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= = Bid concept = =
According to the Rio de Janeiro bid committee , the bid 's concept was based on four principles — technical excellence , experience of a lifetime , transformation , and supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movements — highlighting the city 's celebration lifestyle , as seen on its promotional video ( called PassionC ) . The 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics will embed the Games in society as a catalyst for social integration , through programs for job generation , education , community outreach , volunteerism , training and up @-@ skilling initiatives . The campaign also focused on youth and the fact that South America never hosted the Olympic Games , considering it to be a " self affirmation " of the Brazilian people . Rio de Janeiro integrated economic , environmental and social elements into its " Green Games for a Blue Planet " vision and planted 2386 seedlings to offset 716 tons of carbon emitted over the two years of campaign . Athletes and spectators will enjoy good climatic conditions in Rio de Janeiro , where mild southern hemisphere winter with absence of heavy rainfall provides favorable atmosphere for athletic performance . Average midday temperature of 24 @.@ 2 ° C ( 75 @.@ 6 ° F ) is predicted during the proposed dates for the Games , with temperatures ranging from 18 @.@ 9 ° C ( 66 @.@ 0 ° F ) to 28 @.@ 1 ° C ( 82 @.@ 6 ° F ) and humidity levels of 66 @.@ 4 % .
The visual identity of the candidature consisted of a logo and a slogan , which were applied in marketing moves during the campaign . Designed by Ana Soter and selected among four finalists by a special jury , the logo was unveiled during the 2007 Brazilian Olympic Awards , held at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro , on December 17 , 2007 . The Sugarloaf Mountain was chosen to be the symbol as one of the city 's most famous landmarks . According to the Rio de Janeiro bid committee , the design as a whole conveys a heart shape , representing Brazilian passion and enthusiasm for sports . First with only the inscription " Applicant city " , the logo received the Olympic rings and the label " Candidate city " after being shortlisted . At midnight on January 1 , 2009 , the bid 's slogan " Live your passion " was launched as part of the New Year 's celebrations , which was attended by nearly two million people . According to the Rio de Janeiro bid committee , the slogan reflected the Brazilian 's way of getting passionately involved in whatever they do . It was projected onto the Rio de Janeiro 2016 @-@ themed Ferris wheel after the countdown to the beginning of 2009 . The structure erected on Copacabana beach to promote the candidature was 36 m ( 118 ft 1 in ) high , weighed 80 tonnes ( 180 @,@ 000 lb ) and had 24 gondolas for 144 people .
Rio de Janeiro previously hosted major sporting , business and cultural events . On the sporting front , these events included World Cups and World Championships in many Olympic sports , as well as regional championships . From July 13 to July 29 , 2007 , the city successfully staged the 15th and largest ever edition of the Pan American Games ( over 5 @,@ 650 athletes competing in 34 sports ) and the accompanying Parapan American Games ( over 1 @,@ 150 athletes competing in 10 sports ) . Rio de Janeiro hosted the 1950 FIFA World Cup and recently hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup , just two years before the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games , which includes upgrades to security , telecommunications and tourism infrastructure . The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will also be organised by Brazil and used as a test event for the 2014 FIFA World Cup . The proposed competition schedule spreads medals across the entire program with two peaks at the weekends , being similar to the 2008 Summer Olympics program . The period proposed by the Rio de Janeiro bid committee to stage the 2016 Summer Olympics is from Friday , August 5 , to Sunday , August 21 , 2016 . It is also proposed that the 2016 Summer Paralympics begin on the Independence Day of Brazil , Wednesday , September 7 , and last until Sunday , September 18 .
= = = Politics = = =
The Rio de Janeiro bid committee was an incorporated non @-@ profit entity under the leadership of an Honorary Council and an Executive Board , both chaired by Carlos Arthur Nuzman . At the highest level , the Honorary Council comprised the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , the Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro Sérgio Cabral , the Mayor of the Municipality of Rio de Janeiro Eduardo Paes , and the two Brazilian IOC members : Nuzman and João Havelange . At the executive level , the Executive Board was divided in four departments — Government Coordination Commission , Business Council , Legacy Committee and Athletes ' Commission — being responsible for the main operations of the campaign . The Board also included representations from the three levels of Government with the specific authority to make commitments on behalf of their respective Governments . Technical aspects of the bid were supported by various Councils and Committees composed of a professionals staff , and supplemented by a team of domestic and international experts ; which were coordinated by Carlos Roberto Osório , Secretary General of the bid committee . Mike Lee , former Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the London bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics , was the lead advisor to the bid of Rio de Janeiro . His company , Vero Campaigning Communications , was responsible for planning the bid 's advertising campaign strategy , presentation scripts , visual support development and international media relations , as well as international press conferences .
