(Antwerp, 25 December 1808 – Asnières, 15 June 1869)
A Belgian composer, he studied in Paris under Antonín Reicha. His debut opera was Le mariage impossible, performed in Brussels in 1833, followed by Sarah in 1836, L'an mil in 1837, La Suisse à Trianon in 1838, and Les travestissements in 1839; he created some operas in collaboration with François-Adrien Boieldieu.
The following year, he moved to Naples for a refresher course under Saverio Mercadante's guidance; upon his return to Paris, he resumed his activity as a theatre composer with the works Gilles Ravisseur of 1848, Bon soir, Monsieur Pantalon of 1851, and Le carillonneur de Bruges of 1852. He collaborated with Friedrich von Flotow for L'eau merveilleuse (1839) and with François-Adrien Boieldieu for L'opéra à la cour (1840).
Grisar distinguished himself with this historical-political-dramatic work, set in Bruges during the Spanish domination. The protagonists are the Belgian patriot Mathéus with his old carillon and his daughter Béatrix in love with Wilhelm. Mathéus grants Wilhem the hand of his daughter, but Mathéus' nephew Van Bruck and his cousin Mésangère insinuate that a mysterious lover has kissed Béatrix, and this fact creates confusion. The story ends with the call to revolt against the Spanish and the rescue of Béatrix from her suicidal intentions.
The Carillonneur de Bruges premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 20 February 1852 and received much acclaim from the public and critics.
