | ||
| M'offrian cittadi e popli (It.) | F. Jannetti | 1847 | ||
| Moon is up, The | J. Peabody | c.1850 | ||
| Moore's Irish Melodies (arrangements) | T. Moore | 1859 | ||
| Music and Song, Sleep my pretty one | A. Tennyson | c.1861 | ||
| My dwelling is no lordly hall | E. Pickering | c.1840 | ||
| My fairest child I have no song | J. Kingsley | 1860 | ||
| My gentle child | F. Hemans | C.1852 | ||
| My heart returns to thee | G. Lindley | C.1850 | ||
| My native valley | W. Guernsey | c.1866 | ||
| My old Song | J. Oxenford | 1859 | ||
| Myrtle Bower, The - Duet | T. Clarke | c.1849 | ||
| N | ||||
| Nelly Gray | J. Oxenford | 1859 | ||
| Ne'er was mortal eye delighted | ? | 1871 | ||
| Night march of the volunteers, The | M. Lemon | 1860 | ||
| Noble Foe, The | G. Hodder | 1857 | ||
| Non scordar le notte (It.) | C. Pepoli | c.1835 | ||
| Norah darling! Don't believe them | J. Rankin | 1859 | ||
| Now hush thee, I'll listen no more | E. Pickering | c. 1842 | ||
| O | ||||
| O Daisy pet | L. H. F. duTerraux | 1869 | ||
| O sing again | W. Guernsey | c.1868 | ||
| Ognor costante ta'mero (It.) | G. Mario? | 1846 | ||
| Oh! do not look so bright and blessed | T. Moore | c.1836 | ||
| Oh, boatman haste | G.P. Morris | 1858 | ||
| Oh! chide me not | ? | 1847 | ||
| Oh! I love the early morn | F. Judd | 1852 | ||
| Oh send me back to dreamland | J. Rankin | 1861 | ||
| Oh! shall we go a sailing? | W. H. Bellamy | 1836 | ||
| Oh! she was fair | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| Oh! she was as good as she was fair - Duet | S. Rogers | 1845 | ||
| Oh! smile again | F. Judd | 1852 | ||
| Oh! Suoni un di soave. Recitativo, e Ahi che Alfredo (It.) | Count C. Pepoli | c.1832 | ||
| Oh! take me to thy heart again | J. Rankin | 1858 | ||
| Oh! think what joy is roaming | T. Moore | 1840 | ||
| Oh! thou dear one | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| Oh! weep not lady | ? | c.1852 | ||
| Oh! would I were a honey bee | J. E. Carpenter | c.1857 | ||
| Old friends | M. A. Andrews | 1851 | ||
| Old house by the lindens, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1862 | ||
| One smile from thee | Mrs. H. J. St. Ledger | 1859 | ||
| Once more | G. Hodder | 1857 | ||
| On the banks of my own sunny river | E. Fitzball | 1856 | ||
| Our Village Days | W. M. Tolkin | c.1868 | ||
| Over mount, over lea | G. Linley | c.1863 | ||
| P | ||||
| Pale, pale cheek, A | C. Swain | 1861 | ||
| Pauvre Licas (Latin) | C. Pellecat | c.1838 | ||
| Phoebe the Fair | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| Poor Nelly | "HISS." | 1853 | ||
| Prayer for the Nation - God save the Queen | J. A. Hoy | c.1846 | ||
| Q | ||||
| Quadroon girl, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1860 | ||
| Qual fior novello (It) | F. Jannetti | 1847 | ||
| Queen, of Spring, The | J. E. Carpenter | 1862 | ||
| Quick to work - Duet | ? | 1871 | ||
| R | ||||
| Rainey Day, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1857 | ||
| Raise a song to the Lord | G. Linley | 1854 | ||
| Raise the bright flag of Columbia | W. T. May | 1849 | ||
| Reaper and the Flowers, The | H. W. Longfellow | c.1858 | ||
| Rest wand'rer, rest, all nature sleeps | W. Sotheby | 1865 | ||
| Riflemen, form | ? | 1859 | ||
| Rock me to sleep, mother | ? | c.1857 | ||
| Rose on the Heath, The | A. Baskerville/Goethe | 1860 | ||
| Rose that opens at morn, The | E. Pickering | 1857 | ||
| Rowen Tree, The | J. F. Waller | c.1868 | ||
| Ruth and I | J. F. Waller? | c.1858 | ||
| S | ||||
| Sailor sighs as sinks his native shore | S. Rogers | c.1845 | ||
| Sands of Dee, The | C. Kingsley | 1859 | ||
| Scenes of Home, The | G. P. Morris | 1859 | ||
| Sea hath its pearls, The | H. W. Longfellow/Heine | 1862 | ||
| She came to the village church - Trio | A. Tennyson | c.1863 | ||
| She stood in the sunshine | J. Rankin | c.1863 | ||
| She walks in queenslike grace | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| Shell duet, The | A. Tennyson | 1860 | ||
| Simple Rose, A | T. H. Bayly | c.1840 | ||
| Sing, maiden sing! | B. Cornwall | 1846 | ||
| Sing no more ladies | S. Rogers | c.1849 | ||
| Si tu savais (Could'st thou but know) | ? | c.1859 | ||
| Sleep on, sleep on -Trio | ? | c.1871 | ||
| Smile, O' heaven upon the day! | E. Falconer | 1859 | ||
| So long as my darling loves me | H. Fry | 1859 | ||
| Song of Love and Death, The | A. Tennyson | 1859 | ||
| Spanish Serenade | S. Lover | c.1870 | ||
| Spirit of Light, The | J. Ellison | c.1857 | ||
| Stars of the Summer Night | H. W. Longfellow | 1857 | ||
| Still to be with thee I love | G. Linley | 1837 | ||
| Sun upon the silent hills, The | ? | c.1852 | ||
| Sunset | J. Ellison | 1860 | ||
| Sventurata Ildegonda | ? | c.1836 | ||
| Sweet Guitar, The | C. W. Chapman | 1859 | ||
| Sweetheart | A. Greville | 1860 | ||
| Sweetheart come back to me | J. Rankin | 1861 | ||
| Sweet Nightingale | L. H. F. du Terraux | 1869 | ||
| Sweet words of love | E. Fitzball | 1856 | ||
| T | ||||
| Take not of pleasure | J. R. Planche | 1855 | ||
| Tear not the veil away | ? | c.1870 | ||
| Tender Time of May, The | L. H. F. duTerraux | c.1867 | ||
| This is the place, stand still my steed | H. W. Longfellow | c.1858 | ||
| That last light of sundown | L. H. F. du Terraux | 1869 | ||
| Then Lady Wake | ? | c.1850 | ||
| Theresa we no more shall part | J. Rankin | 1862 | ||
| There is a name I never breath | J. E. Carpenter | c.1856 | ||
| There's one heart unchanging | T. Moore | c.1840 | ||
| They bind with costly pearls my brow | E. Fitzball | c.1837 | ||
| They tell me thou'art the favoured guest | T. Moore | c.1840 | ||
| Threads of Gold | S. E. Young | 1859 | ||
| Tomb of the Islander's daughter, The | T. Newman | 1856 | ||
| To me the world's an open book | ? | c.1850 | ||
| To the land of my birth | G. Linley | c.1842 | ||
| Thou art with me everywhere | J. Rankin | 1858 | ||
| Thou wilt still be dear to me | E. Fitzball | c.1840 | ||
| Though age be like December | C. Clarke | c.1860 | ||
| Threads of Gold | ? | c.1859 | ||
| Through the Golden Valley | S. E. Young | c.1859 | ||
| Through the Grassy Fields - Trio | ? | c.1870 | ||
| Trust me , not at all or all in all | A. Tennyson | 1859 | ||
| Trust her not - Duet | H. W. Longfellow | c.1858 | ||
| Twilight's soft dew steals o'er the village - Duet | S. Rogers | c.1845 | ||
| Two Locks of Hair | H. W. Longfellow | 1859 | ||
| Two gifts | ? | c1870 | ||
| Two little years ago | J. E. Carpenter | 1860 | ||
| U | ||||
| Una Donna piu felice (It.) | ? | c.1833 | ||
| Underworld, The | L. H. F. duTerraux | 1869 | ||
