# Daniel François Esprit Auber

> French composer (1782-1871)

**Wikidata**: [Q157672](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q157672)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Auber)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/daniel-francois-esprit-auber

## Summary
Daniel François Esprit Auber (1782–1871) was a French composer best known for his operatic works, including *La muette de Portici* (1828). He held significant positions in French musical institutions, including affiliation with the Conservatoire de Paris, and was recognized with high honors such as the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour. Auber is associated with genres including grand opera, opéra comique, and broader classical and operatic traditions.

## Biography
- **Born:** January 29, 1782
- **Died:** May 12, 1871
- **Nationality:** French
- **Known for:** Opera composition, including grand opera and opéra comique; contributions to 19th-century French classical music
- **Field(s):** Music composition, classical music, opera
- **Employer(s):** Conservatoire de Paris
- **Memberships:** Académie des beaux-arts; Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
- **Awards:** Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour; Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order (civil class)

## Contributions
Daniel François Esprit Auber composed numerous operatic and classical works. His most notable composition is the opera *La muette de Portici*, first performed in 1828. This work is recognized within the grand opera genre and holds historical significance in French opera. Auber's compositions span multiple genres, including grand opera, opéra comique, and general opera, contributing to the Western classical music tradition. His professional affiliations with institutions such as the Conservatoire de Paris and his memberships in learned societies underscore his contributions to music education and academic discourse in the arts.

## FAQs
**What is Daniel François Esprit Auber best known for?**
He is best known for composing the opera *La muette de Portici* (1828), a landmark work in the grand opera genre, and for his broader contributions to French opera and classical music.

**What positions did Auber hold during his career?**
Auber was affiliated with the Conservatoire de Paris, a leading music and dance school, and was a member of the Académie des beaux-arts and the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.

**What awards and honors did Auber receive?**
He was named Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour, the fourth rank of the French Legion of Honour, and received the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order (civil class), a Prussian/German distinction established in 1842.

**What musical genres is Auber associated with?**
Auber is associated with grand opera, opéra comique, opera, and the broader tradition of Western classical music.

## Why They Matter
Daniel François Esprit Auber played a pivotal role in the development of 19th-century French opera, particularly through his contributions to the grand opera and opéra comique genres. His work *La muette de Portici* is historically significant within the operatic canon. Through his institutional affiliations, including the Conservatoire de Paris, the Académie des beaux-arts, and the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, Auber helped shape music education and the academic study of the arts in France and beyond. His recognition with the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour and the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order highlights the esteem in which he was held both domestically and internationally. Auber's legacy endures in the continued performance and study of his operas and his influence on the evolution of French musical theater.

## Notable For
- Composing *La muette de Portici* (1828), a significant grand opera
- Affiliation with the Conservatoire de Paris
- Membership in the Académie des beaux-arts (founded 1816)
- Membership in the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium (founded 1816)
- Recipient of the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
- Recipient of the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order (civil class)
- Contributions to grand opera, opéra comique, opera, and classical music genres

## Body

### Early Life and Background
Daniel François Esprit Auber was born on January 29, 1782, in France. He lived during a transformative period in French and European history, spanning the late 18th and 19th centuries, and died on May 12, 1871, at the age of 89.

### Musical Career and Compositions
Auber was a composer whose work encompassed multiple genres within Western art music. He is most closely associated with grand opera, opéra comique, and opera. His compositions include:

- ***La muette de Portici* (1828):** An opera recognized as a key work in the grand opera genre. The opera has a sitelink count of 19, indicating its documented significance across informational sources.

His professional identity aligns with the definition of a composer as "a person who is an author of music in any form." Auber's creative output contributed to the broader tradition of classical music, which has roots tracing back to approximately 500 AD, and to opera as an art form combining sung text and musical score in a theatrical setting, established around 1600.

### Institutional Affiliations
Auber was affiliated with several prominent institutions:

- **Conservatoire de Paris:** Auber was employed by or affiliated with the Conservatoire de Paris, a prestigious music and dance school founded on August 3, 1795, in Paris, France. The institution plays a central role in French music education and has 388 employees.
- **Académie des beaux-arts:** Auber was a member of the Académie des beaux-arts, a French learned society based in Paris. The academy has inception dates of 1803 and March 21, 1816, and operates within France.
- **Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium:** Auber was also a member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium, the Belgian national academy founded on May 17, 1816.

### Honors and Recognition
Auber received multiple high-level honors:

- **Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour:** This is the fourth rank of the French Legion of Honour, a French order of merit.
- **Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order (civil class):** Auber received this Prussian/German order, which was established on May 31, 1842. The civil class of the order recognizes contributions to sciences and arts.

### Legacy and Documentation
Daniel François Esprit Auber is extensively documented across numerous databases and knowledge bases, with 52 sitelinks and identifiers across systems such as Wikidata, VIAF, ISNI, BNF, and many others. His Wikipedia title is "Daniel Auber," and his Wikidata description identifies him as a "French composer (1782-1871)." He is also known by the aliases Daniel-François-Esprit Auber, François Auber, and simply Auber. His gravesite is documented at Père-Lachaise Cemetery (Division 4), and his image is preserved in historical postcards and photographs.

## References

1. Archivio Storico Ricordi
2. Integrated Authority File
3. [Source](http://archives.paris.fr/s/4/etat-civil-actes/resultats/?)
4. BnF authorities
5. Find a Grave
6. International Standard Name Identifier
7. MusicBrainz
8. CiNii Research
9. Léonore database
10. SNAC
11. International Music Score Library Project
12. filmportal.de
13. Academy of Arts, Berlin
14. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
15. Great Norwegian Encyclopedia
16. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana
17. Musicalics
18. Proleksis Encyclopedia
19. Croatian Encyclopedia
20. La France savante
21. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
22. Virtual International Authority File
23. CONOR.SI
24. BBC Things
25. LIBRIS. 2018
26. [Source](https://mix-n-match.toolforge.org/#/entry/63767375)
27. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute
28. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
29. performing-arts.ch
30. Media Library for Dance and Theatre