Giacomo Meyerbeer, a German composer, born in Berlin, Sept. 5, 1794, died in Paris, May 2, 1864. His original name was Jakob Meyer Beer. (See Beer.) His parents belonged to a wealthy Jewish family, distinguished for a love of music. Giacomo displayed from his earliest childhood remarkable musical capacities; and it is said that in his fifth year he used to play little tunes spontaneously on the piano. His first teacher on that instrument was Franz Lauska, an artist of local reputation. In the theories of music he was instructed bv Karl Friedrich Zelter, afterward teacher of Mendelssohn. His performance on the piano soon elicited general admiration, but he preferred to devote himself to the study of dramatic composition. Bernhard Anselm Weber, his first instructor in that branch of the art, was succeeded in 1810 by the abbe Georg Joseph Vogler, one of the most eminent scientific musicians and the principal organist of Germany, who had opened in Darmstadt a school to which only young men of remarkable talent were admitted.

While in this school he became acquainted with Karl Maria von Weber, who, after composing several operas, had resumed his studies at Darmstadt. Meyerbeer and Weber lived together for nearly two years in the same room, and their intimate relation lasted until the death of the latter (1826), who left the last two acts of his opera, "The three Pintos," to be completed by his friend. While in Darmstadt Meyerbeer composed an oratorio, Gott und die Natur, which was received with great favor by the grand ducal family, and caused him to be appointed composer to the court. After about two years' study he set out on a tour through Germany, in company with Vogler, under whose auspices he produced his opera "Jephthah" at Munich in 1812. This, on account of its scientific precision, gave so much satisfaction to his teacher, that he pronounced him to have reached the climax of musical science, and handed him his official diploma as "maestro." But "Jephthah" had no elements of popularity, and was considered a failure. Discouraged by this reception, and at the same time impressed by the genius of Hummel, Meyerbeer now made his debut as a pianist at Vienna, with brilliant success.

The court of Vienna commissioned him to compose an opera, and he soon produced Die leiden Khalifen, which was no more successful than "Jephthah," both operas being totally opposite to the popular taste, which at that time was delighted with the productions of Rossini and Italian music generally. His friend Salieri prevailed upon him to visit Italy. Meyerbeer on his arrival there witnessed the performance of Rossini's "Tancred," and his enthusiasm for the Italian school now became as great as his aversion for it had formerly been. He began to imitate the Italian style, and composed in rapid succession a series of operas, which were almost all favorably received. His Ro-milda e Costanza was performed in Padua in 1818; his Semiramide riconosciuta, after Me-tastasio, in Turin in 1819; and his Emma di Resburgo, based upon the same subject as Mehul's "Helen," in Venice in 1820, in the same season with Rossini's Eduardo e Cris-tina, the productions of the German and Italian masters receiving the same share of enthusiastic applause. "Emma" was translated into German and performed in the principal opera houses of his native country.

In the mean time it had been received with great enthusiasm by the fastidious audiences of the Scala in Milan, and paved the way for the favorable reception there of his next opera, "Margaret of Anjou" (1822), in which Le-vasseur made his debut on the Italian stage. This was succeeded by EEsule di Granata (1823), the principal parts of which were written for Lablache and Pisaroni. But the procrastination in its performance, which did not take place before the carnival of that year, proved fatal to its reception. The first act was hissed, and the second would have shared the same fate but for a duet admirably sung by Lablache and Pisaroni. Subsequently the opera proved successful. "Almanzor" was also composed in 1822, and intended for the opera of Rome; but owing to the illness of Carolina Bassi, who was to take the principal part, it was never brought out. The Crociato was given in Venice at the end of 1825, and at the close of the performance Meyerbeer was called before the curtain and crowned amid the plaudits of the audience. He now made the tour of the different Italian cities, to attend personally to the production of his works.

The Crociato may be taken as the best and most individual of his productions up to that time, the style of which had been marked by a successive improvement, and formed a turning point in Meyerbeer's career. M. de La Rochefoucauld invited him to Paris (1826), where the Crociato was received with considerable favor, and Paris was henceforth his headquarters. In 1826 he composed Robert le diable, which he sold in July, 1830, to M. Lubbert, director of the grand opera, and which made the fortune of his successor, M. Veron. After many rehearsals it was at length brought out in November, 1831. The excitement it created was unparalleled in the history of the Parisian stage. It combined in a singular degree oriental gorgeousness, German thoughtfulness, French vivacity, and Italian brilliancy, and exhibited a breadth and depth of talent for which the preceding works of the composer, with the exception of some parts of the Crociato, had hardly prepared the public. The enthusiasm which greeted it in Paris was shared by nearly all Europe, but it found perhaps more admirers in Germany and France than in other countries, and never fully received recognition in England. The Germans especially were fascinated by an opera which in some respects reminded them of Goethe's "Faust," and which combined in so remarkable a degree the convivial, picturesque, pathetic, and supernatural elements.