Rio de Janeiro had full political backing from the three levels of the Government of Brazil — Federal , State and City — providing all guarantees and covenants required by the IOC , as well as some additional undertakings . All levels government , as well as all major political parties in the country , pledged complete support for the bid and endorsed the conduct of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil . On June 23 , 2008 , the Brazilian president formed the Government Action Management Committee , under the patronage of the Minister of Sport Orlando Silva , which coordinated Federal government actions during the bid process . Another act created the Olympic Development Authority ( ODA ) on January 17 , 2009 , to coordinate public services and infrastructure delivery for eventual Games in Rio de Janeiro , based in the pioneer model developed by Sydney for the 2000 Summer Olympics and Paralympics . Under legal aspects , the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games ( OCOG ) would be the entity responsible for planning and staging the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games . According to the IOC , the existing legislation was sufficient to enable the organization of the Games and would be amended or modified to suit the Olympic Charter if needed . The Ministry of External Relations and the Ministry of Labor guaranteed the entry , exit and working arrangements for Games personnel . People in possession of a valid passport and an Olympic or Paralympic Identity and Accreditation Card , in lieu of a visa , will be able to enter the Brazilian territory .
= = = Controversies = = =
The IOC 's decision to shorlist Rio de Janeiro over Doha generated criticism , as the Doha bid committee accused the IOC of " closing the door on the Arab world " and of making a political decision rather than judging on technical grounds . Doha outperformed Rio de Janeiro in the majority of the categories assessed , but according to the IOC , Doha 's desire to stage the Olympics in October because of high temperatures was the reason the bid was rejected . On May 3 , 2009 , the Rio de Janeiro bid committee accused the Madrid bid committee of sending a spy to Rio de Janeiro during the visit of the Evaluation Commission , and considered filing a formal ethics complaint with the IOC . Simon Walsh , who claimed to be a reporter working for EFE , omitted the fact that he was a paid consultant of the Madrid bid committee and was stripped of his media accreditation . Madrid officials denied the accusations . On June 14 , 2009 , the American television network NBC aired the episode " The Glory That Was ... " from the series Law & Order : Criminal Intent , in which a security company , interested in millionaire contracts with the possibility of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil , bought votes of members of the " Olympic Site Selection Committee " for Rio de Janeiro and murdered a member of the Belgian Olympic Committee . When aired by AXN in Brazil on September 3 , 2009 , the episode received much criticism . Eduardo Paes called the show " ridiculous and pathetic " , while the Rio de Janeiro bid committee condemned the " irresponsible and reckless use " of the city 's image .
Ahead of the election , the Rio de Janeiro bid committee lodged an official complaint against Madrid with the IOC Ethics Commission about comments made on September 30 , 2009 , by José Maria Odriozola , vice president of the Spanish Olympic Committee ( SOC ) ; and considered doing it against Chicago due to comments by Richard M. Daley , Mayor of Chicago , on September 21 , 2009 . Odriozola called Rio de Janeiro " the worst of the four candidates " , while Rio officials believe that Daley implied that the city was incapable of hosting the Olympics when he said it was " not the same as hosting the [ 2014 ] FIFA World Cup " . Mercedes Coghen apologised for Odriozola 's comments on behalf of the Madrid bid committee . According to the IOC rules , rival cities are not allowed to directly criticise other bidders . After the conclusion of the bid process , Shintarō Ishihara , Governor of Tokyo , blamed " invisible dynamics " and political deals for Tokyo 's failure . Rio officials repudiated " the inappropriate statements " and sent a formal notification to the IOC on October 6 , 2009 . On November 30 , 2009 , the Hollywood actor Robin Williams caused embarrassment due to humorous comments made in an interview with David Letterman . During the Late Show with David Letterman , broadcast by CBS , Williams said that Rio de Janeiro was elected as host city because it sent " 50 strippers and a pound of blow " to compete with Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey , from Chicago . The comments were widely criticized by the Brazilian media and government authorities .
