Grisar, Albert

1808-1869

A prolific Belgian dramatic composer; born at Antwerp. Had been placed by his family in the employ of a Liverpool merchant, and in his early twenties ran away to Paris, where he went to Reicha for lessons in composition, which did not continue long. The Revolution forced him to return to Antwerp, but a musical start having been made, he composed during the siege a dramatic romance, La folle, and in 1833 produced a drama, Le Manage Impossible, at Brussels, the success of which was the means of procuring him a grant from the government that enabled him to return to Paris for further musical work. Within the next seven years he produced there six or seven operas with success; but feeling the need of additional study he went to Naples in 1840, where he secured instruction in composition from Mercadante. In 1848 he returned to Paris, and there spent the rest of his life, bringing out nineteen comic operas, and leaving eleven or twelve others in manuscript. He also published more than fifty melodies and romances. He was a favorite in France, and possessed undoubted talent. His statue, modeled by Brackeleer, was placed in the vestibule of the Antwerp Theatre in 1870. Among his most important operas are Gilles Rayisseur; Les Porcherons; Le Carilloneur de Bruges; Les Amours du Diable; Le Chien du Jardinier; Voyage autour de ma Chambre; La Chatte merveilleuse; Begaiements d'amour; and Douze innocentes.