Giacomo Meyerbeer

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864), one of the most influential French opera composers of the mid-nineteenth century, was also renowned as a pianist and conductor. He was one of the composers responsible for the development of the genre of grand opera. Although his works began to lose popularity in the 20th century and have largely dropped out of the repertoire, his operas were once hugely popular and were models for Wagner's early operas. He wrote for the Italian and German stage, but his most popular works, including Robert le diable, Les Huguenots, Le Prophète, and L'Africaine, were written for the Paris Opéra.