André Messager
A versatile French composer who deftly bridged the 19th and 20th centuries, creating enduringly charming operettas and ballets that captured Parisian spirit.
1853–1929 (age 76)·French composer and conductor·Birthday: December 30
Biography
André Messager was a musical polymath whose career unfolded at the heart of Parisian cultural life during the Belle Époque and beyond. As a composer, he possessed a light, melodic touch that made his operettas like 'Véronique' and 'Les p'tites Michu' instant and lasting hits, filled with waltzes and comic verve that defined a genre. But his influence stretched far beyond composition. He was a formidable conductor, taking the helm at the Opéra-Comique and later the Paris Opéra, where he championed new works, including giving the French premiere of Richard Strauss's 'Salome'. Messager's ballet 'Les Deux Pigeons' remains a staple of the repertoire, a testament to his gift for graceful, narrative-driven music. His life was a busy intersection of creation and curation, making him a central architect of the sound of popular French theatre for decades.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1853
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1853Born
1858Started school
1866Became a teenager
President: Andrew Johnson
1869Could drive
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1871Could vote
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1874Turned 21
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1883Turned 30
President: Chester A. Arthur
1893Turned 40
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 50
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 60
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 70
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1929Died at 76
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
Key Achievements
- Composed the enduringly popular opéra comique 'Véronique' in 1898.
- Created the beloved ballet 'Les Deux Pigeons', which premiered in 1886.
- Served as the principal conductor of the Paris Opéra from 1908 to 1919.
- Conducted the French premieres of major works like Wagner's 'Parsifal' and Strauss's 'Salome'.
Did You Know?
He was married to the Irish-born composer and singer Hope Temple.
He studied composition under the famous French organist and composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
For a time, he was the musical director of the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden in London.
He was a close friend of Gabriel Fauré and completed Fauré's orchestration of his opera 'Pénélope'.
“Music must charm the ear before it can touch the heart.”
