Émile Augier

Guillaume Victor Émile Augier (* September 17, 1820 in Valence, † October 25, 1889 in Croissy -sur -Seine, Yvelines ) was a French dramatist, lyricist and librettist.

Augier, maternal grandson of Guillaume Pigault -Lebrun came young to Paris, where he at first devoted himself to the study of law and for a time worked in the office of a notary. In 1844 came his first play, the comedy La ciguë which deals with the conversion of an Athenian Misanthrope by the selfless love of a beautiful slave and has remained one of his best works on the Odéontheater for performance and immediately won a resounding success. At the same time it opened him the doors of the Théâtre Français, where he initially Un homme de bien, then two of his major works: ( Gabrielle or the lawyer of his honor in 1849, crowned by the Academy, German ) L' aventuriere (1848 ) and Gabrielle brought for display.

All these pieces are, as of the later still the for Rachel sealed semi- historical drama Diane (1852 ), the less addressed, Philiberte (1853 ), La jeunesse (1858 ) and Paul Forestier (1868 ), written in verse, which, however, nothing metal of the sound and the majesty of Victor Hugo 's verse have, but do not lack a certain grace and reveal the diligent study of Molière and Corneille.

The criticism at that time been mainly in the hands of romantics such as Théophile Gautier and Auguste Vacquerie, could not make friends with the measured tone and the philistine according to their terms morale of Augierschen dramas and described the course taken by him direction as école de bon sens. Augier had but now facing all modern fabrics and provided a series of prose authored pieces, in which he expressed the keenest observation of the infirmity of the time and they lashed out ruthlessly when he therefore also a more upmarket treatment, as she had come by Augier Dumas in recording, and a belief idealistischern disliked renounce.

These dramas are Le Mariage d' Olympe, from his point of a reply to the Lady of the Camellias by Dumas; Le gendre de M. Poirier: comédie en 4 actes ( with Jules Sandeau, 1854), one of the most delicious, designed with humor and candor description of the antithesis of the stands and still standing repertoire of the Théâtre Français piece; Les Lionnes pauvres (1858 ) and Les Effrontés (1861 ), in which Augier the scourge of the greed and self-indulgence that resonates conscience and shamelessness of his contemporaries; finally Les Fils de Giboyer (1862 ), a continuation of the latter piece, in which the clerical hypocrisy and intrigue a sharp polished mirror is held. The piece is reminiscent of the Tartuffe and had the part of the imperial censorship to overcome the same difficulties before it could get to the performance.

Wanted in La in their adventurous heroes all Paris recognize same moral rigor developed Augier on contagion (1866 ), the Duke of Morny, and in Les lions et les renards (1869). The later great success Augiers hot except in 1869 played Maitre Guerin a satire on the mischievousness of certain lawyers: Paul Forestier ( 1868th ); Madame Caverlet (1876 ), a plea for divorce, and finally his masterpiece Les Fourchambault in which a natural son, rescued his father, who has forgotten him from the disgrace and ruin of the same legitimate son humbled by his generosity.

Moreover, to name yet:

• Les méprises de l' amour, a never listed comedy in verse (1844 );
• Le Joueur de flute (1850 );
• La Pierre de touche ( with Sandeau, 1853);
• Ceinture Dorée (1855 );
• Un beau mariage ( with Foussier, 1859);
• Le postscript (1869 );
• Jean de Thommeray (1873 ) and
• Le Prix Martin ( with Eugène Labiche, 1876).

Also one of Augier has an opera Sapho: opéra en trois actes (1851 ) to which Gounod wrote the music, and a band Poésies (1856 ). Augier found 1857 admission to the Academy, and in 1868 awarded the Commander of the Legion of Honour. His dramas collected appeared as Théatre complet ( 1876-77, 4 vols ).