Auber had many imitators,
among whom perhaps the most successful was Adolphe Adam (1803-1856),
whose 'Chalet' and 'Postillon de Longjumeau' are still occasionally
performed. They reproduce the style of Auber with tolerable fidelity,
but have no value as original work. The only other composer of this
period who deserves to be mentioned is Felicien David (1810-1876). His
'Lalla Rookh,' a setting of Moore's story, though vastly inferior to his
symphonic poem 'Le Desert,' is a work of distinction and charm. To
David belongs the credit of opening the eyes of musicians to the
possibilities of Oriental colour. Operas upon Eastern subjects have
never been very popular in England, but in France many of them have been
successful. 'Le Desert' founded the school, of which 'Les Pecheurs de
Perles,' 'Djamileh,' 'Le Roi de Lahore,' and 'Lakme' are well-known
representatives. The career of the other musicians--many in number--of
this facile and thoughtless epoch may be summed up in a few words. They
were one and all imitators; Clapisson (1808-1866), Grisar (1808-1869),
and Maillart (1817-1871), clung to the skirts of Auber; Niedermeyer
(1802-1861), threw in his lot with Halevy. So far as they succeeded in
reproducing the external and superficial features of the music of their
prototypes, they enjoyed a brief day of popularity. But with the first
change of public taste they lapsed into oblivion, and their works
nowadays sound far more old-fashioned than those of the generation which
preceded them.
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