Achille-Félix Montaubry
Encyclopedia
Achille-Félix Montaubry, (born Niort
, Deux-Sèvres
, 12 November 1826, died Angers
, 2 October 1898) was a French musician and operatic tenor, active in Paris; later a theatre director. His brother was the conductor and composer Jean-Baptiste-Edouard Montaubry (1824–1883).
while his brother was first violin. Realising that he had attractive voice, he returned to the Conservatoire as a student of Panseron and Moreau-Sainti. After completion of his studies he went to America and was engaged in New Orleans in both Italian and French opera. After two years he returned to Europe and found success as a light tenor in Lille, Brussels, the Hague, Strasbourg and Bordeaux.
In 1858 he was offered a 5-year contract at the Opéra-Comique
for 40,000 francs per year.
Montaubry made his debut at the Salle Favart on 16 December 1858 in Les trois Nicolas by Clapisson, playing Nicolas Dalayrac
. His success was great (he was praised by Berlioz) and lead to further important roles in the Opéra-Comique repertoire: Fra Diavolo
, Le songe d'une nuit d'ete, Les mousquetaires de la reine, Zampa
, Le postillon de Longjumeau, Le petit chaperon rouge and Rose et Colas.
In 1860 he sang in an official cantata 'Vive l'empereur' with music by Jules Cohen. On 2 February 1861 he appeared as Alexis in La circassienne by Auber, and in the same year a revival of Le postillon de Longjumeau (Chapelou).
In Le joaillier de Saint-James (17 February 1862) he created the role of Bernard, and on 6 June 1863, in a brilliant revival of Zampa Montaubry sang the title role, thus assisting a box-office success. He was also the first Bénédict in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict
, which premiered on 9 August 1862 in Baden-Baden
.
Eugène Gautier's Le trésor de Pierrot (5 November 1864) saw Montaubry in the principal role, (later going on to sing another Pierrot, in Le tableau parlant
at the Théâtre de la Gaîté
). In Le voyage en Chine (1865), he created Henri de Kernoisan. He created several other roles at the theatre: in Le roman d'Elvire, Lalla-Roukh and Lara.
In Le fils du brigadier on 25 February 1867, there appeared evidence of wear in Montaubry's singing of Émile (a lieutenant), which continued in the title role of Robinson Crusoé
. In 1868 Montaubry left the Opéra-Comique and bought a small theatre, the Folies-Marigny, which he directed and where an operetta he had composed was mounted, Horace.
He left this theatre, "losing money but not finding his voice", after having another work performed, Son altesse le printemps, and on 12 June 1870 he appeared back at the Opéra-Comique in Le postillon de Longjumeau and Fra Diavolo
. On 3 July 1871 he was seen as Juliano in Le domino noir
. Later the same year he took over the direction of the Théâtre des Arts in Rouen.
In 1872 he was taken on at the Gaîté for the revival of Orphee aux enfers by Offenbach. Later he sang Narcisse in the 1875 revision of Geneviève de Brabant
at the Gaîté.
He married the singer Caroline Prévost in 1850 in the Hague.
In 1877 he left Paris for theatre management outside the capital.
His son sang Moralès in the premiere of Le coeur et la main by Lecocq at the Théâtre des Nouveautés
in 1882.
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....
, Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres is a French département. Deux-Sèvres literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department.-History:...
, 12 November 1826, died Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, 2 October 1898) was a French musician and operatic tenor, active in Paris; later a theatre director. His brother was the conductor and composer Jean-Baptiste-Edouard Montaubry (1824–1883).
Life and career
At the Paris Conservatoire he at first studied cello and began to play in orchestras, playing in the orchestra of the Théâtre du VaudevilleThéâtre du Vaudeville
The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles....
while his brother was first violin. Realising that he had attractive voice, he returned to the Conservatoire as a student of Panseron and Moreau-Sainti. After completion of his studies he went to America and was engaged in New Orleans in both Italian and French opera. After two years he returned to Europe and found success as a light tenor in Lille, Brussels, the Hague, Strasbourg and Bordeaux.
