From the Carnavalet Museum, Paris.
]
The partial success fired his heart sufficiently for him to leave Rouen
and seek Paris for the second time. This time he carried with him thirty
francs, an operatic score, and an abundance of self-confidence. He was
now nineteen years old. His reception was the chilling one usually
accorded to young composers in Paris, and very soon he began to feel the
nippings of hunger, which put the thoughts of public success out of his
head for the nonce, and drove him to teaching piano. He however had the
good fortune to make the acquaintance of the celebrated tenor Garat, and
this gentleman became interested in him, and finally sang some of his
_chansons_ in public and in fashionable drawing-rooms. These little
songs soon found favor, and Boieldieu became gradually known through
them. M. Cochet, the publisher, paid him twelve francs each for these
productions, a figure which seems ridiculous until one remembers that
Schubert sometimes accepted a franc or two for some of his immortal
_lieder_. Some of these early works of Boieldieu are still in the
musical repertoire, and are occasionally heard in concerts, as for
example, “O toi que j’aime,” and “Menestrel,” and they served at the
time to spread the social success of the composer. Finally Boieldieu
made the acquaintance of Fiévée, the novelist, who wrote for him a short
libretto in one act, “La Dot de Suzette,” and this opera, after many
intrigues and jealousies, achieved performance and success, thanks to a
bright libretto, sparkling melodies, and the excellent performance of
Madame St. Aubin.
Boieldieu’s prospects now changed with Aladdin-like suddenness, for his
next opera, “La Famille Suisse,” was performed at the Theatre Feydeau
for thirty nights in alternation with Cherubini’s “Medee,” and thus
early began that connection with the great Italian maestro, at that time
the best musician in France, which was to be so fruitful of good results
to the new favorite. In 1798 Boieldieu turned for a while from operatic
work, and composed a number of piano sonatas, piano and harp duets, and
a piano concerto. Although these exercised no permanent influence on the
art, they obtained for him the appointment of professor of piano at the
Paris Conservatoire, two years later. In this position, however he was
not very successful; he was too much wrapped up in composition to make a
good teacher. The musical historian Fétis, who was his pupil, confirms
this estimate; but the post at the Conservatoire led to a close
acquaintance with Cherubini, by which Boieldieu began to remedy his lack
of knowledge of counterpoint and fugal work. Although Fétis denies that
Boieldieu was ever the pupil of Cherubini, there is every reason to
believe that this was the case, even if a regular stipend was not paid
for the tuition. The very fact that in 1799 the two worked in
collaboration on “La Prisonnière” might tend to show that Boieldieu was
anxious to attain something of Cherubini’s musical learning, and his
submission of many later operas to the judgment of this master proves
that he was willing to be guided by him.
About this time Boieldieu produced two operas that carried his fame
beyond his native country; these were the Polish “Benjowski” and the
very tuneful “Caliph of Bagdad,” both of which will receive further
mention in the analytical portion of this article. A little later there
appeared a more advanced work,—“Ma Tante Aurore.” The success was now so
well established that all Parisian managers sought for works from the
gifted pen, and opera followed opera.
[Illustration: