KNIGHT OF OPERETTA FLORIMON HERVE
This composer composed various spiritual works, but did not admit to anyone that he dreamed of an operetta. Then he nevertheless created 80 operettas, although he had already dreamed of completing the symphony-oratorio. Over time, Florimon Herve was recognized as the father of the operetta, but the predilections of the eccentric creator always split, as, indeed, his whole life. An overly gifted singer, composer, actor and playwright was eccentric and unpredictable. Nobody knew about his double life, nor did he learn the plots of his best operettas in a madhouse, becoming the most cheerful and mocking composer of the second half of the XIX century and creating a playful satirical genre.
On the way to church
Little is known about the childhood and youth of Florimon Herve. He was born in the small town of Uden, in northern France on June 30, 1825, and was named Florimon Ronge. The boy had a beautiful voice, so from an early age he sang in the church choir.
Once, a lanky young man wandered through the streets and mourned his unfolding life. He experienced a great shock when a professional organist came to the church that sheltered him, and Florimon was left with nothing to play. Still sobbing, he discovered that he had wandered into the outskirts of Paris. There he saw the old church and decided to enter it. operetta A shot-through eye. A servant of the temple looked at the guest suspiciously, because he was so thin that he caused only pity. Pressing his hand to his chest, Florimon exclaimed that he was here at the behest of the people and only bayonets could force him to leave. The attendant did not even understand that the young man quoted Honore de Mirabeau, a famous French politician and speaker. Florimon took advantage of the man’s confusion and quickly headed for the organ. Having heard amazing musical improvisations, a priest hurried out to meet Florimon. He was unspeakably pleased with the arrival of a talented young man and invited him to take an empty position as an organist. Joy guy knew no bounds, he just wondered what the church wandered. It turned out that this is the church of Bietra – the most famous psychiatric hospital in the capital.
Music pills by Florimon Herve
In 1842, young Florimon began to delight the horals of hearing the mentally ill, who came every day to Mass. Very quickly, he realized that the music makes them calmer, even the most violent began to calm down. Then Florimon came up with the idea of treating hospital patients with music. The newly-born organist created a church choir whose patients were singers. Naturally, at first the spectacle was impartial, but over time the patients became more and more inspired, and the chorus acquired harmony and sound. In order not to bother the mentally ill with large chants, Florimon specially composed small cantatas and said that these were musical pills.
Double life
After five years of work in the church at a psychiatric hospital, Florimon met a comedian actor Jean Dezire. The ridiculous and well-fed artist liked Florimon Yervmuzyka of a young organist, and he ordered him to create compositions for his benefit performance. One thought about the scene enchanted Florimon, he could not even dream of such a gift of fate. Desiree was able to attach a musician to small roles in the theater in Montmartre. True, money for his work has not yet been paid, so he still earned, conducting the sick with the choir. Every evening, the organist secretly left the church for the theater, and in the morning also quietly made his way back. If his church authorities had learned of such liberties, he would have immediately been expelled! At Florimon from such a double life, my head was spinning, and church chorals were confused with merry verses.
The second birth of the composer
The work on the stage increasingly captured Florimon. He was already not enough to complement other people’s music, I wanted to compose myself. Therefore, the approaching benefit performance, Desire, was the best reason to show off talent. A thin and tall musician next to a small and full actor inspired an association with Don Quixote and Sancho Florimon ErvePansa. So called Florimon his first operetta. When he learned that his name would stand on the poster, he immediately thought up the nickname Herve, so that in the church they would not guess about his double life. Now chorals composed Florimon Ronge, and operetta – Florimon Herve.
This piece was such a smashing success with the public that the distinguished composer Adolph Adan, the author of the famous ballet “Corsair” and “Giselle”, invited Herve to work as the third conductor in his theater of the National Opera. In the spring of 1848 Hervé Don Quixote was put on this prestigious stage, and his melodies began to hum on the boulevards of Paris. Now Florimon could not make music with the mentally ill, because fame came to him, but Herve was not enough. Now he was captured by the dream of his own theater, in which one could put only his works. Favorable fate and this time went to meet the composer. Florimon became interested in a well-known patron of arts – the Duke Charles de Morny. But Herve refused a lucrative offer to become his personal secretary and asked only for help in creating the theater.
