Parisian Adolphe Adam's (1803-1856) few works that have consistently remained popular are the ballet Giselle, the holiday favorite Cantique de Noël (O Holy Night), and the opera Le Postillon de Lonjumeau. However, during his life he was very popular. He wrote over 70 operas, more than a dozen ballets, and hundreds of shorter works for chorus, voice, or piano or organ. All were meant to charm, please, and amuse his audiences by means of inspired melody and/or theatricality more than by any great stylistic innovation. Nevertheless, he remains a central figure in French Romantic opera and ballet music.