Michael Balfe was a renowned musician and composer of Ireland. He is well known for his opera, "The Bohemian Girl". Music has been an inseparable part of his life and during his lifetime he has composed some excellent musical operas.
Early Life of Michael Balfe
Born on 15th May 1808 in Dublin, Michael Balfe grew up in a musical family. In his early years of childhood he showed his interest in music. His father was a dance teacher. First he studied violin from his father and from 1823 onwards from Charles Horn in England. Balfe played violin for his father's dancing-classes in between 1814 and 1815. His excellence in music was evident at a very early age because at the age of seven he composed a polacca.
Later he moved to Italy to pursue further studies and started composing operas. In 1833 he came back to England and presented his opera The Siege of Rochelle in 1835, which was very successful. In the 1840s he moved between London and Paris and work with Eugene Scribe.
Creations of Michael Balfe
Michael Balfe, the celebrated composer is known for his innumerable compositions. He composed music for nearly twenty English operas. Some of the operas for which Michael composed music are:
- Siege of Rochelle (1835)
- Amelia, or the Love Test (1838)
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- Keolanthe (1841)
- Joan of Arc (1837)
- Falstaff (1838, Lablache in title-role)
- Catherine Grey (1837)
- The Maid of Artois (1836)
The career of Michael Balfe reached to its acme during the period between 1844 to 1847. Most of his famous creations were composed during this period. Some of his compositions are:
- The Bohemian Girl (1844)
- The Bondman (1846)
- The Enchantress (1845)
- The Maid of Honour (1847)
- The Devil's in it (1847)
- The Daughter of St. Mark (1844)
The Bohemian Girl was his greatest success and it is remembered even today. Some of the other operas for which he composed music are The Sicilian Bride (1852), Satanella (1858), The Rose of Castile (1857), Blanche de Nevers (1863), The Puritan's Daughter (1861), Bianca (1860) and The Armourer of Nantes (1863).
Many operas like Opéra Comique and Grand Opéra was written by Balfe for theaters of Paris. For the prestigious Académie Royale he wrote L'Etoile de Seville in 1845.
In 1864 Balfe retired from his profession and shifted to Hertfordshire in his farmhouse. In 1870, this celebrated musician passed away and was buried at Kensal Green. Michael Balfe is a legendary musician of all times and music lovers will always remember him.
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