Frédéric Toulmouche

Frédéric-Michel Toulmouche (4 August 1850 – 23 February 1919) was a French composer, who specialised in light theatrical music for small theatres.

He was born in Nantes, and studied with Victor Massé at the Conservatoire de Paris. He became known as a composer of opéras comiques and opérettes, the best known of which were La veillée des noces (premiered at Menus-Plaisirs, Paris, 1888), Mademoiselle ma femme (Menus-Plaisirs, 1893), La perle du Cantal (Folies-Drarnatiques, Paris, 1895), La Saint-Valentin (Bouffes-Parisiens, 1895) and Tante Agnes (Olympia, Paris, 1896).

Toulmouche's other light operas include: Ah! le bon billet (1882); L'âme de la patrie (1892); La belle au coeur dormant (1892); La chanson du roi (1894); La rêve de Madame X (1899); Les trois couleurs (1899); Auto-Joujou (1904); La môme Flora (1908); Chez la somnambule (1909); and La marquise de Chicago (1911). In the latter part of his career Toulmouche composed ballet scores for French music-halls, and was the chef de chant (vocal coach), for the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

Little of Toulmouche's music was given abroad. His Le moutier de Saint-Guignolet (1885, revised 1888) was performed in an English adaptation as The Wedding Eve as the opening production of the Trafalgar Square Theatre, London, in 1892. The Musical Times commented that it was prudent of the management to commission Ernest Ford and "Yvolde" (Alfred Moul) to strengthen Toulmouche's score.

Toulmouche died in Paris, aged 68.