Jules Barbier

Paul Jules Barbier (8 March 1825 – 16 January 1901) was a French poet, writer and opera librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré. He was a noted Parisian bon vivant and man of letters.

His libretti for extant operas (those co-written with Carré are shown with an asterisk) include:

  • Charles Gounod:
    • La Colombe, Faust (*), Le médecin malgré lui (*), Philémon et Baucis, Polyeucte, La reine de Saba and Roméo et Juliette (*)
  • Victor Massé:
    • Galathée
    • Les Saisons (*)
  • Giacomo Meyerbeer:
    • Le pardon de Ploërmel (later revised as Dinorah)
  • Jacques Offenbach:
    • The Tales of Hoffmann
  • Camille Saint-Saëns:
    • Le timbre d'argent
  • Ambroise Thomas:
    • Hamlet (*), Mignon (*) and Françoise de Rimini (*).

He also wrote the libretto for La Guzla de l'Émir, a one-act comic opera by Georges Bizet. This was never performed and probably destroyed.

He wrote the scenario for Léo Delibes' ballet Sylvia. Charles Gounod wrote incidental music to Barbier's play Jeanne d'Arc, and the libretto to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's opera The Maid of Orleans was partially based on it.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1825 (Paris), Died 1901 (Paris)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1912 - 1934

Roles Represented in DAHR: librettist, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 30 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor CVE-11604 12-in. 7/12/1928 Gems from Mignon Victor Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra librettist  
Victor C-11604 12-in. 2/20/1912 Gems from Mignon Victor Light Opera Company Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra librettist  
Victor B-20539 10-in. 9/6/1917 Chanson du tigre Eva Gauthier Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia 77021 10-in. 5/3/1917 Barcarolle Charles Harrison Male vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia 79034 10-in. 3/8/1920 Flower song Lucy Gates Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia 79148 10-in. 4/29/1920 Doll song Lucy Gates Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia 79225 10-in. 6/2/1920 Si le bonheur Barbara Maurel Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Brunswick XE28460 12-in. 10/8/1928 Let me gaze Mario Chamlee ; Florence Easton Vocal duet (soprano and tenor), with orchestra librettist  
Edison 3790 10-in. 5/14/1915 Ah! Malgré moi Julia Heinrich Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX501 10-in. 6/29/1928 Scene de l'eglise, 1re partie Marise Beaujon ; Fred Bordon ; Gabriel Grovlez ; Opéra de Paris Chœur ; Opéra de Paris Orchestre Vocal duet (soprano and bass), with vocal chorus librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX502 10-in. 6/29/1928 Scene de l'eglise, 2e partie Marise Beaujon ; Fred Bordon ; Gabriel Grovlez ; Opéra de Paris Chœur ; Opéra de Paris Orchestre Vocal duet (soprano and bass), with vocal chorus librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX809 12-in. 1/15/1929 Mort de Valentin Charles Cambon ; Philippe Gaubert ; Opéra de Paris Chœur ; Opéra de Paris Orchestre Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX810 12-in. 1/15/1929 Choral des Epées Fred Bordon ; Charles Cambon ; Philippe Gaubert ; Opéra de Paris Chœur ; Opéra de Paris Orchestre Vocal duet (bass and baritone), with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL933 10-in. 2/25/1928 Ronde du veau d'or Fred Bordon ; Fernand Heurteur Bass vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL935 10-in. 2/25/1928 Sérénade Fred Bordon ; Fernand Heurteur Bass vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL1276 10-in. 11/3/1928 Air de la poupée Élie Cohen ; Andrée Vavon Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX1447 12-in. 12/26/1930 Les deux grenadiers Armand Bernard ; Armand Narçon Bass vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) CLX1666 12-in. 2/13/1933 Connais-tu le pays Germaine Cernay ; Élie Cohen Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL2079 10-in. 3/3/1930 A Chloe Jane Bathori ; Jane Bathori Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL2080 10-in. 3/3/1930 La jeune fille et la violette Jane Bathori ; Jane Bathori Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL2097 10-in. 3/6/1930 Cavatine: Salut, demeure chaste et pure, 1 re partie Eugène Bigot ; Georges Thill Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL2099 10-in. 3/6/1930 Cavatine: Salut, demeure chaste et pure, 1 re partie Eugène Bigot ; Georges Thill Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL3327 10-in. approximately November 10, 1931 Enfin me voila seul, 1re partie Élie Cohen ; Pierre Deldi Male vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) WL3328 10-in. approximately November 10, 1931 Enfin me voila seul, 2e partie Élie Cohen ; Pierre Deldi Male vocal solo, with orchestra librettist  
Columbia (U.K.) CL4913 10-in. 6/8/1934 Chanson bachique Élie Cohen ; Pierre Deldi Baritone vocal solo, with chorus and orchestra librettist  
(Results 1-25 of 30 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Barbier, Jules," accessed June 8, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102697.

Barbier, Jules. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 8, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102697.

"Barbier, Jules." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 8 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102697

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