Juliette Simon-Girard
Encyclopedia
Juliette-Joséphine Simon-Girard (8 May 1859 – 1954) was a French soprano, principally in operetta. Her father was Philippe Lockroy, an actor at the Comédie Française, and her mother was Caroline Girard
, of the Opéra-Comique
.
. After studies at the Conservatoire in 1876 (in the class of Henri de Régnier) she made her debut at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques
as Carlinette in Offenbach's La foire Saint-Laurent on 10 February 1877, and then became an overnight star by creating the role of Serpolette in Les cloches de Corneville
on 19 April 1877. During the run of Les cloches de Corneville she met and married the well-known tenor Simon-Max
, thereafter becoming Mme Simon-Girard.
At the age of 19 she created the title role in Offenbach’s Madame Favart
; then La fille du tambour-major
in 1879 becoming one of Paris’s most popular performers, prominent on the city's stages for 30 years.
At the Folies-Dramatiques she also created roles in Beau Nicolas (1880), Les poupées de l'infante (1881), Fanfan la tulipe (1882), La princesse des Canaries (1883); moving to the Théâtre des Nouveautés
she was in the premiere of La vie mondaine. On return to the Folies-Dramatiques she replaced Ugalde in Les petits mousquetaires and then created the title role in La fauvette du temple
(17 November 1885).
After singing with her husband in the premiere of La chatte blanche, at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 2 April 1887, she spent a year in Belgium.
Simon-Girard’s return to Paris was at the Théâtre de la Gaîté
in 1888 in revivals of Le grand Mogul and La fille du tambour-major, before creating the title role in Voyage de Suzette on 20 January 1890. After several productions at the Théâtre de la Renaissance (where she created Mlle Asmodée in 1891 and La femme de Narcisse in 1892, and revived La jolie parfumeuse
in 1892, she went back to the Folies-Dramatiques and created Eva in Varney
’s Miss Robinson on 17 July 1892.
From 1893 she was at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
with more premieres including Olga in Pessard's Mam'zelle Carabin (3 November 1893).
She met her second husband Félix Huguenet while performing in L’enlèvement de la Toledad in 1894, and from then on took on more comedy acting parts.
In November 1899 she took the title role at the Théâtre des Variétés
in a major and successful revival of La belle Hélène
, which ran for over five hundred performances.
In 1903 Simon-Girard made recordings of Offenbach, excerpts from Les cloches de Corneville and songs Messager, Audran and Lecocq.
She died at Nice
. Her son was Aimé Simon-Girard
.
Caroline Girard
Caroline Girard was a French operatic soprano. She was the mother of Juliette Simon-Girard.-Career:Girard was a principal singer at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris from 1853, creating many roles including Margot in Le diable à quatre by Solié/Adam in 1853, Columbine in Le tableau parlant by Grétry in...
, 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...
.
Career
Girard was born at ParisParis
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...
. After studies at the Conservatoire in 1876 (in the class of Henri de Régnier) she made her debut at the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques
Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques
The Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques was a theatre in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries. Opened first in 1832 in the site of the old Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique on the Boulevard du Temple, under Frédérick Lemaître it became a noted venue for the genre of mélodrame.In 1862, the theatre moved to the...
as Carlinette in Offenbach's La foire Saint-Laurent on 10 February 1877, and then became an overnight star by creating the role of Serpolette in Les cloches de Corneville
Les cloches de Corneville
Les cloches de Corneville is an operetta in three acts, composed by Robert Planquette to a French libretto by Louis Clairville and Charles Gabet based on a play by Gabet.In 1876, the director of the Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques, Louis Cantin, hired Planquette to compose the operetta,...
on 19 April 1877. During the run of Les cloches de Corneville she met and married the well-known tenor Simon-Max
Simon-Max
Nicolas-Marie Simon Simon-Max, born Reims in 1852, died 1923, was a French tenor, mainly active in Paris in the field of opera-bouffe.After musical studies in Reims he made his debut in 1875 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance as Janio in La reine Indigo then on 9 September that year at the Théâtre...
, thereafter becoming Mme Simon-Girard.
At the age of 19 she created the title role in Offenbach’s Madame Favart
Madame Favart
Madame Favart is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot.-Performance history:...
; then La fille du tambour-major
La fille du tambour-major
La fille du tambour-major is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Charles Chivot ....
in 1879 becoming one of Paris’s most popular performers, prominent on the city's stages for 30 years.
At the Folies-Dramatiques she also created roles in Beau Nicolas (1880), Les poupées de l'infante (1881), Fanfan la tulipe (1882), La princesse des Canaries (1883); moving to 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...
she was in the premiere of La vie mondaine. On return to the Folies-Dramatiques she replaced Ugalde in Les petits mousquetaires and then created the title role in La fauvette du temple
La fauvette du temple
La fauvette du temple is an opéra comique in three acts of 1885, with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Paul Burani and Eugène Humbert....
(17 November 1885).
After singing with her husband in the premiere of La chatte blanche, at the Théâtre du Châtelet on 2 April 1887, she spent a year in Belgium.
Simon-Girard’s return to Paris was 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 1888 in revivals of Le grand Mogul and La fille du tambour-major, before creating the title role in Voyage de Suzette on 20 January 1890. After several productions at the Théâtre de la Renaissance (where she created Mlle Asmodée in 1891 and La femme de Narcisse in 1892, and revived La jolie parfumeuse
La jolie parfumeuse
La jolie parfumeuse is an opéra comique in three acts of 1873 with music by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was by Hector Crémieux and Ernest Blum.-Performance history:...
in 1892, she went back to the Folies-Dramatiques and created Eva in Varney
Louis Varney
Louis Varney was a French composer.-Biography:Louis Varney was the son of Alphonse Varney, a French conductor at the Bouffes-Parisiens and at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, he was also invited to conduct the "French Opera Season" abroad, notably in New Orleans, Louisiana, and this is how Louis came...
’s Miss Robinson on 17 July 1892.
From 1893 she was at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
with more premieres including Olga in Pessard's Mam'zelle Carabin (3 November 1893).
She met her second husband Félix Huguenet while performing in L’enlèvement de la Toledad in 1894, and from then on took on more comedy acting parts.
In November 1899 she took the title role at the Théâtre des Variétés
Théâtre des Variétés
The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1975.-History:...
in a major and successful revival of La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène , opéra bouffe in three acts, is an operetta by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...
, which ran for over five hundred performances.
In 1903 Simon-Girard made recordings of Offenbach, excerpts from Les cloches de Corneville and songs Messager, Audran and Lecocq.
She died at Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. Her son was Aimé Simon-Girard
Aimé Simon-Girard
Aimé Simon-Girard , in Paris, France was a French film actor. He was the son of the tenor Nicholas Simon-Max and the soprano Juliette Simon-Girard....
.