= = Bid project = =
Rio de Janeiro proposed to hold all sporting events within the city limits — apart from the football ( soccer ) tournaments which would be held in the cities of Belo Horizonte , Brasília , Salvador and São Paulo — making the Games more compact and technically feasible . The competition venues will be located in four Olympic zones — Barra , Copacabana , Deodoro , and Maracanã — and divided in seven Olympic clusters — Barra , Copacabana , Deodoro , Flamengo , João Havelange , Lagoa and Maracanã — with four Olympic precincts — Maracanã , Olympic Park , Riocentro and X Park . The Olympic and Paralympic Village , the International Broadcast Centre ( IBC ) and the Main Press Centre ( MPC ) will be located at the Barra zone , which is the core of the project and includes the largest number of competition venues . A television tower will be built at the IBC / MPC complex to complement broadcasting operations and provide panoramic studios . There will be a media @-@ exclusive hotel within the complex , accessible directly from the IBC / MPC . The Olympic and Paralympic Village complex will include an Olympic Village Training Center , an Olympic Village Park , an Olympic Beach and direct access to the Olympic Park , in addition to the 8 @,@ 856 rooms to accommodate over 17 @,@ 770 athletes and team officials , including accredited additional officials .
Rio de Janeiro 's competition venues meet the International Federation 's ( IFs ) technical requirements and both IOC and IPC standards , and align with the City Master Plan and legacy strategy . Most venues are already operational , recently developed or renovated . According to the Rio de Janeiro 2016 bid committee , there are ten ( 29 % ) existing venues with no permanent works required and eight ( 24 % ) venues requiring reforms , while nine ( 26 % ) new permanent venues and seven ( 21 % ) temporary venues will be built . In total there will be 34 competition venues alongside 29 training venues , as part of the training venues strategy . The most significant legacy project from the bid is the Olympic Training Center ( OTC ) program and facilities with its headquarters located in Barra zone . Furthermore , the Rio de Janeiro 2016 bid committee recognized the possibility of new sports being added to the Olympic Program and , following detailed analysis for each of the seven potential sports — baseball , golf , karate , roller sports , rugby , softball and squash — confirmed its capability to accommodate any of them in respect to venues , transport and other operational or logistical aspects . In addition , Rio de Janeiro and the four proposed cities to hold football ( soccer ) competitions — Brasília , Belo Horizonte , Salvador and São Paulo — were chosen to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup .
Rio de Janeiro will build the Summer Paralympics , upon the experience of hosting the III Parapan American Games — considered " the best ever " by the International Paralympic Committee ( IPC ) and the Americas Paralympic Committee ( APC ) — as well as many other international competitions for athletes with disabilities . For this purpose , the organizing committee will include representatives of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee ( BPC ) and create a specific department responsible for supervising the Games . Another element that will bring the Paralympics up to par with their Olympic counterpart is the reuse of twenty Olympic competition venues for the equivalent Paralympic sports . Promotion of accessibility @-@ friendly measures by the hospitality and tourism industries will also be encouraged and recognized by the government .
= = = Infrastructure = = =
Rio de Janeiro 's infrastructure , systems , management structures and staff readiness will be tested during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and during dedicated test events for the transport network in 2015 . There will be 49 @,@ 750 rooms to meet IOC requirements , of which some 1 @,@ 700 are located in apartment hotels in the city and more than 13 @,@ 000 in hotels throughout Rio de Janeiro and the football tournament host cities . Rio de Janeiro proposed the use of cruise ships and condominium apartments to overcome a possible shortage in the number of hotel rooms . Six modern cruise ships will provide more than 8 @,@ 500 cabins . Media would be accommodated in a combination of media villages and hotels . Rio de Janeiro plans to implement 150 km ( 93 mi ) of Olympic lanes connecting the four Olympic zones and the Antônio Carlos Jobim International Airport . An existing corridor of high @-@ capacity rail and metro systems as well as motorways and major roads links three of the four Olympic zones , and with the development of the western corridor , all four zones will be connected . Bus Rapid Transit ( BRT ) system is going to be the main solution to the city 's topography . Security and disaster @-@ related risks for the event will be mitigated by the implementation of a comprehensive security operation . Crime in parts of Rio de Janeiro was considered to be an issue for the safety of people attending the Games . Rio de Janeiro 's experience in mounting security structures around highly mediatized and crowd @-@ attracting events is a positive aspect . The Federal Government will be responsible for the security of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics .
