Jean-Blaise Martin
Encyclopedia
Jean-Blaise Martin, full name Nicolas Jean-Blaise Martin (February 24, 1768, Paris - October 28, 1837, Tourzel-Ronzières
) was a French opera
singer whose tessitura
lay between tenor
and baritone
, which became later known as "baryton-martin".
in 1794, and sang there until 1823. He became a member of the administrative comity of this theatre in 1801. He also taught at the "Conservatoire de Musique" of Paris, from 1825 to 1837.
He composed one opéra comique
, Les oiseaux de mer, produced at the Théâtre Feydeau
in 1796.
During his career, he created some 15 roles in operas by Nicolas Dalayrac
, François Devienne
, André Grétry, Étienne Méhul
, Nicolas Isouard
, Ferdinando Paer
, etc.
Martin's voice was described as a "ténor grave et sombre", meaning a deep-voiced dark tenor, or as a "baryton aigu et clair", meaning a clear-voiced high baritone; the compass was E flat to a, with a falsetto
extension to a. His vocal type became known as "baryton-martin", most often found in French operetta
. Modern example of this voice type were French baritone Michel Dens
, or closer to us Bernard Sinclair, who can be heard in a few operetta recordings such as La fille de Madame Angot
, Les cloches de Corneville
, and Valses de Vienne
.
In the operatic repertoire, the most famous role for baryton-martin is Pelléas in Claude Debussy
's Pelléas et Mélisande
. Camille Maurane
and Jacques Jansen
are widely recognized as having been the best exponents of the role.
Tourzel-Ronzières
Tourzel-Ronzières is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
) was a French opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
singer whose tessitura
Tessitura
In music, the term tessitura generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre...
lay between tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
and baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, which became later known as "baryton-martin".
Life and career
Jean-Blaise Martin began singing publicly as a child, before his voice broke. He made his professional operatic debut in 1789, at the Théâtre Feydeau, in Paris, in a parody called Le Marquis de Tulipano. He then studied with Madame Dugazon, and made his debut at the Opéra-ComiqueOpéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
in 1794, and sang there until 1823. He became a member of the administrative comity of this theatre in 1801. He also taught at the "Conservatoire de Musique" of Paris, from 1825 to 1837.
He composed one opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
, Les oiseaux de mer, produced at the Théâtre Feydeau
Théâtre Feydeau
The Théâtre Feydeau, , a former Parisian theatre company, was founded in 1789 with the patronage of Monsieur, Comte de Provence , and was therefore initially named the Théâtre de Monsieur...
in 1796.
During his career, he created some 15 roles in operas by Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
, François Devienne
François Devienne
François Devienne was a French composer and professor for flute at the Paris Conservatory.François Devienne was born in Joinville , as the youngest of fourteen children of a saddlemaker...
, André Grétry, Étienne Méhul
Étienne Méhul
Etienne Nicolas Méhul was a French composer, "the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution." He was also the first composer to be called a "Romantic".-Life:...
, Nicolas Isouard
Nicolas Isouard
Nicolas Isouard was a Maltese composer.Isouard studied in Valletta with Francesco Azopardi, in Palermo with Giuseppe Amendola, and in Naples with Nicola Sala and Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi. From 1795 he was organist at St...
, Ferdinando Paer
Ferdinando Paer
-Biography:Paer was born at Parma. His father was a trumpeter with the Ducal Bodyguards and also performed at church and court events. His name, Ferdinando, was after Duke Ferdinand of Parma and was given to him by Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Duke Ferdinand's wife...
, etc.
Martin's voice was described as a "ténor grave et sombre", meaning a deep-voiced dark tenor, or as a "baryton aigu et clair", meaning a clear-voiced high baritone; the compass was E flat to a, with a falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
extension to a. His vocal type became known as "baryton-martin", most often found in French operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
. Modern example of this voice type were French baritone Michel Dens
Michel Dens
Michel Dens was a French baritone, particularly associated with the French repertory, both opera and operetta....
, or closer to us Bernard Sinclair, who can be heard in a few operetta recordings such as La fille de Madame Angot
La fille de Madame Angot
La fille de Madame Angot is an opéra comique in three acts by Charles Lecocq. The French text was by Clairville, Paul Siraudin and Victor Koning.-Performance history:...
, Les cloches de Corneville
Les cloches de Corneville
Les cloches de Corneville is an operetta in three acts, composed by Robert Planquette to a French libretto by Louis Clairville and Charles Gabet based on a play by Gabet.In 1876, the director of the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques, Louis Cantin, hired Planquette to compose the operetta,...
, and Valses de Vienne
Valses de Vienne
Walzer aus Wien is a singspiel pasticcio in three acts, libretto by Alfred Maria Willner, Heinz Reichert, and Ernst Marischka, music by Johann Strauss II , arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold and Julius Bittner, first performed at the Stadttheater in Vienna on 30 October 1930...
.
In the operatic repertoire, the most famous role for baryton-martin is Pelléas in Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
's Pelléas et Mélisande
Pelléas et Mélisande (opera)
Pelléas et Mélisande is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy. The French libretto was adapted from Maurice Maeterlinck's Symbolist play Pelléas et Mélisande...
. Camille Maurane
Camille Maurane
Camille Maurane, born Camille Moreau , was a French baritone singer. His father was a music teacher and he started singing as a child in the Maîtrise Saint-Evode in Rouen...
and Jacques Jansen
Jacques Jansen
Jacques Jansen was a French baryton-martin singer, particularly associated with the role of Pelléas but also active in operetta and on the concert platform, and later as a teacher.-Life and career:Jansen had a wide musical and artistic education; after studying the violin in Paris, he took lessons...
are widely recognized as having been the best exponents of the role.
Roles created
- 1804: A bard in Ossian, ou Les bardesOssian, ou Les bardesOssian, ou Les bardes is an opera in five acts by the French composer Jean-François Le Sueur. The libretto, by Alphonse François "Paul" Palat-Dercy and Jean-Marie Deschamps, is based on the Ossian poems of James Macpherson , which had been translated into French by Pierre-Prime-Félicien Le...
by Jean-François Le SueurJean-François Le SueurJean-François Le Sueur was a French composer, best known for his oratorios and operas.-Life:... - 1821: Barnabé in Le maître de chapelleLe maître de chapelleLe maître de chapelle, ou Le souper imprévu is an opéra comique in two acts by the Italian composer Ferdinando Paer...
by Ferdinando PaerFerdinando Paer-Biography:Paer was born at Parma. His father was a trumpeter with the Ducal Bodyguards and also performed at church and court events. His name, Ferdinando, was after Duke Ferdinand of Parma and was given to him by Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria, Duke Ferdinand's wife...
Sources
- Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6