François-Benoît Hoffman
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François-Benoît Hoffman was a French playwright and critic, best known today for his operatic librettos, including those set to music by Étienne Méhul and Luigi Cherubini.
Portrait by Louis-Léopold Boilly, c. 1800
Ariodant
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Ariodant is an opéra comique in three acts by the French composer Étienne Méhul first performed at the Théâtre Favart in Paris on 11 October 1799. The libretto, by François-Benoît Hoffman is based on
François-Benoît Hoffman
…drama, Médée. Adrien was accepted instead by Méhul, with whom Hoffman collaborated on several operas, including Euphrosine (1790), Stratonice (1792) and Ariodant (1799). Hoffman was a strong advocate of authors' rights regarding artistic control, copyright and freedom of speech. This stance often brought him…
Méhul in 1799; portrait by Antoine Gros