Maurice Frigara
Encyclopedia
Maurice Frigara was a French conductor of Corsica
n descent, mainly active in the opera house.
, Lambert Massart and Benjamin Godard
at the Paris Conservatoire.
He first conducted at the theatre in Lille in 1895, and also taught at the Conservatoire in the city. He worked in Antwerp then Cairo in 1898. For five years he was at the Théâtre Graslin
in Nantes, and conducted in Marseille and Lyon, in the latter leading productions of Der Ring des Nibelungen
, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
and Gwendoline.
Frigara conducted at the Grand Opera seasons at Covent Garden
in 1909 (Faust
, Louise
, Samson et Dalila) and 1910 (the same repertoire plus La Habanéra by Laparra).
In 1917 he was music director at the Théâtre Trianon-Lyrique in Paris, concentrating on the late 18th and early 19th century repertoire, while also at times conducting the Concerts Lamoureux. He was considered a conscientious, precise and sometimes dry interpreter.
Having made his debut there in May 1920 conducting La traviata
, he was the musical director of the Opéra-Comique
from 1925–1932, including in 1925 a revival of the third Entrée of Les Indes Galantes
by Rameau and La Lépreuse by Lazzari. Around this time the American violinist and band leader Enoch Light
studied with Frigara in Paris.
In 1934 Frigara conducted the premiere of Fragonard by Pierné at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
. Frigara also conducted the premiere of the opérette Au soleil du Mexique by Maurice Yvain at the Théâtre du Châtelet
on 18 December 1935. He was active as a conductor at that theatre as late as December 1939. The exact year and place of his death is unknown.
in the 1920s, and records of orchestral music in the 1930s (Chabrier's España, Fete Polonaise from Le roi malgré lui
, Massenet's Scenes alsaciennes, and the overtures to Martha
, Le roi d'Ys
and Light Cavalry
) as well as other vocal extracts with opera singers.
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
n descent, mainly active in the opera house.
Career
Frigara studied under Charles DanclaCharles Dancla
Jean Baptiste Charles Dancla was a French violinist, composer and teacher.-Biography:...
, Lambert Massart and Benjamin Godard
Benjamin Godard
Benjamin Louis Paul Godard was a French violinist and Romantic composer.-Biography:Born in Paris, Godard was a student of Henri Vieuxtemps. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1863 where he studied under Vieuxtemps and Napoléon Henri Reber and accompanied Vieuxtemps twice to Germany...
at the Paris Conservatoire.
He first conducted at the theatre in Lille in 1895, and also taught at the Conservatoire in the city. He worked in Antwerp then Cairo in 1898. For five years he was at the Théâtre Graslin
Théâtre Graslin
The Théâtre Graslin is a theatre and opera house in the city of Nantes in France. Created in a new district of the city in the late 18th Century by the local architect Mathurin Crucy and named after the owner of the land, Jean-Louis Graslin...
in Nantes, and conducted in Marseille and Lyon, in the latter leading productions of Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
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,...
and Gwendoline.
Frigara conducted at the Grand Opera seasons at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
in 1909 (Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, Louise
Louise (opera)
Louise is an opera in four acts by Gustave Charpentier to an original French libretto by the composer, with some contributions by Saint-Pol-Roux, a symbolist poet and inspiration of the surrealists....
, Samson et Dalila) and 1910 (the same repertoire plus La Habanéra by Laparra).
In 1917 he was music director at the Théâtre Trianon-Lyrique in Paris, concentrating on the late 18th and early 19th century repertoire, while also at times conducting the Concerts Lamoureux. He was considered a conscientious, precise and sometimes dry interpreter.
Having made his debut there in May 1920 conducting 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...
, he was the musical director of 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...
from 1925–1932, including in 1925 a revival of the third Entrée of Les Indes Galantes
Les Indes galantes
Les Indes galantes is an opéra-ballet consisting of a prologue and four entrées by Jean-Philippe Rameau with libretto by Louis Fuzelier...
by Rameau and La Lépreuse by Lazzari. Around this time the American violinist and band leader Enoch Light
Enoch Light
Enoch Henry Light was a classical violinist, bandleader, and recording engineer. As A&R chief and vice-president of Grand Award Records, he founded Command Records in 1959. Light's name was prominent on many albums both as musician and producer...
studied with Frigara in Paris.
In 1934 Frigara conducted the premiere of Fragonard by Pierné at the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin
The Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin is a venerable theatre and opera house at 18, Boulevard Saint-Martin in the 10e arrondissement of Paris.- History :...
. Frigara also conducted the premiere of the opérette Au soleil du Mexique by Maurice Yvain at the Théâtre du Châtelet
Théâtre du Châtelet
The Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann between 1860 and...
on 18 December 1935. He was active as a conductor at that theatre as late as December 1939. The exact year and place of his death is unknown.
Recordings
Frigara conducted several important early recordings for Columbia with the tenor Georges ThillGeorges Thill
Georges Thill was a French opera singer, often considered to be his country's greatest lyric-dramatic tenor...
in the 1920s, and records of orchestral music in the 1930s (Chabrier's España, Fete Polonaise from 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...
, Massenet's Scenes alsaciennes, and the overtures to Martha
Martha (opera)
Martha, oder Der Markt zu Richmond is a 'romantic comic' opera in four acts by Friedrich von Flotow, set to a German libretto by Friedrich Wilhelm Riese and based on a story by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges....
, Le roi d'Ys
Le roi d'Ys
is an opera in three acts and five tableaux by the French composer Édouard Lalo, to a libretto by Édouard Blau, based on the old Breton legend of the drowned city of Ys, which was, according to the legend, the capital of the kingdom of Cornouaille. It premiered at the Opéra Comique in Paris on 7...
and Light Cavalry
Leichte Kavallerie
Leichte Kavallerie is an operetta in three acts by Franz von Suppé, with a libretto by Karl Costa. It was first performed in the Carltheater, Vienna on 21 March 1866....
) as well as other vocal extracts with opera singers.