= = = Finance = = =
The three levels of Brazilian government assured the free provision of a range of services to the bid , including security , medical services , customs , transport , immigration , and other governmental services and support . Rio de Janeiro also approved funding of US $ 240 billion from the Program for Growth Acceleration ( PAC ) of the federal government . Other revenue @-@ generating activities include sponsorship sales , ticketing program , licensing and merchandising . These revenues will be supplemented by IOC @-@ secured commercial and broadcast contributions . Capital expenditure on infrastructure by the government or the private sector includes already committed and ongoing investments of US $ 3 @.@ 9 billion on projects such as airport and subway expansions and construction of the metropolitan road arc . The OCOG budget does not assume any capital contributions to the construction of permanent or legacy venues , other than for Games overlay , including the construction of temporary venues . The balance of OCOG expenditures will be funded by the public sector , involving a combination of government commitments from Federal , State and Municipal levels . The OCOG budget and operating expenses are projected at US $ 2 @.@ 8 billion , with its Olympic @-@ related budget , including capital investments in transportation , sports venues and incremental costs being US $ 11 @.@ 6 billion . The government submitted guarantees to cover any potential shortfall . The bid expenses for both Applicant and Candidature phases were of R $ 85 @,@ 792 million , as released during the official closing of the campaign on November 11 , 2009 .
= New Jersey Route 65 =
Route 65 is a former state highway in the city of Newark , New Jersey . The route went for 4 @.@ 12 miles ( 6 @.@ 63 km ) along Port Street and Doremus Avenue through the industrial districts of the city . Route 65 began at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and 9 near Newark Liberty International Airport . The route crossed over the New Jersey Turnpike along Port Street until an intersection with Doremus Avenue , where it turned northward for the rest of the distance , terminating at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and 9 Truck .
Route 65 was originally planned in 1939 as a spur of Route 25 , Route 25B , in Newark to connect that route with Route 25T ( now U.S. Route 1 / 9 Truck ) . The route lasted for 14 years , until January 1 , 1953 , when the 1953 New Jersey state highway renumbering occurred . Route 25B was decommissioned on that day , along with its parent route , Route 25 . Route 25B was redesigned as Route 65 , and was removed from the state highway system by 1963 . The two roads are now maintained by the city of Newark .
= = Route description = =
Route 65 began at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 and 9 in the area of Newark Liberty International Airport in the city of Newark . The route progressed eastward along Port Street , a divided highway for a short distance . The route crossed the access road to the airport before crossing over the newly constructed New Jersey Turnpike south of Interchange 14 . From there , Route 65 continued as Port Street but as one roadway into the industrial districts in Newark . The route progressed further over a railroad before intersecting with Doremus Avenue , where Route 65 turned northward off of Port Street . Both Port Street and Doremus Avenue dead @-@ end right after this respective intersection , Doremus Avenue to the south and Port Street to the east .
From there , Route 65 headed northward along Doremus Avenue , crossing over the Newark Bay Extension ( Interstate 78 ) just north of the intersection . The route continued through the industrial district , reaching higher in elevation on a bridge over the Central Railroad of New Jersey ( now Conrail Shared Assets Operations , CSAO ) . From there , the route paralleled the turnpike 's mainline along Doremus Avenue . At the intersection with Raymond Boulevard , Route 65 became a divided highway once again , terminating at an intersection with U.S. Route 1 / 9 Truck in the city of Newark .
= = History = =
Route 65 was originally designated in 1939 as State Highway Route 25B , a spur off of State Highway Route 25 ( now U.S. Route 1 and 9 ) at a traffic circle near the Newark Metropolitan Airport ( now Newark Liberty International Airport ) . The route was then to commence along Port Street and Doremus Avenue to an intersection with State Highway Route 25T ( now U.S. Route 1 and 9 Truck ) . Route 25B remained intact along the alignment of Port Street and Doremus Avenue until January 1 , 1953 . On that day , the New Jersey State Highway Department renumbered routes in the state , and eliminated Route 25 entirely . Due to decommissioning of Route 25 , Route 25B was renumbered to Route 65 , eliminating the relation to former Route 25 or U.S. Route 1 and 9 . Route 65 remained on the Port Street and Doremus Avenue alignment for a short time , and was completely eliminated from the state system by 1963 . Port Street and Doremus Avenue are both now maintained by the city of Newark but both are of the National Highway System as of 2009 . In 2001 , the bridge over the CSAO line was reconstructed .
= = Major intersections = =
The entire route was in Newark , Essex County .
= Giacomo Meyerbeer =
Giacomo Meyerbeer ( born Jacob Liebmann Beer ; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864 ) was a German opera composer of Jewish birth who has been described as perhaps the most successful stage composer of the nineteenth century . With his 1831 opera Robert le diable and its successors , he gave the genre of grand opera ' decisive character ' . Meyerbeer 's grand opera style was achieved by his merging of German orchestra style with Italian vocal tradition . These were employed in the context of sensational and melodramatic libretti created by Eugène Scribe and were enhanced by the up @-@ to @-@ date theatre technology of the Paris Opéra . They set a standard which helped to maintain Paris as the opera capital of the nineteenth century .
