Talk:Michael William Balfe

Errors

There are many errors on your Balfe page, which need correction if you are to be acceptable and credible. See www.britishandirishworld.com and if you want to use facts from this web site it's ok so long as you feature a linke to www.britishandirishworld.com

Webmaster basilwalsh@msn.com

You can't dictate terms like that here. See GFDL -- Evercat 00:40 May 9, 2003 (UTC)

While facts can't be copyrighted, photographs can be and the web site pointed out above has many excellent illustrations. I'm certain that any corrections or additions that Mr Walsh would be willing to make here or explicitly release under the GFDL would be welcomed, and Wikipedia is always happy when errors are corrected. -- Someone else 00:57 May 9, 2003 (UTC)

Operas for Paris

I removed the line about Scribe and Saint-George because it's hard to see how it can be made informational enough to stay. First names are not given for either librettist, and while Eugène Scribe I figured out, I can't figure who Saint-George is. Chevalier de Saint-Georges was dead some 40 years by then, but he's the only French composer I can find with that name. But if we can't say who the librettists are, what's the point of having a line that attempts to name them? I'm also gonna toss Template:1911 on the article, 'cause it's pretty much all copied and pasted from the EB. - Severinus 01:10, 20 October 2006 (UTC)

I've cleaned up that section with the aid of Opera Grove. "Saint-George" is almost certainly Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, but none of Balfe's Paris operas had him as co-librettist. --GuillaumeTell (talk) 17:59, 18 February 2008 (UTC)

Title

Is there any particular reason why the article is "Michael William Balfe" and not plain "Michael Balfe"? There's no other notable Michael Balfe afaik, and if there were, the disambig would be "Michael Balfe (composer)". -- JackofOz (talk) 21:51, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

I don't know why it was named like this. If Balfe was generally credited as "Michael Balfe", you could move it. But then you'd need to fix a lot of links. Doesn't this come under the heading of "If it ain't broke...."? Nice work, BTW on St James's Hall. -- Ssilvers (talk) 23:14, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

Thanks. Well, I don't really regard it as "not broke" if the title is in any way inappropriate. Grove V refers to him as "Balfe, Michael (William)", which means that William was his middle name but he was not generally referred to by all 3 names. I have seen him referred to by all 3 names in some places, but by only 2 in others. If there's no compelling reason why we should use 3 names, why not just adhere to WP policy on names and call it "Michael Balfe"? The need to fix links after a move is no reason not to make a move, where required. I do it often, and it's no burden as far as I'm concerned. -- JackofOz (talk) 23:58, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

I just googled around.

• Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/50153/Michael-William-Balfe
• Victor discography: http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/talentDetail.php?id=40077
• Classical Archives/All Music Guide: http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/2124.html#about
• Findagrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20583
• 2003 Biography: by William Tyldesley
• Encarta: http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_762504857/balfe_michael_william.html

and most other references seem to use all three names. It's up to you. If you think the Wikipedia rules are crystal clear, then be bold. -- Ssilvers (talk) 00:50, 2 April 2009 (UTC)

Fit of nerves

I removed the following unreferenced sentence: "In 1839 in London, at the premiere of John Barnett's Farinelli, in which he was singing the title role, Balfe experienced a breakdown or fit of nerves and had to withdraw." First of all, no source is given. Second, it seems that the story is confused. Maybe it was just a rumor? -- Ssilvers (talk) 13:58, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

38 operas?

Hello. I just included a list of all of Balfe's operas, derived from Basil Walsh's biography (2008) of Balfe, as referenced. I am counting 29 operas altogether without the various versions in other languages. There are over 40, if one includes these as independent works (which I think is not appropriate). The Balfe article begins with the statement that he wrote 38 operas, and I can't see where this figure comes from, although I have seen it before. Any idea? Aklein62 (talk) 18:24, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

"Be bold!" - and change it. Or one could say "nearly 40." kosboot (talk) 22:36, 4 March 2015 (UTC)

I must disagree with Kosboot. It was a good idea to open a discussion about the point, and, having done so, you should give it a couple of days to see if anyone can come up with other reliable sources to see if they agree on the number. I have left a note at the Opera project to see if anyone there can help us come to a confident answer. If no one weighs in by the weekend, then I think that AKlein should go ahead and change it to either 29 or "at least 29", as I agree with him that it is best to count all the translations of an opera as one piece, unless it is a real re-writing of the story, rather than a translation or even close adaptation of the story. Also, A. Klein, would you kindly cite your source at the top of the compositions section, including the page number? Thanks! -- Ssilvers (talk) 02:20, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

Okay, done. Actually, I had quoted the source originally but my whole edit was not saved (timeout?) and I had to do it again. Anyway, there you are.Aklein62 (talk) 09:10, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

Good, thanks. BTW, when the screen says timeout, usually if you just push "save" a second time, it usually works. -- Ssilvers (talk) 16:20, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

Nigel Burton in the New Grove Dictionary, 1998, pp. 287—288, has a listing of 35 under "Works" including Caractacus, an "historical play" (not an opera then?) and five or 6 which he notes as "lost" or, in the case of Lo scudiero, set to a libretto by Piave in 1834 and noted as "unperf., lost". I hope that this helps. Viva-Verdi (talk) 20:20, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

In terms of existing performed operas (not counting translated versions or performances under a different title), 29 seems to be right, and is the number given by Basil Walsh. What is the source for "38" in the first place? I can't find that figure anywhere. Without a source it doesn't belong there. Why not just say in the lede "numerous" instead of giving an exact number, and then wait until the list is clarified and sourced. I suggest that someone with access to Grove, go over the list very carefully there, and double check for further information on each work given. Caractacus is definitely a play with incidental music by Balfe (not an opera), and there are probably several more like that on the Grove list. The complete Balfe: his life and work (1882) is online. On page 296 it has Balfe's own list of his operas which number 27, but ends with Blanche de Nevers (1863). Il talismano was performed posthumously, hence wouldn't be on that list. The other one left off is The Sleeping Queen (1864), apparently "a little operetta written for Mr. and Mrs. German Reed". Voceditenore (talk) 11:47, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Well, I made it "at least 29" until someone wants to get more precise. How's that? -- Ssilvers (talk) 14:35, 8 March 2015 (UTC)

Compositions

Aklein, can you select from your sources (page no. included), Balfe's most well-received songs and other compositions? You would have to have a source that actually says that the work was one of his most important/successful/best received. It should not be a full list in this article – if you do want to eventually make a complete list of his works, it should be in a sub-article, like this: List of compositions by Arthur Sullivan. -- Ssilvers (talk) 16:34, 5 March 2015 (UTC)

Yes, the list of operas was just a beginning. I have done similar lists for William Vincent Wallace some time ago and intend to do the same here, in due course.Aklein62 (talk) 13:51, 6 March 2015 (UTC)

I also suggest for Wallace that you move the complete list to a separate sub-article, and just leave a "selected" list in the article of the most important, enduring and/or originally best-received items. That would add value to the main article, although it might be difficult to do, because you would need to cite reliable sources that identify which items are the most important. All the best! -- Ssilvers (talk) 16:18, 6 March 2015 (UTC)

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