Henri Murger, French novelist and poet (d. 1861)
Louis-Henri Murger, also known as Henri Murger and Henry Murger (27 March 1822 – 28 January 1861), was a French novelist and poet.
He is chiefly distinguished as the author of the 1851 book Scènes de la vie de bohème (Scenes of Bohemian Life), which is based on his own experiences as a desperately poor writer living in a Parisian garret (the top floor of buildings, where artists often lived) and as a member of a loose club of friends who called themselves "the water drinkers" (because they were too poor to afford wine). In his writing he combines instinct with pathos, humour, and sadness. The book is the basis for the 1896 opera La bohème by Puccini, Leoncavallo's opera of the same name, and, at greater removes, the zarzuela Bohemios (Amadeu Vives), the 1930 operetta Das Veilchen vom Montmartre (Kálmán), and the 1996 Broadway musical Rent. He wrote lyrics as well as novels and stories, the chief being La Chanson de Musette, "a tear," says Gautier, "which has become a pearl of poetry".
1822Mar, 27
Henri Murger
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Events on 1822
- 13Jan
First National Assembly at Epidaurus
The design of the Greek flag is adopted by the First National Assembly at Epidaurus. - 15Jan
Demetrios Ypsilantis
Greek War of Independence: Demetrios Ypsilantis is elected president of the legislative assembly. - 14Jun
Difference engine
Charles Babbage proposes a difference engine in a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society entitled "Note on the application of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables". - 2Jul
Denmark Vesey
Thirty-five slaves are hanged in South Carolina, including Denmark Vesey, after being accused of organizing a slave rebellion. - 26Jul
Guayaquil Conference
José de San Martín arrives in Guayaquil, Ecuador, to meet with Simón Bolívar.