Editing Adolphe Adam (section)

===Peak career===
[[File:Giselle -Carlotta Grisi -1841 -2.jpg|thumb|alt=young white woman dancing in fairy costume, with small wings on her back|[[Carlotta Grisi]] in the title role of ''[[Giselle]]'', 1841]]

In 1834 Adam had one of his greatest popular successes with ''[[Le chalet]]'', at the Opéra-Comique. This was a one-act opéra comique with words by Scribe and [[Mélesville]] based on [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe|Goethe]]'s ''Jery und Bätely''. It was given more than 1000 times in Paris over the next four decades.<ref name=grove/> In May 1836 Adam was appointed as a chevalier of the [[Legion of Honour]], later promoted to officer of the order.<ref>Pougin (1877), pp. 113 and 179</ref> His first work for the [[Paris Opéra]] was a ballet, ''La fille du Danube'', introduced by [[Marie Taglioni]] in September 1836.<ref name=grove/> Within days of the premiere of that piece, his three-act opéra comique ''[[Le postillon de Lonjumeau]]'' opened successfully at the Opéra-Comique. It was the composer's greatest operatic success internationally, quickly taken up by foreign managements and seen in London in 1837 and New York in 1840.<ref>Harewood, p. 755</ref>

During 1838 and 1839 Adam composed the music for ''Les Mohicans'', a ballet for the Opéra, and four operas for the Opéra-Comique, and in September 1839 he left Paris for St Petersburg. His ballet for Taglioni, ''L'Écumeur de mer'' (The Pirate) was given before the imperial court in February 1840, and two of his operas were staged. He left Russia for Paris at the end of March, stopping off in Berlin, where he wrote an opera-ballet, ''Die Hamadryaden'' (The Tree Nymphs), which he conducted at the Court Opera in April 1840.<ref name=grove/>

Adam's next substantial work was the composition by which he has become best known: the ballet ''[[Giselle]]''.<ref name=grove/><ref name=slon/> Based on [[Heinrich Heine]]'s version of an old tale, the ballet premiered at the Opéra on 28 June 1841 with [[Carlotta Grisi]] in the title role. Adam continued his prolific output, including his first [[grand opera]], ''Richard en Palestine'', which was produced at the Opéra in 1844 but aroused little interest.<ref name=grove/> In that year he was elected to membership of the [[Académie des Beaux-Arts]].<ref>Pougin (1877), p. 179</ref>