Composer (1833 - 1908) Ludovic Halévy was born in Paris on
December 31st, 1833 into a family of musicians and playwrights.
His father Léon was a scholar and playwright and his paternal
uncle, Jacques François Halévy, was a well-known composer.
Halévy followed in the family tradition and, even though he
became a government official, he started his career as a
librettist in 1855, working with Offenbach. Thereafter, he wrote
libretti with Hector Crémieux and Henri Meilhac for other operas
and operettas. His collaboration with Meilhac was all-important
because together they created the ideal libretti for Offenbach
and, most memorably, also wrote the libretto to Carmen for
Bizet. Among Offenbach's operas the most important are Orphée
aux enfers, La Belle Hélène, La Vie parisienne, La Grande-
duchesse de Gérolstein and La Périchole. Ludovic Halévy died in
Paris on May 7th, 1908. Composer (1831 - 1897) Henri Meilhac was
born in Paris on February 21st, 1831. After finishing his
secondary school studies, he was employe