| Un pensiero d'amore (It.) | G. Torre | c.1850 | ||
| V | ||||
| Victoria, and England for ever | L. L. Ternan | c.1860 | ||
| Village Blacksmith, The | H. W. Longfellow | 1857 | ||
| Volunteer, The | W. H. Bellamy | 1860 | ||
| W | ||||
| Watching and Waiting | C. Swain | c.1864 | ||
| We never see him now | E. Fitzball | c.1838 | ||
| We walked by the sea | J. Waller | c.1870 | ||
| We'll meet again | J. Rankin | 1858 | ||
| When along the light ripple | R. Monckton-Miles | 1847 | ||
| When woman plights her troth | F. Mc Murray | 1869 | ||
| When I am dead | G. Linley | c.1843 | ||
| Why should thy voice still follow me? | C. Swain | c.1862 | ||
| Will spring return | W. Scott | c.1862 | ||
| Women's Heart, A | ? | c.1845 | ||
| Women's Love | T. Newman | 1857 | ||
| Y | ||||
| Young May Moon, The | T. Moore | c.1840 | ||
| Young Soldier, The | E. Fitzball | c.1847 | ||
| Z | ||||
| Zillah | G. Linley | c.1846 | ||
Note: Sources for data on Balfe's songs include personal research in various libraries in Europe and the USA, material in the author's collection, the British Library, the National Library of Ireland, the New York Public Library, and the Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
Page No. 9 - SECTION I - DISCOGRAPHY
Recordings of Balfe's Music
9.1) Selected Recordings of Balfe's Music
NEW: Balfe's two-act comic Italian opera "Falstaff" has been professionally recorded by Opera Ireland - RTE/Lyric with the RTE Orchestra and an international cast of singers. The two CD set is now available.
TO ORDER click on:
http://www.amazon.com (Enter: Falstaff+Balfe)
or in Europe http://amazon.co.uk
or
IRELAND: RTE LyricFM Store: http://shop.rte.ie/aspx/Homepage.aspx
___________________________________________________
REVIEWS of the Falstaff CD Set
Read the outstanding review of the Balfe Falstaff CD set in Opera News (June 2009)
Visit
Amazon review of the CD set:
http://www.amazon.com/review/RMY4DJDJPPPH3
|
The Bohemian Girl - 2 CDs, Argo 433 324-2 with an international cast and orchestra conducted by 'Richard Bonynge. Reissued July 8, 2002, as Decca (London) CD 473077-2 To purchase contact: |
The
Maid of Artois - 2 CD 2042/3, Victorian Opera Northwest
Group The Rose of Castile - 2 LPs, Rare Recorded Editions 191-2 (Wexford Opera Festival's first performance in 1951. The Siege of Rochelle - Tape Excerpts; Radio Eireann broadcast, Dublin circa 19 The
Siege of Rochelle - Recording by a semi-professional cast |
NEW - Cello Sonata Romantics in
England Satanella or The Power of Love 2 LPs, Opera Integra SSRE - 173/4 |
|
The Daughter of St. Mark 2 LPs, Rare Recorded Editions - 141-2 Opera
Rara "Ora divina" - CD ORR 239 -"The blighted flower" |
Balfe's
Falstaff, Italian Opera in 2 Acts. Balfe
The Bohemian Girl - Highlights |
"In Marble Halls" BBC 2 Series. Produced by In-Flight Prodns. 1998 |
|
London/Decca CD "Carnivale" with ' Sumi Jo, soprano and Richard Bonynge conducting - a Balfe aria from Le Puits d'Amour is included along with several other unusual French operatic arias. |
"The Power of Love" - CD 301082 (Melba Label- Australia) - recital by soprano Deborah Riedel - Richard Bonynge conducting the Australian Opera & Ballet Orchestra. Balfe arias from: Il "Talismano, The Siege of Rochelle, The Rose of Castile, Satanella, The Maid of Artois and The Puritan's Daughter. This important CD includes nine(9) arias from Balfe operas, (some never before recorded) seven(7) from operas by Vincent Wallace and two(2) from Arthur Sullivan operas. |
