AUBER, DANIEL-FRANOIS-ESPRIT

born Jan. 29, 1782, Caen, Fr. died May 12, 1871, Paris composer who was prominent in the development of opera containing spoken as well as sung passages (opra comique). The great contemporary success of his works was due in part to the expertly tailored librettos of Eugne Scribe and in part to Auber's spirited musical settings, which were influenced by Rossini and well suited to French taste. One of the most successful and still familiar works in this popular, romantic vein is Fra Diavolo (1830; Brother Devil). The collaboration between Auber and Scribe produced 38 stage works between 1823 and 1864. The spectacular Muette de Portici (Mute Girl of Portici, also known as Masaniello, 1828) has been regarded as the archetype of grand opera. It greatly impressed Richard Wagner, who modelled his Rienzi after it. In addition to anticipating the works of Meyerbeer, Le Philtre (1831) provided the dramatic basis for Donizetti's Elisir d'amore (The Elixir of Love), and Gustave III (1833) gave Verdi his story for Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball). As a child Auber composed instinctively and later became a pupil of Luigi Cherubini. His life, almost entirely devoted to opera, was uneventful. His religious cantatas and motets were written between 1852 and 1855 and are little known. He was elected to the Acadmie Franaise (1829), was appointed director of the Paris Conservatoire (1842), and became chapelmaster to Napoleon III (1857). Auber's music is also thought to have influenced Richard Strauss, Charles Gounod, and Jules Massenet.