ADAM, ADOLPHE

born July 24, 1803, Paris, France died May 3, 1856, Paris in full Adolphe-charles Adam French composer whose music for the ballet Giselle (1841) is notable for its dramatic power. It has retained its popularity with dancers and audiences to the present day. Adam wrote 71 operas, the best of which are generally considered to be Le Postillon de Longjumeau (1836) and Giralda (1850). In his ballets-which he composed for production in London, Berlin, and St. Petersburg, as well as Paris-he subordinated the music to choreographic demands. His works were successful during the mid-19th century, but few of them are regularly revived.