Adam, Adolphe Charles (1803–1856)

French composer of light operas and founder of the Théâtre National, Paris, in 1847. His stage works include Le Postillon de Lonjumeau/The Coachman of Lonjumeau (1836) and Si j'étais roi/If I Were King (1852), but he is best remembered for his ballet score for Giselle (1841). Around 80 of his works were staged.

He wrote about 20 vaudeville pieces for three Paris theatres, 1824–29, then an operetta, Pierre et Catherine, for the Opéra-Comique in 1829, and his first opera, Danilowa, in 1830. He was allowed to study at the Paris Conservatory only as an amateur, but eventually became professor of composition there in 1849. His autobiographical Souvenirs d'un musicien/A Musician's Memories and Derniers Souvenirs d'un musicien/Last Memories of a Musician were published 1857–59.

Works Opera Le Châlet (1834), Le Postillon de Lonjumeau (1836), Richard en Palestine (after Scott; 1844), La Poupée de Nuremberg (1852), Si j'étais roi (1852), Falstaff (1856).

Ballet Faust (1833), Giselle (1841).