Who Wrote the Ballet Esmeralda?

Ballet

The Ballet Esmeralda has been beloved by audiences for over a century. The story, about a poor gypsy girl who is taken in by a monastery and eventually discovers her true identity, is a classic tale of love, beauty, and redemption. But who wrote the ballet?

The authorship of Esmeralda is often attributed to the French composer Charles Gounod, who wrote the music for the ballet. However, it was actually written by French poet and novelist Théophile Gautier. Gautier was a prolific author in the mid-19th century and had written several successful works prior to writing Esmeralda.

Gautier’s ballet is based on his 1844 novel La Esmeralda which tells the story of a poor gypsy girl named Esmeralda who falls in love with a nobleman but ultimately chooses to remain loyal to her gypsy roots. The novel was so popular that it spawned numerous adaptations including an opera and several ballets.

The first adaptation of La Esmeralda was an opera composed by Fromental Halévy in 1836. This work was not successful and it wasn’t until Gounod’s ballet adaptation that the story gained real traction with audiences. Gounod wrote the music for the ballet while Gautier wrote the libretto (the words sung by the singers) and choreographed most of the scenes himself.

Gautier’s version of La Esmeralda premiered at Paris’s Théâtre Lyrique in 1844 and quickly became one of their most popular works. It toured throughout Europe for years afterwards and continues to be performed today in both its original form as well as modern interpretations.

So while Charles Gounod is credited as being its composer, it was Théophile Gautier who wrote the Ballet Esmeralda – creating one of France’s most beloved works of art.

Conclusion: The Ballet Esmeralda was written by French poet and novelist Théophile Gautier based on his own novel La Esmeralda while composer Charles Gounod wrote its music score. It has been performed around Europe since its debut in 1844 and remains one of France’s most beloved works of art today.