Blaze, François Henri Joseph

1784-1857

He is sometimes called Castil-Blaze, French musical critic and writer on musical subjects. Received his first instructions from his father, who although a lawyer was a good musician. In 1799, Blaze went to Paris to study law, but became a student at the Conservatory and also took private lessons in harmony. In 1820 he gave up the law and went to Paris, where he soon became famous as a musical critic and as the author of a twovolume work, The Opera in France, which appeared in 1820. From 1822 to 1832 Blaze was musical critic of the Journal des Debats, and he also wrote numerous articles for other periodicals. He also published a Dictionary of Modern Music and Theatres Lyriques de Paris, in three volumes and beside translated into French a large number of Italian and German operas. His compositions, which are forgotten, consist of two comic operas and a serious one, several romances and some chamber-music. He made a valuable collection of the songs of southern France called Chants de Provence.