David, Félicien

Félicien David (1810-1876) was a French composer who was initially, for a short time, a member of the community of Saint-Simonians, whose official composer he became. He then set off on a long tour of Egypt and the Middle East. During this period, he composed and published twenty-two Mélodies orientales pour piano (1836). However, it was his ode Le Désert (performed for the first time in 1844) that secured his success. He went on to become a member of the Institut de France and was appointed librarian at the Paris Conservatoire in 1869.

A selection of texts about Félicien David can be found here. For more detailed information about his life and other related aspects, please visit the Bru Zane Mediabase site.