"Sixty Glorious Years" BMS CD422 - includes aria, "When I beheld the anchor weigh'd" from the Siege of Rochelle and the song, "The Sands of Dee" |
|
The Age of Bel Canto, Jerry Hadley, tenor with Richard Bonynge conducting. includes two Balfe arias from The Rose of Castile. CD RCA 09026-68030-1 The song "Trust her not" on EMI Classics label CD 574206 - Sweet Power of Song with Felicity Lott and Ann Murray. There are several other Irish songs on this CD |
Ildegonda nel Carcere, scene and concert aria written by Balfe for the singer, Adele Crescini probably in London in 1836. The CD titled, Arias from Forgotten Operas, with Mezzo-soprano Hugette Tourangeau and Richard Bonynge conducting, contains this fascinating Balfe music. CD Decca 475 6812 DM Vienna
2003-4 - Riccardo Muti & the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's concert
(2003-4) included Johann Strauss' adaptations of music from Balfe's Die Zigeunerin,
(The Bohemian Girl) (Quadrille). This performance is
available on CD and DVD. |
A trio, "Vorrei parlar ma L'ira" from Balfe's Falstaff now available. OperaRara CD ORR
21 "Tyrants and Lovers" Cantata:
Sempre pensoso e torbido - "Malibran Cantata"
Opera
Rara CD ORR227 |
Page No. 10 - section J
Books and Literary References
10.1) Books, Articles & Literary References to His Music
Biography: Michael W. Balfe: A Unique Victorian Composer
A recent biography "Michael
W. Balfe: A Unique Victorian Composer" by Basil Walsh has been published
in Europe and the USA for the composer's bicentenary year (2008), by Irish Academic
Press, Dublin, in association with the Arts Council of Ireland.
For detail click on: www.iap.ie or Michael
W. Balfe: A Unique Victorian Composer
NEW!
Michael W. Balfe:
|
"Balfe, His Life
& Work" "A Memoir of Michael
W. Balfe" - |
English Opera
1834-64 and the works of Michael W. Balfe by
George Biddlecombe (New York - 1994) |
Articles about Balfe -- basilwalsh@msn.com "Balfe's Italian Operas" by Basil Walsh - Donizetti Society of London Newsletter; issue No. 85 - February 2002 "Balfe in Italy" 'by Basil Walsh - The Opera Quarterly; issue Vol. 18 No. 4, Winter 2002/03 "Balfe: The Irish Italian" - Ireland's Uniquely Gifted Composer - by Basil Walsh - History Ireland, issue Vol. 11 No. 1, Spring 2003 "A Visit to Donizetti: Balfe & his wife" by Basil Walsh - Donizetti Society of London Newsletter; (Balfe & his wife visit the ailing Donizetti in Paris in 1845) issue No. 92 June 2004 "Balfe and Malibran" by Basil Walsh - Donizetti Society of London Newsletter; issue No. 98 - June 2006 "An
Anglo-Irish Rossini? Basil Walsh on M. W. Balfe's
remarkable career " - OPERA magazine (UK) February 2008 |
10.2 Trieste - James Joyce and Balfe
"Trieste, Italy with its strong middle-eastern influence has long been a very cosmopolitan, multi-racial city ever since the Habsburgs declared it a "free city" in 1719. Over the centuries, the arts, including music have flourished there, particularly in the nineteenth-century." Under Habsburg rule, trade also boomed, and the city's port became Vienna's gateway to the Mediterranean and the middle-east for almost two-hundred years.
