Louis Guéymard
Encyclopedia
Louis Guéymard was a French opera
tic tenor
. Born in Chapponay, his parents were farmers and he worked on his family's farm until the age of 19. He then received voice taining at the Opéra National de Lyon
. He made his opera debut there in 1845 and then pursued further voice studies at the Conservatoire de Paris
from 1846-1848.
In 1848 Guéymard became a leading tenor at the Paris Opera
where he sang until 1868. He created roles in several world premieres with that company, including Philippe d'Autriche in Antoine-Louis Clapisson's Jeanne la folle (1848), Jonas in Giacomo Meyerbeer
's Le prophète
(1849), Phaon in Charles Gounod
's Sapho
(1851), Rodolphe in Armand Limnander de Nieuwenhove's Le maître chanteur (1853), Rodolphe in Gounod's La nonne sanglante
(1854), Henri in Giuseppe Verdi
's Les vêpres siciliennes
(1855), Fromental Halévy
's La magicienne (1858), Julien de Médicis in Józef Michał Poniatowski's Pierre de Médicis (1860), Adoniram in Gounod's La reine de Saba
(1862), and Roland in Auguste Mermet
's Roland à Roncevaux (1864).
On the international stage Guéymard was a guest artist at the Royal Opera House
in London in 1854. He also appeared at the French Opera in New Orleans in the 1873-1874 season. Other roles in Guéymard's repertoire included Arnold in William Tell
, Jean de Leyde in Le prophète, both Manrico and Ruiz in Il trovatore
, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller
, Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi
, and the title role in Robert le diable.
Guéymard married Belgian opera singer Pauline Guéymard-Lauters in 1858, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1868. He died in Corbeil-Essonnes
at the age of 57.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
. Born in Chapponay, his parents were farmers and he worked on his family's farm until the age of 19. He then received voice taining at the Opéra National de Lyon
Opéra National de Lyon
Opéra National de Lyon is an opera company in Lyon, France which performs in the Nouvel Opéra, a modernized version in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house.The inaugural performance of François-Adrien Boïeldieu's La Dame blanche was given on 1 July 1831...
. He made his opera debut there in 1845 and then pursued further voice studies at 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...
from 1846-1848.
In 1848 Guéymard became a leading tenor at the Paris Opera
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
where he sang until 1868. He created roles in several world premieres with that company, including Philippe d'Autriche in Antoine-Louis Clapisson's Jeanne la folle (1848), Jonas in Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer
Giacomo Meyerbeer was a noted German opera composer, and the first great exponent of "grand opera." At his peak in the 1830s and 1840s, he was the most famous and successful composer of opera in Europe, yet he is rarely performed today.-Early years:He was born to a Jewish family in Tasdorf , near...
's Le prophète
Le prophète
Le prophète is an opera in five acts by Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French-language libretto was by Eugène Scribe.-Performance history:...
(1849), Phaon in Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
's Sapho
Sapho (Gounod)
Sapho is a 3-act opera by Charles Gounod to a libretto by Émile Augier which was premiered by the Paris Opéra at the Salle Le Peletier on 16 April 1851. It was presented only 9 times in its initial production, but was a succès d'estime for the young composer, with the critics praising Act 3 in...
(1851), Rodolphe in Armand Limnander de Nieuwenhove's Le maître chanteur (1853), Rodolphe in Gounod's La nonne sanglante
La nonne sanglante
La nonne sanglante , is a five-act opera by Charles Gounod to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. Written between 1852 and 1854, it was first produced on 18 October 1854 at the Salle Le Peletier by the Paris Opéra. It received 11 performances between October and November 1854...
(1854), Henri in Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes is an opéra in five acts by the Italian romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi set to a French libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe from their work Le duc d'Albe, which was written in 1838 and offered to Halevy and Donizetti before Verdi...
(1855), Fromental Halévy
Fromental Halévy
Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Halévy, usually known as Fromental Halévy , was a French composer. He is known today largely for his opera La Juive.-Early career:...
's La magicienne (1858), Julien de Médicis in Józef Michał Poniatowski's Pierre de Médicis (1860), Adoniram in Gounod's La reine de Saba
La reine de Saba
La reine de Saba is a grand opera in four or five acts by Charles Gounod to a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré inspired by Gérard de Nerval's Le voyage en Orient...
(1862), and Roland in Auguste Mermet
Auguste Mermet
Auguste Mermet was a French opera composer.-Biography:In Mermet's youth, he composed an opéra-comique, La Bannière du roi, which was performed at Versailles. Alexandre Soumet then accepted to transform for him his tragedy about Saul into a libretto of drame lyrique...
's Roland à Roncevaux (1864).
On the international stage Guéymard was a guest artist at the Royal Opera House
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 in 1854. He also appeared at the French Opera in New Orleans in the 1873-1874 season. Other roles in Guéymard's repertoire included Arnold in William Tell
William Tell (opera)
Guillaume Tell is an opera in four acts by Gioachino Rossini to a French libretto by Etienne de Jouy and Hippolyte Bis, based on Friedrich Schiller's play Wilhelm Tell. Based on the legend of William Tell, this opera was Rossini's last, even though the composer lived for nearly forty more years...
, Jean de Leyde in Le prophète, both Manrico and Ruiz in Il trovatore
Il trovatore
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. Cammarano died in mid-1852 before completing the libretto...
, Rodolfo in Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play Kabale und Liebe by Friedrich von Schiller. The first performance was given at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on December 8, 1849...
, Tebaldo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi
I Capuleti e i Montecchi
I Capuleti e i Montecchi is an Italian opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini.The libretto by Felice Romani was a reworking of the story of Romeo and Juliet for an opera by Nicola Vaccai called Giulietta e Romeo. This was based on Italian sources rather than taken directly from Shakespeare...
, and the title role in Robert le diable.
Guéymard married Belgian opera singer Pauline Guéymard-Lauters in 1858, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1868. He died in Corbeil-Essonnes
Corbeil-Essonnes
Corbeil-Essonnes is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.Although neighboring Évry is the official seat of the Arrondissement of Évry, the sub-prefecture building and administration are located inside the commune of Corbeil-Essonnes.In the 19th...
at the age of 57.