Pierre-Louis Dietsch

His subjects included double bass, for which he won a first prize at the Conservatoire, as well counterpoint (with Reicha). Later, with the founding of the École Niedermeyer (successor of Choron's Institution) in 1853, Dietsch taught harmony, counterpoint, and fugue in a position he held up until his death. Dietsch composed church music as well as an opera, Le Vaisseau fantôme, ou Le Maudit des mers ("The Phantom Ship, or The Accursed of the Sea"), which was first performed on 9 November 1842 at the Paris Opera. The libretto by Paul Foucher and H. Révoil was based on Walter Scott's The Pirate as well as Captain Marryat's The Phantom Ship and other sources, although Wagner thought it was based on his scenario for Der fliegende Holländer, which he had just sold to the Opéra. The similarity of Dietsch's opera to Wagner's is slight, although Wagner's assertion is often repeated. Berlioz thought Le Vaisseau fantôme too solemn, but other reviewers were more favourable. In 1840, Dietsch had become chorus master at the Paris Opéra on Rossini's recommendation. He took over from Girard as conductor in 1860, but nonetheless could not avoid run-ins with the greatest composers of his day: Wagner blamed the fiasco of the Paris Opéra premiere of Tannhäuser (1861) on the conductor (perhaps unjustly, as Wagner had been closely involved in the opera's 164 rehearsals), and in 1863 Dietsch resigned over a dispute with Verdi in the midst of rehearsals for Verdi's Les Vêpres siciliennes.

Pierre-Louis Dietsch studied at Conservatoire de Paris. Training under Alexandre-Étienne Choron, Anton Reicha and Marie-Pierre Chénié is recorded. Léon Vasseur is recorded as having studied under Pierre-Louis Dietsch. The recorded working language is French. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are opera. Distinctions recorded are Knight of the Legion of Honour.

Dietsch was born in Dijon. According to Fétis, Dietsch was a choirboy at Dijon Cathedral and studied from 1822 at Choron's Institution Royale de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris. In 1830, Dietsch entered the Paris Conservatory and studied with Anton Reicha. His subjects included double bass, for which he won a first prize at the Conservatoire, as well counterpoint (with Reicha). Later, with the founding of the École Niedermeyer (successor of Choron's Institution) in 1853, Dietsch taught harmony, counterpoint, and fugue in a position he held up until his death. Dietsch composed church music as well as an opera, Le Vaisseau fantôme, ou Le Maudit des mers ("The Phantom Ship, or The Accursed of the Sea"), which was first performed on 9 November 1842 at the Paris Opera. The libretto by Paul Foucher and H. Révoil was based on Walter Scott's The Pirate as well as Captain Marryat's The Phantom Ship and other sources, although Wagner thought it was based on his scenario for Der fliegende Holländer, which he had just sold to the Opéra. The similarity of Dietsch's opera to Wagner's is slight, although Wagner's assertion is often repeated. Berlioz thought Le Vaisseau fantôme too solemn, but other reviewers were more favourable. In 1840, Dietsch had become chorus master at the Paris Opéra on Rossini's recommendation. He took over from Girard as conductor in 1860, but nonetheless could not avoid run-ins with the greatest composers of his day: Wagner blamed the fiasco of the Paris Opéra premiere of Tannhäuser (1861) on the conductor (perhaps unjustly, as Wagner had been closely involved in the opera's 164 rehearsals), and in 1863 Dietsch resigned over a dispute with Verdi in the midst of rehearsals for Verdi's Les Vêpres siciliennes. He died in Paris aged 56.