| The Irish writer James Joyce's" made reference to Michael Balfe and his music in a number of his books and stories, including Ulysses, Dubliners and Finnegan's Wake. He seemed to have a special feeling and interest for the composer and his works. Perhaps a little known linkage between Balfe and Joyce that centers on Trieste might have given Joyce a certain partially towards his fellow Dubliner. The following provides the details. Balfe and Joyce were both born in Dublin, Balfe in 1808 and Joyce in 1882, 74 years apart. Both had fathers that were interested in music. Both men grew to have a deep interest in Italian opera. Both had excellent singing voices, Joyce a tenor, Balfe a baritone. They also experienced a number of other things in common, not the least of which was a strong association with the city of Trieste. Joyce arrived in Trieste on October 20, 1904, exactly 34 years to the very day after Balfe died (October 20, 1870), outside London. Joyce lived in Trieste for about 12-14 years. He was twenty-two when he arrived there. During this time he wrote, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, most of Dubliners and some of Ulysses and a play called Exiles. In total, Balfe spent about eight years in Italy. First in 1825 for a short period, before going to Paris. At the end of 1828 when he was twenty years old he returned to Italy (he spent time in Trieste during this period), to become a singer and a composer, before returning to London in 1835. Early in 1854, Balfe once again returned to Italy, this time to Trieste. He was now a famous composer of successful operas for London, Paris and Vienna. On this visit he spent a little over a year in Trieste directing and composing two operas. Trieste was ruled from Vienna by the Habsburgs when Balfe was there. It was stilled ruled from Vienna by the Habsburgs when Joyce went to live there in 1904. Shortly after Balfe's arrival in Trieste, he premiered (February 1854), the Italian version of his most successful work, The Bohemian Girl as La Zingara. La Zingara became very popular in Italy, Britain, Ireland and America during the 19th century. Joyce of course refers to The Bohemian Girl a number of times in his works and also other Balfe works.
As can be seen the two artists had a number of things in common. Joyce was probably
aware of some of these facts about Balfe so perhaps he felt somewhat partial towards his fellow
Dubliner and his music, and gave him preference in his writings. We'll
never really know for sure. |
Page No. 11 - section k
Great Singers Performed Balfe's music
Internationally Renowned Artists sang Balfe
Many distinguished artists
who were creators for Rossini, Bellini,
Donizetti, Verdi and others,
sang
Balfe's operas in Italian, German, French and other languages, around the
capitals of Europe and other places during the 19th century.
Balfe's operas have been performed in America, Australia,
Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand and elsewhere
in the English speaking world.
Some of the best American, Australian, New Zealand, British and Irish singers performed Balfe's music in these
countries. These
included, Charles Santley, Sims Reeves, William Harrison, Charlotte Birch, Anna
Bishop, Catherine Hayes, Barton McGuckin, Anna Thillon, Elizabeth
Rainforth, Lucy Escott and others and more recently Roberta Peters and Jess
Walters and Lauren Flanigan.
NOTE: More
details of singers who performed in Balfe operas over the years are provided in
the new Balfe biography referred to elsewhere in this website.
Page
No. 12 - section l
The Year 2008 was Michael W. Balfe's 200th Anniversary Year
The two-hundred anniversary of Balfe's birth occurred in 2008. Balfe was an important composer during the 19th century and beyond. His legacy is really his music, not necessarily the staged operas themselves.
A number of important events took place in Ireland, the UK and elsewhere in celebration of the bicentenary event. These included the publication of a new biography of the composer (see details above), various articles, operatic and concert performances, radio and TV broadcasts and recording of Balfe works.
There is considerable interest in Balfe's music in Britain, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other places as the number of annual visitors to this site will attest to.
Availability of Operatic Performing Scores
|
Page
No. 13 - FINAL
SECTION M
Feel free to link to this site, with acknowledgements.