Born to a very wealthy Berlin family , Meyerbeer began his musical career as a pianist but soon decided to devote himself to opera , spending several years in Italy studying and composing . His 1824 opera Il crociato in Egitto was the first to bring him Europe @-@ wide reputation , but it was Robert le diable ( 1831 ) which raised his status to great celebrity . His public career , lasting from then until his death , during which he remained a dominating figure in the world of opera , was summarized by his contemporary Hector Berlioz , who claimed that he ' has not only the luck to be talented , but the talent to be lucky . ' He was at his peak with his operas Les Huguenots ( 1836 ) and Le prophète ( 1849 ) ; his last opera ( L 'Africaine ) was performed posthumously . His operas made him the most frequently performed composer at the world 's leading opera houses in the nineteenth century .
At the same time as his successes in Paris , Meyerbeer , as a Prussian Court Kapellmeister ( Director of Music ) from 1832 , and from 1843 as Prussian General Music Director , was also influential in opera in Berlin and throughout Germany . He was an early supporter of Richard Wagner , enabling the first production of the latter 's opera , Rienzi . He was commissioned to write the patriotic opera Ein Feldlager in Schlesien to celebrate the reopening of the Berlin Royal Opera House in 1844 and wrote music for certain Prussian state occasions .
Apart from around 50 songs , Meyerbeer wrote little except for the stage . The critical assaults of Wagner and his supporters , especially after his death , led to a decline in the popularity of his works ; his operas were suppressed by the Nazi regime in Germany , and were neglected by opera houses through most of the twentieth century . Meyerbeer 's works are only infrequently performed today .
= = Early years = =
Meyerbeer 's birthname was Jacob Liebmann Beer ; he was born in Tasdorf ( now a part of Rüdersdorf ) , near Berlin , then the capital of Prussia , to a Jewish family . His father was the enormously wealthy financier Judah Herz Beer ( 1769 – 1825 ) and his mother , Amalia ( Malka ) Wulff ( 1767 – 1854 ) , to whom he was particularly devoted , also came from the moneyed elite . Their other children included the astronomer Wilhelm Beer and the poet Michael Beer . He was to adopt the surname Meyerbeer on the death of his grandfather Liebmann Meyer Wulff ( 1811 ) and the first name Giacomo during his period of study in Italy , around 1817 .
Judah Beer was a leader of the Berlin Jewish community and maintained a private synagogue in his house which leaned towards reformist views . Jacob Beer wrote an early cantata for performance at this synagogue . Both Judah Herz Beer and his wife were close to the Prussian court ; when Amalia was awarded in 1816 the Order of Louise , she was given , by Royal dispensation , not the traditional Cross but a portrait bust of the Queen . The Beer children were provided with a fine education ; their tutors included two of the leaders of the enlightened Jewish intelligentsia , the author Aaron Halle @-@ Wolfssohn and Edmund Kley , ( later a reform movement rabbi in Hamburg ) to whom they remained attached into their maturity . The brothers Alexander von Humboldt , the renowned naturalist , geographer and explorer , and the philosopher , linguist and diplomat Wilhelm von Humboldt were close friends of the family circle .
Beer 's first keyboard instructor was Franz Lauska , a pupil of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and a favoured teacher at the Berlin court . Beer also became one of Muzio Clementi 's pupils while Clementi was in Berlin . The boy made his public debut in 1801 playing Mozart 's D minor Piano Concerto in Berlin . The Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung reported : ' The amazing keyboard playing of young Bär ( a Jewish lad of 9 ) , who carried off the difficult passages and other solo parts with aplomb , and has fine powers of rendition even more rarely found in one of his age , made the concert even more interesting ' .
Beer , as he still named himself , studied with Antonio Salieri and the German master and friend of Goethe , Carl Friedrich Zelter . Louis Spohr organised a concert for Beer at Berlin in 1804 and continued his acquaintance with the lad later in Vienna and Rome . A portrait of Jacob commissioned by the family at this time shows him ' confidently facing the viewer , his hair romantically dishevelled … his left hand rests on the keyboard , and his right hand grasps a musical manuscript … plac [ ing ] its subject in the tradition of the young Mozart ' . Beer 's first stage work , the ballet Der Fischer und das Milchmädchen ( The Fisherman and the Milkmaid ) was produced in March 1810 at the Court Opera in Berlin . His formal training with the Abbé Vogler at Darmstadt between 1810 and 1812 was , however , of crucial importance , and at around this time he begins to sign himself ' Meyer Beer ' . Here , with his fellow students ( who included Carl Maria von Weber ) , he learnt not only the craft of composition but also the business of music ( organising concerts and dealing with publishers ) . Forming a close friendship with Weber and other pupils , Meyerbeer established the Harmonischer Verein ( Musical Union ) , whose members undertook to support each other with favourable press criticism and networking . On 12 February 1813 Beer received the first of the string of honours he was to accumulate throughout his life when he was appointed ' Court Composer ' by Grand Duke Ludwig of Hesse @-@ Darmstadt .
