Gabriel Soulacroix
Encyclopedia
Gabriel-Valentin Soulacroix (11 December 1853 [some sources say 1852], Villeneuve-sur-Lot
– 16 August 1905, Paris
) was a French operatic baritone
. He studied at Toulouse, where he won four first prizes, and then in Paris.
, Brussels, including in some local operatic premieres.
His repertoire in Brussels included Le timbre d'argent by Camille Saint-Saëns (10 February 1879, playing the doctor), L'orage, an opéra-comique
by Jean Urich (2 May 1879, Julien), The magic flute in French, (January to April 1880, Papageno), La Bernoise, an opéra comique by Emile Mathieu (1 April 1880, André), Le capitaine Raymond, an opéra comique by Jean-Baptiste Colyns (8 April 1881, Le comte de Guitaut), Jean de Nivelle
by Léo Delibes (28 November 1882, Le comte de Charolais), Le panache blanc, an opéra comique by Philippe Flon (15 February 1884), Manon (15 March 1884, Lescaut), Le trésor, an opéra-comique by Charles Edouard Lefebvre (15 December 1884, Le duc Jean), Joli Gilles by Ferdinand Poise (7 February 1885, title role), and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in French (7 March 1885, Sixtus Beckmesser).
Soulacroix joined the Opéra-Comique
company in 1885, his first appearance being as Bellamy in Les dragons de Villars on 25 September 1885. He sang Ford in the 1894 production of Falstaff, as well as Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana), Ourrias (Mireille), Schaunard (La Boheme) and Figaro (The Barber of Seville). He was on-stage singing Laerte in Mignon the night of the fire at the Salle Favart on 25 May 1887, and later received a médaille de sauvetage. In December 1899 he added Oreste to his repertoire, in a production of Iphigénie en Tauride
at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
.
At the Covent Garden
in London
he sang the roles of Pedrillo, Escamillo, Figaro (Rossini), Alfio, Mercutio and Beckmesser. In addition, he was seen in a wide range of parts regularly at Monte Carlo
from 1889 to 1904, including the title role in Zampa and Iago in Otello. His career was ended prematurely by his sudden death in middle-age.
and disc recordings by Soulacroix include arias from Rip, Richard Cœur-de-Lion, La Favorite, Hérodiade, Si j’étais roi and Carmen, as well as from roles which he created: "A ton amour simple et sincère" and "Quand tu connaîtras Colette" from La Basoche, and the 'Air du prieur' from Le jongleur de Notre-Dame.
Soulacroix recorded a great deal for Pathe, Odeon, and the Gramophone Company (from 1899 to 1905) given his early demise in 1905. Some of these recordings have been re-issued on CD. They show that he possessed a smooth, elegant, lyrical voice and an exemplary bel canto
technique (See Michael Scott: The Record of Singing
, published by Duckworth, London, 1978, for an appraisal of his recordings and a summary of his career.)
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a town and commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France. The commune was formerly named Villeneuve-d'Agen....
– 16 August 1905, 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...
) was a French operatic baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. He studied at Toulouse, where he won four first prizes, and then in Paris.
Career
Making his debut in Mireille on 5 September 1878, Soulacroix appeared regularly at La MonnaieLa Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
, Brussels, including in some local operatic premieres.
His repertoire in Brussels included Le timbre d'argent by Camille Saint-Saëns (10 February 1879, playing the doctor), L'orage, an 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...
by Jean Urich (2 May 1879, Julien), The magic flute in French, (January to April 1880, Papageno), La Bernoise, an opéra comique by Emile Mathieu (1 April 1880, André), Le capitaine Raymond, an opéra comique by Jean-Baptiste Colyns (8 April 1881, Le comte de Guitaut), Jean de Nivelle
Jean de Nivelle (opera)
Jean de Nivelle is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. It premiered on 6 March 1880 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, with the French tenor, Jean-Alexandre Talazac in the title role...
by Léo Delibes (28 November 1882, Le comte de Charolais), Le panache blanc, an opéra comique by Philippe Flon (15 February 1884), Manon (15 March 1884, Lescaut), Le trésor, an opéra-comique by Charles Edouard Lefebvre (15 December 1884, Le duc Jean), Joli Gilles by Ferdinand Poise (7 February 1885, title role), and The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in French (7 March 1885, Sixtus Beckmesser).
