Alexandre Luigini, Known for Ballet égyptien, Died July 29, 1906

Summary: French composer and conductor Alexandre Luigini, known for Ballet égyptien, died July 29, 1906, four-plus months after his 56th birthday.

Alexandre Luigini, ca. 1880, by French photographer Nadar, pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Turnachon (April 6, 1820-March 20, 1910); Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

French composer and conductor Alexandre Luigini, who died July 29, 1906, is remembered for his ballets, especially Ballet égyptien, Op. 12, composed in 1875.

An unspecified performance of Aida in 1886 in Lyon, east central France, is credited with boosting the popularity of Luigini’s Ballet égyptien. The ballet was inserted into the second act of the ancient Egypt-themed opera composed in 1871 by 19th century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). Aida’s second act opens in the chamber of Amneris, daughter of the King of Egypt, with dances and music in celebration of victory in battle by Radamès, Captain of the Guard. At the time of the 1886 insertion, Alexandre Luigini was serving as conductor of the Lyon opera house’s orchestra.

Ballet égyptien’s performance history includes the Metropolitan Opera’s concert repertoire. Met Opera’s first performance of the ballet took place Dec. 31, 1916, during the opera house’s Seventh Sunday Concert. A second performance occurred Jan. 18, 1925, during Met Opera’s Eleventh Sunday Night Concert. The opera house’s third and last performance of Ballet égyptien dates to Jan. 30, 1927, during the Metropolitan Opera’s Sunday Night Concert.

The Metropolitan Opera’s online archives detail performances of four other compositions by Alexandre Luigini. Carnaval Turc, Op. 51, and Le Printemps, Op. 59, claim the first performances of Alexandre Luigini’s music at the Metropolitan Opera. The two pieces were performed Nov. 24, 1907, during the opera house’s First Grand Sunday Night Concert. Luigini’s “poésie musicale” (musical poetry), Le Printemps, was performed first, followed immediately by his “poème symphonique” (symphonic poem), Carnaval Turc.

Marche solennelle, Op. 8, was the third Luigini composition to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera. Marche solennelle opened the opera house’s Second Grand Sunday Night Concert, held Dec. 1, 1907.

La Voix des Cloches, Op. 18, was the fifth Luigini composition to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera. Luigini’s “reverie” was included in the opera house’s Twenty-First Sunday Night Concert on March 30, 1924.

Alexandre Clément Léon Joseph Luigini was born Saturday, March 9, 1850, in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, east central France. His parents were Joseph Ferdinand Pierre Luigini (June 16, 1822-July 9, 1898) and Joséphine Renaud Luigini (Dec. 25, 1818-July 1, 1887). Joseph Luigini conducted the orchestra at Grand Théâtre, the opera house of Lyon’s opera company (l’opéra national de Lyon).

Alexander Luigini studied at the Paris Conservatory (Conservatoire de Paris). His teachers included Belgian violinist Lambert Joseph Massart (July 19, 1811-Feb. 13, 1892); French composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912); and French composer and harmony teacher Marie Gabriel Augustin Savard (Aug. 21, 1814-June 7, 1881). In 1869, he won the second prize in violin at the Paris Conservatory.

After his studies, he returned to Lyon. In his hometown he played solo violin, under his father’s conductorship, at the Grand Théâtre, beginning in 1869. Alexandre Luigini assumed the orchestra’s conductorship in 1877 and, beginning in 1879, also taught composition and harmony at the Lyon Conservatory (Conservatoire de Lyon).

In 1897, Alexandre Luigini relocated from Lyon to Paris to become the music director and conductor of the Théâtre National de l’Opéra-Comique. At l’Opéra-Comique, his conductorship included the world premiere of Cendrillon by his former teacher, Jules Massenet, on May 24, 1899.

Besides ballets, Luigini’s compositions included operas and other instrumental and vocal settings. He is credited with three operas. Les Caprices de Margot premiered April 13, 1877, in Lyon. La Reine des Fleurs premiered in Lyon in 1878. Faublas premiered Oct. 13, 1881, at Théâtre de Cluny in Paris.

Alexandre Luigini passed away Sunday, July 29, 1906, four months 20 days after his 56th birthday. His death certificate (acte de décès) records the time and place of death as 7:15 p.m. in the musician’s home at 32, Boulevard Haussmann. He was buried in the family plot in the commune of Orliénas cemetery (Cimetière d’Orliénas), Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, east central France.

The takeaway for Alexandre Luigini, who died July 29, 1906, is that the French composer and conductor is remembered for his Ballet égyptien, which was performed three times at the Metropolitan Opera between 1916 and 1927.

A street in the first arrondissement (1er arrondissement) of Lyon, Alexandre Lugini’s birthplace, honors the French composer and conductor; Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, 15:35: Sebleouf, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Alexandre Luigini, ca. 1880, by French photographer Nadar, pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Turnachon (April 6, 1820-March 20, 1910); Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luigini,_Alexandre,_Nadar,_Gallica.jpg

A street in the first arrondissement (1er arrondissement) of Lyon, Alexandre Lugini’s birthplace, honors the French composer and conductor; Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, 15:35: Sebleouf, CC BY SA 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lyon_1er_-_Rue_Alexandre_Luigini_(plaque).jpg

For further information:

Chauveau, Philippe. Les Théâtres Parisiens Disparus: 1402-1986. Paris, France: Amandier, 1999.

Csoka, Imre. “Alexandre Clément Joseph Léon Luigini.” Geneanet > Imre CSOKA’s Family Tree.
Available via Geneanet @ https://gw.geneanet.org/icsoka?lang=en&pz=imre+francis+christian&nz=csoka&p=alexandre+clement+joseph+leon&n=luigini

“Luigini, Alexandre Clément Léon Joseph.” Base Léonore, N° de notice L1675026.
Available via République Française Ministère de la Culture @ http://www2.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/leonore_fr?ACTION=CHERCHER&FIELD_1=COTE&VALUE_1=LH%2F1675%2F26

“Luigini: Ballet Égyptien.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 64570 Seventh Sunday Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/1916.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=64570

“Luigini: Ballet Égyptien.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 89020 Eleventh Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 01/18/1925.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=89020

“Luigini: Ballet Égyptien.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 95220 Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 01/30/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=95220

“Luigini: Carnaval Turc.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 40060 First Grand Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/24/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=40060

“Luigini: La Voix des Cloches.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 87000 Twenty-First Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/30/1924.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=87000

“Luigini: Le Printemps.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 40060 First Grand Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/24/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=40060

“Luigini: Marche Solennelle.” MetOpera Database > [Met Concert/Gala] CID: 40140 Second Grand Sunday Night Concert. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/1/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=40140

Marriner, Derdriu. “Aida Is the April 15, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, April 10, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/04/aida-is-april-15-2017-metropolitan.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Aida Is the May 4, 2019, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, April 29, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/04/aida-is-may-4-2019-metropolitan-opera.html

Randel, Don Michael, ed. “Luigini, Alexandre (Clément Léon Joseph).” The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music: 523. Cambridge MA; London, England: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1996.

Tic, U. Maurice. “M. Alexandre Luigini, Premier Chef d’Orchestre au Grand-Théatre.” Lyon-Théâtre: Programme Officiel des Théâtres Municipaux de Lyon, no. 12 (1893): 1-2.
Available via Bibliothèque municipal de Lyon @ http://collections.bm-lyon.fr/presseXIX/PER00311323?page=1

Wolff, Stéphane. Un Demi-Siècle d'Opéra-Comique 1900–1950. Paris, France: André Bonne, 1953.