Throughout his early career , although determined to become a musician , Beer found it difficult to decide between playing and composition . Certainly other professionals in the decade 1810 – 1820 , including Moscheles , considered him amongst the greatest virtuosi of his period . He wrote during this period numerous piano pieces , including a concerto and set of variations for piano and orchestra , but these have been lost . To this period also belongs a Clarinet Quintet written for the virtuoso Heinrich Baermann ( 1784 – 1847 ) who remained a close friend of the composer .
= = Career = =
= = = In Italy = = =
Despite performances of his oratorio Gott und die Natur ( God and Nature ) ( Berlin , 1811 ) and his early operas Jephtas Gelübde ( Jephtha 's Vow ) ( Munich , 1812 ) and Wirth und Gast ( Landlord and Guest ) ( Stuttgart , 1813 ) in Germany , Meyerbeer had set his sights by 1814 on basing an operatic career in Paris . In the same year , his opera Die beiden Kalifen ( The Two Caliphs ) , a version of Wirth und Gast , was a disastrous failure in Vienna . Realizing that a full understanding of Italian opera was essential for his musical development , he went to study in Italy , enabled by the financial support of his family . He arrived in Italy at the beginning of 1816 , after visits to Paris and London , where he heard Cramer play . In Paris , he wrote to a friend , ' I go from museum to museum , library to library , theatre to theatre , with the restlessness of the Wandering Jew ' .
During his years in Italy Meyerbeer became acquainted with , and impressed by , the works of his contemporary Gioachino Rossini , who by 1816 , at the age of 24 , was already director of both major opera houses in Naples and in the same year premiered his operas The Barber of Seville and Otello . Meyerbeer wrote a series of Italian operas on Rossinian models , including Romilda e Costanza ( Padua , 1817 ) , Semiramide riconosciuta ( Turin , 1819 ) , Emma di Resburgo ( Venice , 1819 ) , Margherita d 'Anjou ( Milan 1820 ) and L 'esule di Granata ( Milan 1821 ) . All but the last two of these had libretti by Gaetano Rossi , whom Meyerbeer continued to support until the latter 's death in 1855 , although not commissioning any further libretti from him after Il crociato in Egitto ( 1824 ) . During a visit to Sicily in 1816 , Meyerbeer noted down a number of folksongs , and these in fact constitute the earliest collection of folk music of the region . In a birthday greeting from Rossi 's wife in 1817 occurs the earliest use discovered of Meyerbeer 's adopted forename ' Giacomo ' .
= = = Recognition = = =
The name Giacomo Meyerbeer first became known internationally with his opera Il crociato in Egitto — premiered in Venice in 1824 and produced in London and Paris in 1825 ; incidentally , it was the last opera ever written to feature a castrato , and the last to require keyboard accompaniment for recitatives . This ' breakthrough ' in Paris was exactly what Meyerbeer had been aiming for over the past ten years ; he had been carefully preparing for it , developing contacts , and fully reaped his reward .
In 1826 , shortly after the death of his father , Meyerbeer married his cousin , Minna Mosson ( 1804 – 1886 ) . The marriage which may have been ' dynastic ' in its origins proved to be stable and devoted ; the couple were to have five children , of whom the three youngest ( all daughters ) survived to adulthood . In the same year , following the death of Carl Maria von Weber , Weber 's widow asked Meyerbeer to complete her husband 's unfinished comic opera Die drei Pintos . This was to cause him much trouble over future years , as he found the material insufficient to work on . Eventually in 1852 he settled the matter with Weber 's heirs by handing them Weber 's drafts and a cash compensation . ( The opera was later completed by Gustav Mahler ) .