Soulacroix joined 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...
company in 1885, his first appearance being as Bellamy in Les dragons de Villars on 25 September 1885. He sang Ford in the 1894 production of Falstaff, as well as Alfio (Cavalleria rusticana), Ourrias (Mireille), Schaunard (La Boheme) and Figaro (The Barber of Seville). He was on-stage singing Laerte in Mignon the night of the fire at the Salle Favart on 25 May 1887, and later received a médaille de sauvetage. In December 1899 he added Oreste to his repertoire, in a production of Iphigénie en Tauride
Iphigénie en Tauride
Iphigénie en Tauride is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. It was his fifth opera for the French stage. The libretto was written by Nicolas-François Guillard....
at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
Théâtre de la Renaissance
The name Théâtre de la Renaissance has been used successively for three distinct Parisian theatre companies. The first two companies, which were short-lived enterprises in the 19th century, used the Salle Ventadour, now an office building on the Rue Méhul in the 2nd arrondissement.The current...
.
At the 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 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
he sang the roles of Pedrillo, Escamillo, Figaro (Rossini), Alfio, Mercutio and Beckmesser. In addition, he was seen in a wide range of parts regularly at Monte Carlo
Opéra de Monte-Carlo
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house located in the principality of Monaco.With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des Bains de Mer, decided on the construction of an opera house. Initially, it was Charles III's...
from 1889 to 1904, including the title role in Zampa and Iago in Otello. His career was ended prematurely by his sudden death in middle-age.
Recordings
Early cylinderPhonograph cylinder
Phonograph cylinders were the earliest commercial medium for recording and reproducing sound. Commonly known simply as "records" in their era of greatest popularity , these cylinder shaped objects had an audio recording engraved on the outside surface which could be reproduced when the cylinder was...
and disc recordings by Soulacroix include arias from Rip, Richard Cœur-de-Lion, La Favorite, Hérodiade, Si j’étais roi and Carmen, as well as from roles which he created: "A ton amour simple et sincère" and "Quand tu connaîtras Colette" from La Basoche, and the 'Air du prieur' from Le jongleur de Notre-Dame.
Soulacroix recorded a great deal for Pathe, Odeon, and the Gramophone Company (from 1899 to 1905) given his early demise in 1905. Some of these recordings have been re-issued on CD. They show that he possessed a smooth, elegant, lyrical voice and an exemplary bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
technique (See Michael Scott: The Record of Singing
The Record of Singing
The Record of Singing is a compilation of classical-music singing from the first half of the 20th century, the era of the 78-rpm record.It was issued on LP by EMI, successor to the British company His Master's Voice — perhaps the leading organization in the early history of audio recording.The...
, published by Duckworth, London, 1978, for an appraisal of his recordings and a summary of his career.)
Roles created
- Ferdinand in Egmont (Salvayre,1886)
- Plutus (Lecocq, 1886)
- Gabriel in Pilote (Urich, 1890)
- Clément Marot in La BasocheLa BasocheLa Basoche is an opéra comique in three acts of 1890, with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Albert Carré.-History:Messager's 1889 opérette Le mari de la reine at Bouffes-Parisiens was a disappointment, and the composer and his wife were struggling to afford even basic necessities...
(Messager, 1890) - Treocrite in Aréthuse (De Montgomery, 1894)
- Title role in Panurge (Planquette, 1895)
- Myrrhon in Messeline (de Lara, 1899)
- Prior in Le jongleur de Notre-DameLe jongleur de Notre-DameLe jongleur de Notre-Dame is an opera in three acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Maurice Léna. It was first performed in Monte Carlo on 18 February 1902.-History:...
(Massenet, 1902)