Delibes, Léo

Delibes, Léo (lāô' dulēb') [key], 1836–91, French composer. After studying at the Conservatory in Paris, he became an accompanist at the Théâtre-Lyrique in 1853, and, ten years later, at the Paris Opéra. He achieved great success with his ballets, especially Coppélia (1870) and Sylvia (1876). Delibes also wrote many operettas and several operas, of which Lakmé (1883) is the most famous. His music, profusely melodic and vividly orchestrated, is admirably suited for stage performance. He was also an organist and composed religious music.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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