Louis Adam
| Louis Adam | |
|---|---|
 Louis Adam, about 1810. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Johann Ludwig Adam |
| Genres | Classical music |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist |
| Instruments | Piano |
Louis Adam (December 3, 1758 – April 8, 1848) was a French composer, music teacher, and piano virtuoso. His son, Adolphe Adam, was the composer of the score for the ballet Giselle.
Life and career
Born in Muttersholtz, Alsace, Adam went to Paris in 1775. He spent over four decades, from 1797 through 1842, as Professor of Pianoforte at the Conservatoire de Paris, and died in the city, aged 89. As professor, he was the teacher of a number of notable students, including Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul, Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Ferdinand Hérold, and Henry Lemoine. See: List of music students by teacher: A to B#Louis Adam.
In addition to being a skilled pianist, he composed a number of piano pieces that were in vogue at the time, especially some variations on Le bon roi Dagobert. He also wrote two standard instruction books for piano: Mithode ou principe générale du doigté pour le Forté-piano (1798) and Méthode nouvelle pour le Piano (1802). In 1804 he published an influential work: Méthode de piano du Conservatoire, which contributed to the advancement of piano technique in Paris.
References
- Theodore Baker and Alfred Remy, ed. (1919). "Adam, Louis". Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (3rd ed.). p. 4.