In 1858 he was offered a 5-year contract 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...
for 40,000 francs per year.
Montaubry made his debut at the Salle Favart on 16 December 1858 in Les trois Nicolas by Clapisson, playing Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
. His success was great (he was praised by Berlioz) and lead to further important roles in the Opéra-Comique repertoire: Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo , is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous Neapolitan guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an “inspirational practicioner of popular insurrection”. Pezza figures prominently in folk lore and fiction...
, Le songe d'une nuit d'ete, Les mousquetaires de la reine, Zampa
Zampa
Zampa, ou La fiancée de marbre is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold...
, Le postillon de Longjumeau, Le petit chaperon rouge and Rose et Colas.
In 1860 he sang in an official cantata 'Vive l'empereur' with music by Jules Cohen. On 2 February 1861 he appeared as Alexis in La circassienne by Auber, and in the same year a revival of Le postillon de Longjumeau (Chapelou).
In Le joaillier de Saint-James (17 February 1862) he created the role of Bernard, and on 6 June 1863, in a brilliant revival of Zampa Montaubry sang the title role, thus assisting a box-office success. He was also the first Bénédict in Berlioz's Béatrice et Bénédict
Béatrice et Bénédict
Béatrice et Bénédict is an opera in two acts by Hector Berlioz. Berlioz wrote the French libretto himself, based closely on Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing....
, which premiered on 9 August 1862 in Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
.
Eugène Gautier's Le trésor de Pierrot (5 November 1864) saw Montaubry in the principal role, (later going on to sing another Pierrot, in Le tableau parlant
Le tableau parlant
Le tableau parlant is an opéra comique, described as a comédie-parade, in one act by André Grétry, The French text was by Louis Anseaume.-Performance history:...
at the Théâtre de la Gaîté
Théâtre de la Gaîté (rue Papin)
In 1862 during Haussmann's modernization of Paris the Théâtre de la Gaîté of the boulevard du Temple was relocated to the rue Papin across from the Square des Arts et Métiers....
). In Le voyage en Chine (1865), he created Henri de Kernoisan. He created several other roles at the theatre: in Le roman d'Elvire, Lalla-Roukh and Lara.
In Le fils du brigadier on 25 February 1867, there appeared evidence of wear in Montaubry's singing of Émile (a lieutenant), which continued in the title role of Robinson Crusoé
Robinson Crusoé
Robinson Crusoé is an opéra comique, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach.The French libretto was written by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux, which was loosely adapted from the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, though the work owes more to British pantomime than to the book...
. In 1868 Montaubry left the Opéra-Comique and bought a small theatre, the Folies-Marigny, which he directed and where an operetta he had composed was mounted, Horace.
He left this theatre, "losing money but not finding his voice", after having another work performed, Son altesse le printemps, and on 12 June 1870 he appeared back at the Opéra-Comique in Le postillon de Longjumeau and Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo , is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous Neapolitan guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an “inspirational practicioner of popular insurrection”. Pezza figures prominently in folk lore and fiction...
. On 3 July 1871 he was seen as Juliano in Le domino noir
Le domino noir
Le domino noir is an opéra comique by the French composer Daniel Auber, first performed on 2 December 1837 by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris. The libretto to the three-act piece is by Auber's usual collaborator, Eugène Scribe. It was one of Auber's most successful works,...
. Later the same year he took over the direction of the Théâtre des Arts in Rouen.
In 1872 he was taken on at the Gaîté for the revival of Orphee aux enfers by Offenbach. Later he sang Narcisse in the 1875 revision of Geneviève de Brabant
Geneviève de Brabant
Geneviève de Brabant is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in Paris in 1859. The plot is based on the medieval legend of Genevieve of Brabant....
at the Gaîté.
He married the singer Caroline Prévost in 1850 in the Hague.
In 1877 he left Paris for theatre management outside the capital.
His son sang Moralès in the premiere of Le coeur et la main by Lecocq at the Théâtre des Nouveautés
Théâtre des Nouveautés
The name Théâtre des Nouveautés has been used successively to refer to several different Parisian theatre companies and their buildings, beginning in 1827...
in 1882.