Victor Warot
Encyclopedia
Victor Alexandre Warot was a Belgian
opera
singer. He began his career as a lyric tenor but later grew into a fine dramatic singer. He was particularly known for his portrayal of Wagner
and Meyerbeer
heroes.
, Warot studied initially with his father and then in Paris with Giulio Alary. He made his professional opera début at the Opéra-Comique
in 1858 in Armand Marie Ghislain Limnander de Nieuwenhove's Les monténégrins. The following year he created the role of the Reaper in the premiere of Meyerbeer
's Dinorah
. In 1860 he sang the role of Beppe in the premiere of Donizetti
's Rita
.
From 1861 until 1869 he was engaged at the Opéra National de Paris. While there he portrayed roles in several world premieres, including Tebaldo in Victor Massé
’s La mule de Pedro (1863) and Don Alvaro in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine
(1865). He also sang Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni
, the title hero in Le comte Ory
, Henri in Les vêpres siciliennes
, and Masaniello in La muette de Portici
.
Warot was committed to La Monnaie
from 1868–1876 where he portrayed such parts as Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera
, Manrico in Il trovatore
, Erik in The Flying Dutchman
, the title role in Tannhäuser
, Raoul in Les Huguenots
, Eléazar in La Juive
, and John of Leyden in Le prophète
. From 1876 until his retirement from the stage in 1888 he remained active as a freelance artist at major opera houses in France and Belgium.
Warot devoted himself to teaching singing after his opera career ended, ultimately being appointed to the faculty of the Paris Conservatoire. A number of his pupils went on to have successful careers, including Lucienne Bréval
, Edmond Clément
, Jeanne Hatto, and Lina Pacary. In 1902 he published a book, Bréviaire du chanteur. He died in Bois-Colombes
.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
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. He began his career as a lyric tenor but later grew into a fine dramatic singer. He was particularly known for his portrayal of Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
and Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
heroes.
Biography
Born in VerviersVerviers
Verviers is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Liège. The Verviers municipality includes the old communes of Ensival, Lambermont, Petit-Rechain, Stembert, and Heusy...
, Warot studied initially with his father and then in Paris with Giulio Alary. He made his professional opera début at 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...
in 1858 in Armand Marie Ghislain Limnander de Nieuwenhove's Les monténégrins. The following year he created the role of the Reaper in the premiere of Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
's Dinorah
Dinorah
Dinorah, originally Le pardon de Ploërmel , is an 1859 French opéra comique in three acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré...
. In 1860 he sang the role of Beppe in the premiere of Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
's Rita
Rita (opera)
Rita, ou Le mari battu is an opéra comique in one act, composed by Gaetano Donizetti to a French libretto by Gustave Vaëz. The opera, a domestic comedy consisting of eight musical numbers connected by spoken dialogue, was completed in 1841 under its original title Deux hommes et une femme...
.
From 1861 until 1869 he was engaged at the Opéra National de Paris. While there he portrayed roles in several world premieres, including Tebaldo in Victor Massé
Victor Massé
Victor Massé was a French composer.-Biography:...
’s La mule de Pedro (1863) and Don Alvaro in Meyerbeer's L'Africaine
L'Africaine
L'africaine is a grand opera, the last work of the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French libretto was written by Eugène Scribe. The opera is about fictitious events in the life of the real historical person Vasco da Gama...
(1865). He also sang Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, the title hero in Le comte Ory
Le comte Ory
Le comte Ory is an opéra written by Gioachino Rossini in 1828. Some of the music originates from his opera Il viaggio a Reims written three years earlier for the coronation of Charles X...
, Henri in Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes is an opéra in five acts by the Italian romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi set to a French libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe from their work Le duc d'Albe, which was written in 1838 and offered to Halevy and Donizetti before Verdi...
, and Masaniello in La muette de Portici
La muette de Portici
La muette de Portici originally called Masaniello, ou La muette de Portici, is an opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Germain Delavigne, revised by Eugène Scribe...
.
Warot was committed to La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
from 1868–1876 where he portrayed such parts as Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera
Un ballo in maschera , is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi with text by Antonio Somma. The libretto is loosely based on an 1833 play, Gustave III, by French playwright Eugène Scribe who wrote about the historical assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden...
, Manrico in Il trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Erik in The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman (opera)
Der fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner.Wagner claimed in his 1870 autobiography Mein Leben that he had been inspired to write "The Flying Dutchman" following a stormy sea crossing he made from Riga to London in July and August 1839, but in his 1843...
, the title role in Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
, Raoul in Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
, Eléazar in La Juive
La Juive
La Juive is a grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French libretto by Eugène Scribe; it was first performed at the Opéra, Paris, on February 23, 1835.-Composition history:...
, and John of Leyden in Le prophète
Le prophète
Le prophète is an opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe.-Performance history:...
. From 1876 until his retirement from the stage in 1888 he remained active as a freelance artist at major opera houses in France and Belgium.
Warot devoted himself to teaching singing after his opera career ended, ultimately being appointed to the faculty of the Paris Conservatoire. A number of his pupils went on to have successful careers, including Lucienne Bréval
Lucienne Bréval
Lucienne Bréval was a Swiss dramatic soprano who had a major international opera career from 1892-1918...
, Edmond Clément
Edmond Clément
Edmond Clément was a French lyric tenor who earned an international reputation due to the polished artistry of his singing....
, Jeanne Hatto, and Lina Pacary. In 1902 he published a book, Bréviaire du chanteur. He died in Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes
Bois-Colombes is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe...
.