Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre
Encyclopedia
Louise-Rosalie Lefebvre (18 June 1755 – 22 September 1821), also known as Madame Dugazon, was a French
opera
tic mezzo-soprano
, actress and dancer.
Born in Berlin
as the daughter of a dancing master at the court of Frederick II of Prussia
, she returned to Paris
with her parents in 1765. She made her stage debut at the age of twelve as a dancer, but it was as an actress "with songs" that she made her debut at the Comédie Italienne in 1774 in Grétry
's Sylvain. She was at once admitted pensionnaire and in 1775 sociétaire.
She became a star of the Comédie Italienne (which became the Opéra-Comique
), where she created over 60 roles. She was married to the actor Jean-Henry Gourgaud
, who went by the stage name Dugazon. The couple soon divorced, but continued to perform at the Comédie Italienne for more than twenty years.
The two kinds of parts with which she was especially identified—young mothers and women past their first youth—are still called "jeunes dugazons" and "mères dugazons" in French opera. Examples of the first are Jenny in La dame blanche
and Berthe de Simiane in Les mousquetaires de la reine; of the second, Marguerite in Le Pré aux clercs
and the queen in La part du diable. The type of voice for these roles is a light mezzo soprano or a dark-colored soprano
leggero, and generally less demanding technically.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
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...
tic mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, actress and dancer.
Born in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
as the daughter of a dancing master at the court of Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II of Prussia
Frederick II was a King in Prussia and a King of Prussia from the Hohenzollern dynasty. In his role as a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, he was also Elector of Brandenburg. He was in personal union the sovereign prince of the Principality of Neuchâtel...
, she returned to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
with her parents in 1765. She made her stage debut at the age of twelve as a dancer, but it was as an actress "with songs" that she made her debut at the Comédie Italienne in 1774 in Grétry
André Ernest Modeste Grétry
André Ernest Modeste Grétry was acomposer from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège , who worked from 1767 onwards in France and took French nationality. He is most famous for his opéras comiques....
's Sylvain. She was at once admitted pensionnaire and in 1775 sociétaire.
She became a star of the Comédie Italienne (which became the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-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...
), where she created over 60 roles. She was married to the actor Jean-Henry Gourgaud
Jean-Henry Gourgaud
Jean-Henri Gourgaud , French actor under the stage name Dugazon, was born in Marseille, the son of Pierre-Antoine Gourgaud, the director of military hospitals there and also an actor....
, who went by the stage name Dugazon. The couple soon divorced, but continued to perform at the Comédie Italienne for more than twenty years.
The two kinds of parts with which she was especially identified—young mothers and women past their first youth—are still called "jeunes dugazons" and "mères dugazons" in French opera. Examples of the first are Jenny in La dame blanche
La Dame blanche
La dame blanche is an opéra comique in three acts by the French composer François-Adrien Boieldieu. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and is based on episodes from no less than five of the works by Scottish writer Sir Walter Scott, including his novels The Monastery, Guy Mannering, and The...
and Berthe de Simiane in Les mousquetaires de la reine; of the second, Marguerite in Le Pré aux clercs
Le Pré aux clercs
Le pré aux clercs is an opéra comique in three acts by Ferdinand Hérold with a libretto by François-Antoine-Eugène de Planard based on Prosper Mérimée's Chronique du temps de Charles IX of 1829.-Performance history:...
and the queen in La part du diable. The type of voice for these roles is a light mezzo soprano or a dark-colored soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
leggero, and generally less demanding technically.
Roles created
- 1779: Nicolette in Aucassin et NicoletteAucassin et Nicolette (opera)Aucassin et Nicolette, ou Les moeurs du bon vieux tems is a French comédie mise en musique in four acts by André Grétry. The work was first performed at Versailles on 30 December 1779 and at the Comédie-Italienne...
(GrétryAndré Ernest Modeste GrétryAndré Ernest Modeste Grétry was acomposer from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège , who worked from 1767 onwards in France and took French nationality. He is most famous for his opéras comiques....
) - 1784: Laurette in Richard Coeur-de-lionRichard Coeur-de-lion (opera)Richard Coeur-de-lion is an opéra comique, described as a comédie mise en musique, by the Belgian composer André Grétry. was by Michel-Jean Sedaine. The work is generally recognised as Grétry's masterpiece and one of the most important French opéras comiques...
(Grétry)