Louis Deffès
[file:Rue Peyrolières - no 54 - maison natale de Louis Deffès.jpg|thumb|]
Pierre Louis Deffès was a 19th-century French composer. He excelled as a composer of both operas and large-scale sacred music.
Life
Deffès was born in Toulouse and admitted to the Paris Conservatory in 1839, where he studied with Fromental Halévy and Henri Montan Berton, François Bazin, Auguste Barbereau, and Théodore Mozin. In 1844, he composed La Toulousaine. The piece gained great popularity and became a signature tune of his home town. In 1847, he won second prize at the "Concours de Chants Historiques" with his composition Les Charmes de la Paix, and in the same year the Grand Prix de Rome with the cantata L'Ange et Tobie, based on a poem by Léon Halévy.During his stay in Rome, which was connected with the prize, he composed his Messe solennelle, which was first performed in 1850. In 1857, a performance followed at Notre Dame de Paris with 500 participants. In 1855, L'Anneau d'argent, the first of his twenty successful operas, was premiered at the Opéra-Comique.
The Franco-Prussian War interrupted the succession of performances of his operas. Instead, he now wrote compositions such as the Marche funèbre, the motet Gaude floris, a Messe brève à trois voix and the song La Phrygienne for choir and piano.
With Le Trompette de Chamboran Deffès returned to the opera stage in 1877. His symphonic overture Un Triomphe à Rome was performed at the 1878 World Exhibition. A new mass by Deffès was performed at the Saint-Etienne Cathedral of Toulouse in 1879. Here he succeeded Paul Mériel as director of the Conservatoire de Toulouse in 1883. He held the position until his death, his successor was Bernard Crocé-Spinelli.
Deffès had been a member of the Association des Artistes Musiciens since its foundation in 1843 and belonged to its central committee; he was also a founding member of the Société des Compositeurs de musique. In 1884, he became a corresponding member of the composition section of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Selected works
Opéras comiques
La Lanterne magique, 1 act, lyrics by Auguste CarréL'Anneau d'Argent, 1 act, lyrics by Jules Barbier and Léon Battu La Clé des champs, 1 act, lyrics by Henry Boisseaux Broskovano, 2 acts, lyrics by Eugène Scribe and Henry Boisseaux Les Deux Bazile, 2 acts, libretto by Henry Boisseaux and Eugène Scribe 1858Les Petits violons du roi, 3 acts, libretto by Henry Boisseaux and Eugène Scribe Les Bourguignonnes, 1 act, lyrics by Henri Meilhac Le Café du Roi, 1 act, lyrics by Henri Meilhac Le Fantôme du Rhin, 1 act, libretto by Joseph Méry and Jules Adenis Valse et Menuet, 1 act, lyrics by Joseph Méry La Boite à surprises, 1 act, lyrics by Laurencin Les Croqueuses de Pommes, 5 acts, lyrics by Eugène Grangé and Émile Abraham Petit bonhomme vit encore, 2 acts, lyrics by Émile de Najac Le Trompette de Chamboran, 1 act, lyrics by Adolphe de Leuven and Jules Adenis Les Noces de Fernande, 3 acts, lyrics by Victorien Sardou and Émile de NajacOperas
Gessica, 4 acts, libretto by Jules Adenis after The Merchant of Venice by William ShakespeareOrchestral music
- ''Un Triomphe à Rome''