A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Audran, Edmond

AUDRAN, Edmond, was born April 11, 1842, at Lyons, and received his musical education at the École Niedermeyer, Paris, where he obtained in 1859 the prize for composition. In 1861 he became organist of the church of St. Joseph, Marseilles. His compositions include a Funeral March on the death of Meyerbeer, played at the Grand Theatre, Marseilles; a Mass produced in 1873 at the above church, and later at St. Eustache, Paris; a motet, 'Adoro te,' Paris (1882); 'Cour d'Amour,' song in Provençal dialect, and other songs. He is best known however as an 'opéra bouffe' composer, and among such works may be named 'L'Ours et le Pacha,' Marseilles (1862), his first work, founded on Scribe's well-known vaudeville of that name; 'La Chercheuse d'Esprit,' Marseilles (1864), revived at Paris Bouffes, 1882, a new setting of an opera of Favart (1741), 'Le Grand Mogol,' Marseilles (1876), at Gaité, Paris, Sept. 19—in English, at the Comedy Theatre, London, Nov. 17, 1884; 'Les Noces d'Olivette,' Bouffes, Nov. 13, 1879—in English at the Strand Theatre as 'Olivette,' Sept. 18, 1880; 'La Mascotte,' Bouffes, Dec. 29, 1880—in English, Sept. 19, at Brighton, and Oct. 15, 1881, at the Comedy Theatre; 'Gillette de Narbonne,' Bouffes, Nov. 11, 1882, plot founded on Boccaccio's story, used by Shakespeare for 'All's Well that Ends Well'; and 'La Cigale et le Fourmi,' Gaité, Oct. 30, 1886. The five last named have all obtained great popularity in France, while 'Olivette,' and particularly 'La Mascotte,' are popular all over the world.

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