Jean-Nicolas-Gustave Van Nieuwen-Huysen (known as Gustave Vaëz) (6 December 1812 – 12 March 1862) was a Belgian playwright, librettist, translator of opera libretti., and opera director.[1] He wrote many stage plays and opera libretti in collaboration with Alphonse Royer]; including the libretti to Gaetano Donizetti's La favorite (1843) and Giuseppe Verdi's Jérusalem (1847). Vaëz and Royer also translated several Italian-language operas by other writers into French. Vaëz also collaborated on opera libretti with the writers Eugène Scribe and Victorien Sardou.
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Alone, Vaëz wrote the libretto to Donizetti's Rita, ou Le mari battu. He served as director of the Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe from 1853-1856, and as deputy director of the Paris Opera from 1856-1860. He was awarded the Order of Leopold in 1846, and the Legion of Honour in 1856. He died in 1862.
Life and career
editGustave Vaëz was born in Brussels on 6 December 1812.[2] He studied law and earned a doctorate at the State University of Leuven.[3] Since he had no desire to work as a lawyer, he devoted himself to a career as a playwright.[2]
Vaëz published a large number of plays. His first plays were staged from 1829 to 1834 in Brussels,[4] and were a success.[2] He left for Paris to work with fellow dramatist Alphonse Royer.[4] Together they co-authored 30 stage works that mainly consisted of opera libretti and a type of play known as comédies-vaudevilles. Their most successful work was the libretto for Gaetano Donizetti's La favorite (1843).[2] They also co-authored the libretto to Giuseppe Verdi's Jérusalem (1847).[5]
Vaëz and Royer also translated several libretti written in the Italian-langugage by other authors into the French-language.[2] Operas which Vaëz and Royer co-translated included Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (1839);[4] Gioachino Rossini: Otello (1844);[2] and Verdi's I Lombardi (1847).[2]
Alone, Vaëz wrote the French language libretto for Donizetti's Rita, ou Le mari battu.[2] With Eugène Scribe he co-authored two libretti for the composer D. F. X. Boisselot: Ne touchez pas à la reine (1847) and Mosquita la sorcière (1851). He also co-wrote the libretto for François-Auguste Gevaert's Le capitaine Henriot (1864) with Victorien Sardou.[2]
Vaëz was awarded the Order of Leopold in 1846, and the Legion of Honour in 1856. In 1853 he was appointed director of the Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe. He held that post until he was appointed deputy director of the Paris Opera in 1856; a post he held through 1860.[2]
Gustave Vaëz died in Paris on 12 March 1862.[1]
Selected works
edit- Mon parrain de Pontoise: comédie-vaudeville en un acte (1842)
- Mademoiselle Rose: comédie en trois actes (1943)
- Othello: opéra en trois actes (1844)
- Robert Bruce: opéra en trois actes (1847)
- Ne touchez pas à la reine: opéra en trois actes (1847)
- Les fantaisies de milord: comédie-vaudeville en un acte (1850)
- La dame de trèfle: vaudeville en un acte (1850)
References
edit- ^ a b Walsh, T. J. (1981). "Vaëz, Gustave". Second Empire Opera: The Théâtre Lyrique, Paris 1851-1870. John Calder. p. 357. ISBN 9780714536590.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Christopher Smith (2002). "Vaëz, Gustave [Nieuwenhuysen, Jean-Nicolas Gustave van ]". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O007715.
- ^ Ashbrook, William (1982). Donizetti and His Operas. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23526-X.
- ^ a b c Haine, Malou (1995). 400 lettres de musiciens: au Musée royal de Mariemont. Editions Mardaga. p. 253. ISBN 2870095783.
- ^ Roger Parker (2002). "Jérusalem ('Jerusalem')". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O902413.