With his next opera Meyerbeer became virtually a superstar . Robert le diable ( with libretto by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne ) , produced in Paris in 1831 , was one of the earliest grand operas . The libretto , originally planned in 1827 as a three @-@ act opéra comique for the Opéra @-@ Comique theatre , was refashioned after 1829 in a five @-@ act form to meet the requirements of the Paris Opéra . Its revised characterisation as a ' grand opera ' placed it in succession to Auber 's La muette de Portici ( 1828 ) and Rossini 's Guillaume Tell ( 1829 ) in this new genre . The composer undertook further work on the opera in early 1831 adding ballet episodes , including the " Ballet of Nuns " , which was to prove one of the opera 's great sensations , becoming an early example of the ballet blanc genre . He also rewrote the two major male roles of Bertrand and Robert to suit the talents of Nicolas Levasseur and Adolphe Nourrit , respectively . At the invitation of Nourrit , Cornélie Falcon made her debut at the age of 18 at the Opéra in the role of Alice on 20 July 1832 , and she made a vivid impression on the public , which included on that night Auber , Berlioz , Halévy , Maria Malibran , Giulia Grisi , Honoré Daumier , Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo . On hearing her in the role , Meyerbeer himself declared his opera at last ' complete ' .
The success of the opera led to Meyerbeer himself becoming a celebrity . In January 1832 he was awarded membership of the Légion d 'honneur . This success – coupled with Meyerbeer 's known family wealth – inevitably also precipitated envy amongst his peers . Berlioz – who had commented that ' Meyerbeer not only had the luck to be talented , he had the talent to be lucky ' – wrote ' I can 't forget that Meyerbeer was only able to persuade [ the Opéra ] to put on Robert le diable ... by paying the administration sixty thousand francs of his own money ' ; and Chopin lamented ' Meyerbeer had to work for three years and pay his own expenses for his stay in Paris before Robert le diable could be staged .... Three years , that 's a lot – it 's too much . ' King Frederick William III of Prussia who attended the second performance of Robert le diable , swiftly invited him to compose a German opera , and Meyerbeer was invited to stage Robert in Berlin . Within a few years the opera had been staged with success all over Europe , and also in the USA .
The fusion of dramatic music , melodramatic plot , and sumptuous staging in Robert le diable proved a sure @-@ fire formula , as did the partnership with Scribe , which Meyerbeer would go on to repeat in Les Huguenots , Le prophète , and L 'Africaine . All of these operas held the international stage throughout the 19th century , as did the more pastoral Dinorah ( 1859 ) , making Meyerbeer the most frequently performed composer at leading opera houses in the nineteenth century .
= = = Between Paris and Berlin = = =
= = = = 1832 – 1839 = = = =
Letellier describes Meyerbeer 's mature life as ' a tale of two cities ... His artistic triumph and legendary status were achieved in Paris ... but he never abandoned Prussia , especially his home city of Berlin ' . His wife Minna was based in Berlin ( she did not enjoy Paris ) as was his beloved mother ; and he had a series of Royal duties from the Prussian court , stemming from his appointment as Court Kapellmeister in 1832 . For these reasons his life from 1830 onwards is characterised by travel between these two centres .
In Paris Meyerbeer had been asked by Louis Véron , the director of the Opéra , for a new work . At first he attempted to persuade Véron to accept the opéra @-@ comique Le portefaix to a libretto by Scribe , which he had been contracted to compose in early 1831 ; but Véron insisted on a full five @-@ act piece . Together with Scribe , Meyerbeer reviewed many subjects before deciding , in 1832 , on Les Huguenots . The contract which Meyerbeer signed with Véron contained a penalty clause if the work was not delivered by the end of 1833 . When the time came and the opera was not ready , Véron claimed his 30 @,@ 000 francs under this clause ; Meyerbeer was perhaps unique amongst composers in being able to pay this . In fact Véron refunded the money under a further agreement , when the opera was delivered in late 1834 ; but Veron himself was replaced as director of the Opera by Henri Duponchel before Les Huguenots was premiered on 29 February 1836 . It was an immediate and immense success , its splendid staging and effects exceeding even those of Fromental Halévy 's La Juive , which had premiered the previous year . Berlioz called the score " a musical encyclopaedia " , and the singing , especially of Nourrit and Falcon , was universally praised . Les Huguenots was the first opera to be performed at the Opéra more than 1 @,@ 000 times ( the 1,000th performance being on 16 May 1906 ) and continued to be produced up to 1936 , more than a century after its premiere . Its many performances in all other of the world 's major opera houses give it a claim to being the most successful opera of the 19th century .
