Adolphe de Leuven | |
|---|---|
 Le Joaillier de Saint-James at the l'Opéra-Comique, L'Illustration, 17 February 1862 | |
| Born | 29 September 1802 |
| Died | 14 April 1884 (aged 81) |
| Occupation(s) | Librettist, writer, dramatist |
Adolphe de Leuven (29 September 1802 – 14 April 1884) was a French theatre director and a librettist. Also known as Grenvallet, and Count Adolph Ribbing.[1]
He was the illegitimate son of Adolph Ribbing, who was involved in the assassination of Gustav III of Sweden in 1792, and Jeanne-Claude Billard. He took his name as a variation of that of his paternal grandmother, Eva Löwen.[2]
He produced over 170 plays and librettos, with operatic settings by Adam including Le postillon de Lonjumeau, Clapisson, Félicien David (Le Saphir) and Thomas.[3]
He was associated with the Opéra-Comique for fifty years and was director (with Eugène Ritt as administrator) from 1862 to 1870 and co-director with Camille du Locle from 1870-1874.[3] He resigned in protest at the on-stage murder in Carmen.[4]
- ^ His father was one of the conspirators against Gustav III of Sweden, who appears in Verdi's Un ballo in maschera (as Samuel/Count Ribbing). From Dean W. Carmen’s place in history. Booklet to Decca recording of Carmen conducted by Solti, 1976.
- ^ Carlquist, Gunnar, red (1937). Svensk uppslagsbok. Bd 17. Malmö: Svensk Uppslagsbok AB. Sid. 57
- ^ a b Wright L A. "Leuven, Adolphe de" in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, four volumes, edited by Stanley Sadie. London & New York, Macmillan, 1997.
- ^ Winston Dean, Bizet, 1978, p. 110. ISBN 9780460031639.