Note: WebMaster. basilwalsh@msn.com
__________________________________
"Catherine Hayes: The Hibernian (Irish) Prima Donna"
|
Basil Walsh First and only biography of the life and times of Ireland's first
great international operatic prima donna, Catherine Hayes (1818-61) who was an
operatic sensation at Milan (La Scala), Vienna, Venice, London (Covent Garden),
Dublin, New York, New Orleans, Boston, San Francisco, Sydney, Lima,
Santiago, Sydney, Melbourne & Hobart in
the mid-nineteenth century.
The 372 page biography was published in the USA,
Britain and Ireland concurrently, by Irish Academic Press, September 2,000. |
©
The Author & Writer
Basil Walsh
 Basil Walsh, Palm Beach County, Florida basilwalsh@msn.com |
Basil Walsh
of
Palm Beach, Florida, is a published author, writer and broadcaster on 19th century
opera biographies and operatic performance history in continental Europe Britain, Ireland, Australia, Canada,
New Zealand and the United States.
He
is a board member and advisor to Classical Arts Ireland a non-profit
Dublin based organization that distributes the Metropolitan Opera and
the Bolshoi Ballet HD broadcast performance
at selected Cinemas/Movie Houses in Ireland. CAI is also in the process of creating a
national
Irish Classical Composer online digital archives in addition to
producing and recording a series of multi-lingual operas written by
internationally famous Irish born composers.
He is a contributor to the Royal Irish Academy's, multi-volume
Dictionary of Irish Biography which was published by Cambridge University Press in
2009.
He has also contributed to various
publications, magazines, digital journals, encyclopedias and printed journals, in the USA and Europe, including Opera Quarterly
(Oxford University Press), OPERA magazine (UK), The Princess Grace Irish
Library of Monaco digital database, Grove Music publications, (Oxford
University Press), The Daily Express, London, The Donizetti Society of London Newsletter,
the Victorian Web, Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart
(MGG),
Germany, Visitor magazine (Dublin),
History
Ireland magazine, the Encyclopedia, Ireland
and the Americas: Culture, Politics and History, (ABC-CLIO California)
and the forthcoming, Encyclopedia of Music
in Ireland, (UCD, Dublin).
He has
given talks on
nineteenth-century opera, singers and
composers to various groups in the US and Europe. He is a member of the Donizetti
Society of London, The Society for the Study of 19th Century Ireland,
The Society for Musicology in Ireland, The American
Irish Historical Society, The British
Library, London, The National Library of Ireland Society and the Richter Library at the University
of Miami, Florida,
His latest
work is a biography of the important London based 19th century Victorian operatic composer, Michael W. Balfe,
is now available, from most book stores and online retailers.
It was
recently published
in Europe and the USA, simultaneously; for the
composer's bicentenary in 2008, by Irish Academic Press
(Dublin/London) in association with the Arts Council of
Ireland - see www.balfebiography.com
for details.
He was an initiator and contributor to the Opera Ireland bicentennial
performance of Michael Balfe's Italian opera, Falstaff in Dublin in
September 2008 and to the published program and CD recording of the opera.
_____________________________________________________
To purchase the new biography or for more
information, contact the publishers:
NORTH AMERICA (Portland,
Oregon) & Elsewhere: marketing@isbs.com
EUROPE (Dublin): Irish Academic Press - info@iap.ie
Related
Web Site of Interest
Link to
any of the following specially selected sites by clicking on the URL indicated:
Irish
Classical Music Pioneers (Blog) -
http://basilwalsh.wordpress.com/
(This document features the first seven (7) Irish born individuals who gained
international fame as musicians throughout
Europe, Russia, America & Australia during the 18th/19th centuries).
Classical Arts Ireland: http://classicalartsireland.com/
Balfe Opera
The Maid of Artois
CD set
at:
www.victorianoperanorthwest.org
M. W. Balfe's, 21 "Continental" Operas - http://balfecontinentaloperas.wordpress.com/
The Donizetti Society (London)
http://www.donizettisociety.com/
Opera Rara
(London)
CD Recordings - www.opera-rara.com
Naxos Classical Records - www.naxos.com
OPERA - www.opera.co.uk
Opera News magazine
(USA) - http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/faq/