The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie, was born in Jérémie, Saint-Domingue (Haiti) in 1762, the son of the Marquis and Marie-Cessette Dumas, his Haitian slave. In addition to being the father of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, he was the grandfather of playwright Alexandre Dumas, known for "La Dame aux Camélias", the source for Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata". Dumas was born the son of a renegade French nobleman and his black slave in 1762 in the French sugar colony of Saint Domingue (the future Haiti); at the time of his birth, his father was living on the run from the royal authorities
La descente d'Orphée aux enfers La descente d'Orphée aux enfers La descente d'Orphée aux enfers (English: "The Descent of Orpheus to the Underworld") is a chamber opera in two acts by the French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. It was probably composed in early 1686 and probably was performed either in the private apartment of the Dauphin that spring, or at Fontainebleau in the autumn. Charpentier himself sung the title role and was joined by the musicians of Mademoiselle de Guise and the members of the Dauphin's little ensemble. This was Charpentier's last appearance with the Guise ensemble. The libretto, whose author is unknown, is based on