Louis Delaquerrière
Encyclopedia
Louis-Achille Delaquerrière, born in Les Loges
, France 25 February 1858, died 1937 was a French opera singer, and later a teacher active in France.
as Daniel in Le chalet
on 16 March 1881.
At La Monnaie
in Brussels, Delaquerrière sang Wagner in Méphistophélès
by Boito in 1883, created a role in Le panache blanc (by Philippe Flon) and sang L'abbé in Le trésor (by Charles Lefebvre) in 1884, created David in the local premiere of Les maîtres chanteurs de Nuremberg
(translated by Victor Wilder) and appeared in Joli Gilles (Ferdinand Poise) in 1885.
He sang in Geneva for a season then returned to the Opéra-Comique. There he sang in Mignon (Wilhelm), La dame blanche
(George), La Traviata
(Alfredo), Carmen
(Don José), L'Ombre (by Flotow), Le postillon de Lonjumeau
, and created Le comte de Nangis in Chabrier's Le roi malgré lui
(1887). At the 100th performance of Le Barbier de Seville
at the Opéra-Comique on 25 Feb 1887, he sang Almaviva with Mézeray as Rosine and Soulacroix as Figaro; other roles with the company included Mergy in Le pré aux clercs
and Alexis in Le déserteur
.
The singer was on good terms with several contemporary artists and composers; his friendship with Chabrier resulted in a proposal to mount a concert of the composer's works in Royan
in 1888, where Delaquerrière was enjoying success; Chabrier in one of his most bitter letters tore the idea to shreds. Among his papers were letters from composers of his time, as well as manuscripts, including one of Liszt.
Delaquerrière appeared at Monte Carlo in early 1889, singing Vincent in Mireille
, Philémon in Philémon et Baucis
, Wilhelm Meister in Mignon
, Sylvain in Les Dragons de Villars
and Don José in Carmen
.
In January 1893 he sang Pierre in the premiere of Messager's Madame Chrysanthème
at the Salle de la Renaissance du Théâtre-Lyrique, where he also sang in Fra Diavolo
, Le Barbier de Séville and Obéron
.
His son was José Delaquerrière, also a tenor (born Paris 16 September 1886, died Montreal 10 April 1978) whose early musical training in Paris was provided by his parents.
Les Loges, Seine-Maritime
Les Loges is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A farming village in the Pays de Caux, some north of Le Havre, at the junction of the D72, D74 and D940 roads.-History:...
, France 25 February 1858, died 1937 was a French opera singer, and later a teacher active in France.
Life and career
He failed to be accepted at the Paris Conservatoire, but became a pupil of Louise de Miramont-Tréogate (whom he then married). He 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...
as Daniel in Le chalet
Le chalet
Le chalet is an opéra-comique in one act by Adolphe Adam to a French libretto by Eugène Scribe and Mélésville after the singspiel Jery und Bätely by Goethe...
on 16 March 1881.
At La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
in Brussels, Delaquerrière sang Wagner in Méphistophélès
Mefistofele
Mefistofele is an opera in a prologue, four acts and an epilogue, the only completed opera by the Italian composer-librettist Arrigo Boito.-Composition history:...
by Boito in 1883, created a role in Le panache blanc (by Philippe Flon) and sang L'abbé in Le trésor (by Charles Lefebvre) in 1884, created David in the local premiere of Les maîtres chanteurs de Nuremberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
(translated by Victor Wilder) and appeared in Joli Gilles (Ferdinand Poise) in 1885.
He sang in Geneva for a season then returned to the Opéra-Comique. There he sang in Mignon (Wilhelm), 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...
(George), La Traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
(Alfredo), Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
(Don José), L'Ombre (by Flotow), Le postillon de Lonjumeau
Le postillon de Lonjumeau
Le postillon de Lonjumeau is an opéra-comique in three acts by Adolphe Adam to a French libretto by 'Adolphe de Leuven' and 'Brunswick' ....
, and created Le comte de Nangis in Chabrier's Le roi malgré lui
Le roi malgré lui
Le roi malgré lui is an opéra-comique in three acts by Emmanuel Chabrier with an original libretto by Emile de Najac and Paul Burani. The opera is revived occasionally, but has not found a place in the repertory, mainly because of the poor libretto...
(1887). At the 100th performance of Le Barbier de Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
at the Opéra-Comique on 25 Feb 1887, he sang Almaviva with Mézeray as Rosine and Soulacroix as Figaro; other roles with the company included Mergy 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 Alexis in Le déserteur
Le déserteur
Le déserteur is an opéra comique by the French composer Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny with a libretto by Michel-Jean Sedaine. It was first staged at the Comédie-Italienne, Paris on 6 March 1769....
.
The singer was on good terms with several contemporary artists and composers; his friendship with Chabrier resulted in a proposal to mount a concert of the composer's works in Royan
Royan
Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes...
in 1888, where Delaquerrière was enjoying success; Chabrier in one of his most bitter letters tore the idea to shreds. Among his papers were letters from composers of his time, as well as manuscripts, including one of Liszt.
Delaquerrière appeared at Monte Carlo in early 1889, singing Vincent in Mireille
Mireille (opera)
Mireille is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Michel Carré after Frédéric Mistral's poem Mireio.-Composition history:...
, Philémon in Philémon et Baucis
Philémon et Baucis
Philémon et Baucis is an opera in three acts by Charles Gounod with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. The opera is based on the tale of Baucis and Philemon as told by La Fontaine...
, Wilhelm Meister in Mignon
Mignon
Mignon is an opéra comique in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre. The Italian version was translated by Giuseppe Zaffira. The opera is mentioned in James Joyce's The Dead,...
, Sylvain in Les Dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Joseph-Philippe Lockroy.-Performance history:...
and Don José in Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
.
In January 1893 he sang Pierre in the premiere of Messager's Madame Chrysanthème
Madame Chrysanthème
Madame Chrysanthème is an opera, described as a comédie lyrique, with music by André Messager to a libretto by Georges Hartmann and Alexandre André, after the semi-autobiographical Madame Chrysanthème by Pierre Loti...
at the Salle de la Renaissance du Théâtre-Lyrique, where he also sang in 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 Barbier de Séville and Obéron
Oberon (opera)
Oberon, or The Elf King's Oath is a 3-act romantic opera in English with spoken dialogue and music by Carl Maria von Weber. The libretto by James Robinson Planche was based on a German poem, Oberon, by Christoph Martin Wieland, which itself was based on the epic romance Huon de Bordeaux, a French...
.
His son was José Delaquerrière, also a tenor (born Paris 16 September 1886, died Montreal 10 April 1978) whose early musical training in Paris was provided by his parents.