Caroline Branchu
Rose Timoléone Caroline Branchu , b. Chevalier de Lavit (born November 2, 1780 in Cap-Français , Saint-Domingue , † October 14, 1850 in Passy near Paris ) was a French opera singer ( soprano ).
Live and act
She was the daughter of the officer Jean-Joseph Lavit and his wife Marie-Madeleine Broccard. She grew up in the French colony on the island of Hispaniola and experienced the typical upbringing of a major daughter .
In order to further her musical talent, Branchu came to Paris in 1797 and began her training at the local conservatory on July 11th . Joseph de Saint-Georges was one of their teachers and patrons. In the following year she won a competition at the conservatory as a singer and in 1799 she was also awarded first prize for her recitation .
On December 26, 1798 Branchu was able to successfully debut in the role of Antigone at the Opéra Garnier ; the opera Œdipe à Colone by Antonio Sacchini was based on the tragedy of Sophocles . She later moved to the Théâtre de la Republique where she was seen for the first time as Iphigenie in Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera Iphigénie en Aulide . From this time on, Branchu a. a. with Jean-Henry Gourgaud and Pierre-Jean Garat .
In 1800 Branchu married the dancer Isaac Branchu in Paris and had two children with him.
On February 27, 1826 Branchu gave her farewell performance at the Olimpie opera .
When the political situation calmed down and the July monarchy was established, Branchu settled at 20 rue Coquenard . There she died 18 days before her 70th birthday on October 14, 1850 and found her final resting place in the Père Lachaise cemetery (Division 23).
Roles (selection)
- Antigone - Œdipe à Colone by Antonio Sacchini
- Iphigenie - Iphigénie en Aulide by Christoph Willibald Gluck
- Statira - Olimpie by Gaspare Spontini
- Amazily - Fernand Cortez by Gaspare Spontini
- Julia - La vestale by Gaspara Spontini
- Noraïme - Les Abéncerages by Luigi Cherubini
- Corinne - Anacréon ou l'amour fugitif by Luigi Cherubini
- Proserpina - Proserpine by Giovanni Paisiello
literature
- Francis Ambrière: Le siècle des Valmore. Marceline Desbordes-Valmore et les siens . Seuil, Paris 1987, ISBN 2-02-009629-3 (2 vols.)
- 1786-1840 .
- 1840-1892 .
- Patrick Barbier: La vie quotidienne à l'opéra au temps de Rossini et Balzac . Paris 1800-1850 . Hachette, Paris 1987, ISBN 2-01-012187-2 .
- Pierre Bardin: Joseph Sieur de Saint-Georges. Le chevalier noir . Gunégéaud, Paris 2006, ISBN 978-2-85023-126-1 .
- André Rouanet de Vigne-Lavit: Caroline Branchu de Lavit. Diva de l'Opéra et amie de Napoléon (Cahier de "Center de généalogie et d'histoire des îles d'Amerique"; Vol. 40). Paris 1992.
- Richard Somerset-Ward: Angels and monsters. Male and female sopranos in the story of opera 1600–1900 . University Press, New Haven 2004, ISBN 0-300-09968-1 , pp. 163-165
Web links
- Caroline Branchu in the database of Find a Grave (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ See Pierre Bardin, p. 163.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Branchu, Caroline |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Branchu, Rose Timoléone Caroline (full name); Chevalier de Lavit, Rose (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French opera singer (soprano) |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 2, 1780 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cap-Français , Saint-Domingue |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 14, 1850 |
| Place of death | Passy near Paris |