The most popular airs were soon transferred from the stage to the streets, and sung in the taverns. Jenny Lind won her brightest laurels in London by her personification of Alice, and Formes invested Bertram with an intellectuality almost equalling that of Goethe's Mephistopheles. The melodies of "Robert," the best produced by Meyerbeer, are in the main formed upon the style of Rossini, with certain changes. It has Weber's supernaturalism and the developed orchestration of the period, with the extensions proper to a long subject fully handled. The keen and subtle intellectuality of the composer is revealed throughout the whole work in his effort to make it in every sense acceptable to Parisian audiences. Hence his adoption of the extended musico-dramatical form, so popular in France; his attention to effective contrasts and sequences, which the French dramatists and lyrical composers treat with such consummate skill; his introduction of a vast range and variety of scenic accessories; the sonority of the orchestra, so much insisted upon at the grand opera; and the selection of a libretto by Scribe, which rivets the attention of the audience through the whole of five long acts, without for a moment abating in interest.

Meyerbeer reached the climax of his fame by his opera Les Huguenots. The admiration which this work elicited on its first appearance in Paris in March, 1836, has not jet diminished: and even in Berlin, where his productions had been subjected to the adverse criticism of jealous rivals and of antagonistic schools of music, all depreciating voices were hushed by the "Huguenots," and the friends and foes of the composer became for the first time unanimous in their admiration of his genius. The dramatic character of the " Huguenots " is not surpassed by any work of the lyrical stage, and the strife between the great religious parties in France was never before portrayed with such graphic power and thrilling eli'ect. The "Huguenots" is,.above all, to be regarded as one of the first of the operatic achievements which derive their inspiration from the records of history; and it contributed to inaugurate the era of the lyrico-historic drama, in which the greatest effects that the musical and dramatic stage and its accessories are capable of are used to illustrate the most momentous conflicts of mankind. Like most great works, those of Meyerbeer required time in their elaboration, and 13 years elapsed before his next opera, Le prophete, was ripe for performance.

It appeared in 1849, and at once took a high place as a worthy successor of the "Huguenots." Although much less imposing in its historic groundwork and in its general effect, it shows the same largeness of musical and artistic treatment; and as a lyrical drama it derives great beauty from the admirable manner in which the maternal love of Fides is placed in contrast with the religious frenzy of her son, the prophet of Leyden. The scores in this opera, as in Meyerbeer's other works, are wonderful in their elaboration, and may be commended to students for their careful dramatic portraitures, in which the orchestra is made to echo or anticipate the characterization of the scene. The extraordinary labor bestowed upon the mise en scene of the "Prophet" has been deemed superfluous by several critics, who regard this excessive elaboration of external effects as derogatory to the genius of the composer and to the intrinsic merits of his works. The "Prophet" was followed by Pierre le Grand (L'Etoile du nord, 1854), and "Dino-rah." (Le pardon de Ploermel, 1858). The former of these shows the versatility of the author, though its success cannot be compared with that of its great predecessors. "Dino-rah," which treats rustic and pastoral theme, is variously criticised in Europe, and unfavorably as regards melody.

Meyerbeer published a great number of miscellaneous musical compositions, among which are Lecamp de SiIesie, an opera produced at Berlin; a Stabat,a Miserere, a Te Denm, eight of Klopstock's canticles, a number of cantatas, many songs for nolo voice with pianoforte accompaniment, and wine minor orchestral works. He wrote also the incidental music for his brother's drama of Struentee. lie was for many years engaged upon the opera L'Africaine.' This work was elaborated with the same indomitable care that the composer had bestowed on Robert le dioble and Le prophete, and exhibits the same characteristics of its author, a profound knowledge of all the elements of effect and labored detail rather than inspiration. Although it was completed several years before his death, he delayed its production, waiting to find a prima donna who should satisfy his ideal of Selika. It was brought out in Paris in April, 1865, and in New York in December of that year. - See Meyerbeer et son temps, by H. Blaze de Bury (Paris, 1865), and Giacomo Meyerbeer, sein Leben und seine Werke, by H. Mendel (Berlin, 1868).