Auguste Pilati
Auguste Pilati was a prolific French composer, opera conductor and occasional singer. He employed several pseudonyms including "Auguste Pilati Juliano", "A. P. Juliano", "Ate. P. Juliano", "A. Ruytler", "P. Ruytler", and "Wolfart". He wrote about 40 works for the stage, including operas, operettas, and ballets besides a very large number of popular songs and piano works.
Career
Born in Bouchain, a small town between Cambrai and Valenciennes in the French département Nord, Pilati studied at the Paris Conservatory where he won a first prize in solfège as early as 1823, but from which he was dismissed.
Arthur Pougin described him as an "extremely fertile composer, whose name is virtually unknown to the public, although he was not without talent". He seems to have been able to live mainly from the sale of his own compositions and conducting his stage works, although he also had short-term employments as musical director of small theatres in Paris such as the Théâtre Beaumarchais and the Théâtre des Folies-Marigny, and he often conducted the orchestra of the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin. He also frequently appeared as a singer or duo partner in the Parisian café-concerts of his day.
Pougin considered his music "graceful and distinguished", but also thought that he "overdid himself under poor conditions and ended up sacrificing art to craft".
In the last fifteen years of his life, Pilati signed his vocal and piano works as either "A. P. Juliano" or "Ate. P. Juliano". Among these are a large number of technically easy works intended for children, but also numerous salon works, waltzes, quadrilles etc. intended for showy performance as well as home use.
Pilati died in Paris.
Selected works
Stage
La Modiste et le Lord, 2 acts, Théâtre des Variétés, 23 October 1833La Prova d'un opéra seria, 1 act, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 4 July 1835La Fermière de Bolbec, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 24 December 1835Léona, ou Le Parisien en Corse, 2 acts, Théâtre du Palais-Royal, 14 January 1836Olivier Basselin, 1 act, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 15 November 1838Mademoiselle de Fontanges, 2 acts, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 11 March 1839La Naufrage de la Méduse, 4 acts, Théâtre de la Renaissance, 31 May 1839 Les Farfadets, "ballet-féerie" in 3 acts, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 8 May 1841Les Barricades, 2 acts, Théâtre Lyrique, 5 March 1848 Le Postillon de Saint-Valéry, opéra-comique in 2 acts, Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin, 1849Les Étoiles, 2 acts, Théâtre Lyrique, 6 February 1854Les Statues de l'Alcade, ballet-pantomime in 1 act, Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, 29 December 1855Jean le Sot, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 1856Une Devinette, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 1856L'Amour et Psyché, 1 act, Théâtre des Variétés, 13 December 1856Trois Dragons, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 1857L'Ile de Calypso, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 1857 Peau d'âne, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 1858 Ignace le retors, 1 act, Théâtre des Folies-Nouvelles, 15 September 1858Il Signor Cascarelli, 1 act, Théâtre Débureau, 1858L'Ile du sol-si-ré, 1 act, Théâtre Déjazet, March 1860 Il Maestro Blaguarino, 1 act, Lille, Théâtre, 25 December 1865Rosette et Colin, 1 act, Concert de la Scala, December 1874Les Pêcheurs de Tarente, divertissement, Théâtre des Folies-Oller, 14 November 1876Jacques et Jacqueline, 1 act, Concert de l'Alcazar La Nymphe et le Berger, divertissement, Concert de l'Alcazar