Liliane Berton
Encyclopedia
Liliane Berton was a French soprano, known principally on the opera stage, but also active in radio recordings and as a teacher.
and the Conservatoire de Paris
she made her debut at the Opéra de Marseille
as Blondine in Die Entführung aus dem Serail
.
Berton was taken on by the RTLN, and made her Paris debut at the Opéra as Siebel in Faust
on 8 September 1952, before appearing in the premiere of Dolorès by Michel-Maurice Lévy at the Opéra-Comique
on 7 November 1952.
Her career encompassed many lighter soprano roles in the repertoire: l’Amour, Fatime (Les Indes galantes
), Sophie (Werther
), Poussette (Manon
), Xenia (Boris Godunov
), Rosina (The Barber of Seville
, in French), Eurydice (Orphée), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier
) and Chérubin and Susanna (The marriage of Figaro
).
In 1957 she created the role of Soeur Constance in the French premiere of Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc
.
As well as Paris, she sang frequently in the French provincial houses, as well as at the Festivals of Aix-en-Provence
, Edinburgh
, Glyndebourne
and Holland
, and in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos-Aires, Lisbon and London.
Around 1966 her career moved from performing to teaching, at the Paris Conservatoire, with Gabriel Bacquier
, while still occasionally singing lighter repertoire and opérettes.
As well as Dialogue des Carmélites she left recordings of other operas, many operettas and melodies by Poulenc.
She married René Charrière of the singing group « Les garçons de la rue » in 1952. She suffered a stroke in 2005.
Career
Although considering a dramatic career, after vocal studies at the Conservatoire de LilleLille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
and the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
she made her debut at the Opéra de Marseille
Opéra de Marseille
L’Opéra de Marseille, known today as the Opéra Municipal, is an opera company located in Marseille, France. In 1685, the city was the second in France after Bordeaux to have an opera house which was erected on a tennis court....
as Blondine in Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera Singspiel in three acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The German libretto is by Christoph Friedrich Bretzner with adaptations by Gottlieb Stephanie...
.
Berton was taken on by the RTLN, and made her Paris debut at the Opéra as Siebel in 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...
on 8 September 1952, before appearing in the premiere of Dolorès by Michel-Maurice Lévy 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...
on 7 November 1952.
Her career encompassed many lighter soprano roles in the repertoire: l’Amour, Fatime (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...
), Sophie (Werther
Werther
Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe....
), Poussette (Manon
Manon
Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost...
), Xenia (Boris Godunov
Boris Godunov (opera)
Boris Godunov is an opera by Modest Mussorgsky . The work was composed between 1868 and 1873 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is Mussorgsky's only completed opera and is considered his masterpiece. Its subjects are the Russian ruler Boris Godunov, who reigned as Tsar during the Time of Troubles,...
), Rosina (The Barber of 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...
, in French), Eurydice (Orphée), Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier
Der Rosenkavalier is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from the novel Les amours du chevalier de Faublas by Louvet de Couvrai and Molière’s comedy Monsieur de Pourceaugnac...
) and Chérubin and Susanna (The marriage of Figaro
The Marriage of Figaro
Le nozze di Figaro, ossia la folle giornata , K. 492, is an opera buffa composed in 1786 in four acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, based on a stage comedy by Pierre Beaumarchais, La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro .Although the play by...
).
In 1957 she created the role of Soeur Constance in the French premiere of Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
.
As well as Paris, she sang frequently in the French provincial houses, as well as at the Festivals of Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence Festival
The festival international d'art lyrique is an annual international music festival which takes place each summer in Aix-en-Provence, principally in the month of July. Devoted mainly to opera, it also includes concerts of orchestral, chamber, vocal and solo instrumental music.-Establishment:The...
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an English opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.-History:...
and Holland
Holland Festival
The Holland Festival is The Netherlands' oldest and largest performing arts festival, and takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theater, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and architecture were added to the festival roster...
, and in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos-Aires, Lisbon and London.
Around 1966 her career moved from performing to teaching, at the Paris Conservatoire, with Gabriel Bacquier
Gabriel Bacquier
Gabriel Bacquier is a French operatic baritone. One of the leading baritones of the 20th century and particularly associated with the French and Italian repertories, he is considered a fine singing-actor equally at home in dramatic or comic roles.-Life and career:Gabriel Bacquier was born in...
, while still occasionally singing lighter repertoire and opérettes.
As well as Dialogue des Carmélites she left recordings of other operas, many operettas and melodies by Poulenc.
She married René Charrière of the singing group « Les garçons de la rue » in 1952. She suffered a stroke in 2005.