David, Samuel

French musician; born in Paris Nov. 12, 1836; died there Oct. 3, 1895. He received his musical education at the Conservatoire, where he was a pupil of Bazin and Halévy. In 1858 he received the "Grand Prix de Rome" for his cantata "Jephtha," and in the following year was the recipient of another prize for the work entitled "Le Génie de la Terre," which was performed by a malechorus and orchestra, the former numbering 6,000 voices. In 1861 he was appointed professor at the Collège de Saint-Barbe, and in 1872 he became musical director in the synagogues of Paris.

David was the composer of the following operas and operettas, all of which were performed in Paris: "La Peau de l'Ours," operetta, 1858; "Mademoiselle Sylvia," operetta, 1868; "Tu l'as Voulu," operetta, 1869; "Le Bien d'Autrui," 1869; "Un Caprice de Ninon," 1871; "La Fée des Bruyères," 1878. David is also the composer of an "ode-symphonie" entitled "Le Triomphe de la Paix," 1878, which is generally regarded as his most popular composition.

He has written, besides the above-mentioned works, four symphonies, a number of choruses and songs, and the following unperformed operatic works: "Les Chevaliers du Poignard"; "Une Dragonnade"; "La Gageure"; L'Education d'un Prince"; "Les Changeurs"; "Absalon"; and "I Maccabei" (in Italian). A theoretical work, "L'Art de Jouer en Mesure," Paris, 1862, is also popular.

Bibliography:

  * Baker, Biographical Dictionary of Musicians;
  * Riemann, Musik-Lexikon.



S.J. So.