COMPOSER

Michael William Balfe

1808 - 1870

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Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially The Bohemian Girl. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to compose. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he composed at least 29 operas, almost 250 songs, several cantatas and other works. He was also a noted conductor, directing Italian Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre for seven years, among other conducting posts. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Michael William Balfe is the 1,208th most popular composer (down from 977th in 2019), the 238th most popular biography from Ireland (down from 151st in 2019) and the 4th most popular Irish Composer.

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Among COMPOSERS

Among composers, Michael William Balfe ranks 1,208 out of 1,451. Before him are Francisco Asenjo Barbieri, Dimitri Arakishvili, Leonel Power, Camille Erlanger, William Bolcom, and Eino Tamberg. After him are Dobri Hristov, Johann Nepomuk David, Joonas Kokkonen, Emilio Arrieta, Brad Fiedel, and Lepo Sumera.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1808, Michael William Balfe ranks 62. Before him are Constantin Negruzzi, John Hutton Balfour, Franz Theodor Kugler, Wilhelm Philippe Schimper, Manuel Isidoro Belzu, and Wendela Hebbe. After him are José Rufino Echenique, Hugh Falconer, Frederik Kaiser, Hamilton Fish, Philipp Christoph Zeller, and José María Urvina. Among people deceased in 1870, Michael William Balfe ranks 60. Before him are Franz Unger, Jules Pierre Rambur, Albrecht von Graefe, Charles Joseph Minard, Thomas Campbell Eyton, and Joséphine Fodor. After him are Pascual Madoz, John P. Kennedy, Umihana Čuvidina, David Octavius Hill, Radhanath Sikdar, and Emma Willard.

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In Ireland

Among people born in Ireland, Michael William Balfe ranks 238 out of 549. Before him are Conel Hugh O'Donel Alexander (1909), Ray McAnally (1926), Garret FitzGerald (1926), Margaret Mazzantini (1961), Hugh O'Flaherty (1898), and Richard Kirwan (1733). After him are Henry Kellett (1806), George Salmon (1819), Michael McElhatton (1963), Lena Rice (1866), Ronnie Drew (1934), and Joe Kelly (1913).

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Among COMPOSERS In Ireland

Among composers born in Ireland, Michael William Balfe ranks 4. Before him are John Field (1782), Turlough O'Carolan (1670), and Charles Villiers Stanford (1852). After him are Victor Herbert (1859), and Michael McGlynn (1964).

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