"Ferdinand Herold (1791-1833) composed in a variety of genres including opera, comique, opera, lyric vocal pieces and songs, orchestral piano concertos, chamber music and piano music. His forte became, after a long struggle with bad librettos, opera. He studied at the Paris Conservatory with Adam, Kreutzer, Catel, and Mehul. Mehul's influence dominated the compositions of Herold. He composed two well received ballets, "La somnambule," and "La fille mal gardee." André Messager is one of those examples of a musical talent that appears without warning in a non-musical setting. In 1869, he entered the Neidermeyer music school. His teachers were Fauré and Saint-Saëns, who remained his close friends and supporters. In 1874, he succeeded Fauré as assistant organist at St. Sulpice to Charles-Marie Widor. He became famous for his operettas and other light music; in 1886 he wrote one of his most enduring pieces, the score for the ballet Les deux pigeons. It remained viable and popular ever since." (Allmusic)