However , in Berlin Meyerbeer faced many problems , including the enmity of the jealous Gaspare Spontini , who since 1820 had been Court Kapellmeister and director of the Berlin Hofoper . Complaints were made in the Berlin press about the delay of the Berlin premiere of Robert le diable ( which finally took place in June 1832 ) , and Meyerbeer 's music was decried by the critic and poet Ludwig Rellstab . There was no sign of the German opera expected from Meyerbeer . Moreover , reactionary censorship laws prevented production of Les Huguenots in Berlin , ( and indeed in many other cities of Germany ) . Nevertheless , Meyerbeer , who ( as he wrote to a friend ) ' years ago ... swore to myself never to respond personally to attacks on my work , and never under any circumstances to cause or respond to personal polemics ' , refused to be drawn on any of these matters .
Meanwhile , in Paris Meyerbeer began to seek new libretti , initially considering Le prophète of Scribe , Le cinq mars by Henri Saint @-@ Georges and eventually settling on Scribe 's Vasco da Gama ( later to become L 'Africaine ) , which he contracted to complete by 1840 . However , Meyerbeer had envisaged that the main role in L 'Africaine would be written for Falcon ; after the catastrophic failure of her voice in 1837 , he turned instead to Le prophète .
On 20 August 1839 Meyerbeer , whilst relaxing at Boulogne in the company of Moscheles , met for the first time with Richard Wagner , who was en route to Paris . Their ensuing relationship ( see below ) was to have major repercussions for the careers and reputations of both . At this meeting Wagner read to Meyerbeer from the libretto of Rienzi , and Meyerbeer agreed to look through the score , which indeed he subsequently recommended for performance at Dresden .
= = = = The 1840s = = = =
By the end of 1841 , Meyerbeer had completed the first draft of Le prophète , but refused to stage it because the then director of the opera , Leon Pillet , wished to cast his mistress , Rosine Stoltz , in the part of Fidès , the hero 's mother . ( Berlioz characterised Stoltz as ' la Directrice du Directeur ' ) . Meyerbeer insisted on Pauline Viardot for the role . Meyerbeer lodged the score with a Parisian lawyer , and refused to countenance any production until his wishes were met . It was not until 1849 when the Opéra was willing to agree his conditions . Meyerbeer was unique in his time in having the wealth and influence to impose his will as a composer in this way .
In the meantime , the situation in Prussia was changing . Following the death of Frederick William III , the new regime of Frederick William IV was far more liberal . Spontini was dismissed , and the Berlin premiere of Les Huguenots was arranged ( 20 May 1842 ) . On the instigation of Alexander von Humboldt , Meyerbeer was installed later in the year as Prussian Generalmusikedirektor and director of music for the Royal Court . Meyerbeer wrote a number of works for court occasions , and also provided music , at the King 's request , for the first staging on Berlin in 1856 of his brother Michael 's play Struensee ( based on the life of Johann Friedrich Struensee ) , which had also been proscribed under the previous regime .
In 1843 , the Berlin Opera house burnt down . The creation of the new building gave a new opportunity to commission a German opera from Meyerbeer . The subject of the opera , Ein Feldlager in Schlesien ( A Silesian Encampment ) , was an episode in the life of Frederick the Great . As this patriotic opera ' needed ' Prussian creators , Meyerbeer arranged that whilst the trusted Scribe would write the libretto , Rellstab would translate it and take the credit ( and the royalties ) . This had the added advantage of winning over the formerly hostile Rellstab . Meyerbeer had hoped to have Jenny Lind ( for whom he had written the part ) sing the lead role of Vielka , but the opera premiered on 7 December 1844 without her ( although she did appear in subsequent performances ) . The libretto was revised by Charlotte Birch @-@ Pfeiffer to a Bohemian background as Vielka for a production in Vienna ( 1847 ) . ( In a further incarnation , the music was later used by Meyerbeer for a revamped libretto by Scribe featuring Peter the Great , and produced as an opéra comique in Paris ( L 'étoile du nord , 1854 ) ) .
With the continuing delays in the production of Le prophète and L 'Africaine , Meyerbeer was now becoming subject to increasing sniping in Paris . In 1846 Meyerbeer began work on a new project with Scribe and Saint @-@ Georges , Noëma , but in the following year Pillet was sacked from the opera and the direction was resumed by Duponchel . As a consequence , Meyerbeer was at last able to stage Le prophète with a cast to his liking , ( including Viardot as Fidès ) , and it premiered on 16 April 1849 . Again Meyerbeer 's new opera was an outstanding success – despite the unusual feature of the lead female role being the hero 's mother , rather than his lover . Amongst those at the 47th performance in February 1850 was Richard Wagner , now an impoverished political exile ; the success of a work so fundamentally against his own operatic principles was one of the spurs to his spiteful anti @-@ Jewish denunciation of Meyerbeer and Mendelssohn , ' Das Judenthum in der Musik ' ( 1850 ) .