Marie Baptiste
Encyclopedia
Marie Baptiste née
Dumont, (born in Bordeaux
, France), also known as Mademoiselle le Prévost (or Prevot), was a French actor and singer. She spent a large part of her career in Sweden, where she was the perhaps most significant female star of the French Theatre
during the Age of Liberty.
engaged on the orders by the Swedish queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
in 1753. The Du Londel Company had performed in Copenhagen
under the leadership of Jeanne du Londel and Pierre de Laynay when it arrived in Stockholm in 1753. They first shared with the Swedish Theatre in Bollhuset
(during the 1753-54 season), but the building was soon reserved for them. They performed for the public in Bollhuset in winter, and for the royal court in the theatres of the royal palaces in summer. The troupe only contained twelve members at first, and in 1756, Louis Du Londel, the son of Jeanne Du Londel
, travelled to Haag
and hired eight new members, of which Prévost was the most prominent one.
The French Theatre had a strict hierarchy, and Prévost was appointed prima donna
in the conditions of her contract; she was to play the lead parts in tragedies, comedies from
Comédie-Française
and Comédie-Italienne
, opéra comique
s and breeches role
s. She was also a singer, and participated in public concerts at Riddarhuset.
She was known as Madame Baptiste after she her marriage to another member of the troupe, Jacques-Baptiste Anselme (born 1732), whose stage name was Monsieur Baptiste. He was contracted as a second-part actor. Other notable members of the troupe was Marguerite Morel
, the dancer and ballet master Elisabeth Soligny
and Jeanne Louise Du Londel, daughter of director Jeanne Du Londel, who became the protegée of the court with her own carriage and dresser and was appointed instructor in French etiquette to Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden.
. It was she who rushed out on the stage, in the middle of the play on the celebration of the queen's name's day, 25 August 1762, and alarmed that the theatre was on fire. The audience first thought it was a part of the performance. The event was described by the nobleman Knut Henrik Leijonhufvud :
After this, panic erupted and the fire spread very quickly in the wooden building; Leijonhufvud described how one nobleman took Princess Sophia Albertina under his arm, another the two princes, how the queen and the Crown prince argued about who was going to leave first and how he gave way to "The poor women, who an account of their big skirts was in terrifying danger", and how the whole building was burning. The fire caused the death of one maid, two boys and two "people of the working class". For the actors, it was also a catastrophe; as their own apartments were in the same building, they lost all their possessions.
It was believed, that many more people would have been killed if Baptiste had not called out in time. For her actions, she was rewarded with a pension from the state in 1762. In 1769, she gave it up in exhange for a large sum of money, but the pension was returned to her in 1776.
and all the actors fired. The Baptiste family toured around Europe for a while, but was enable to find a permanent position and returned to Sweden in 1776. The Baptiste family performed plays for the royal court with other members form the former French troupe in 1776-1780. Jacques Baptiste was a member of the royal court chapel in 1773-1786. They had with intent to start an acting school. This never came about, but their daughter, Marie Louise Marcadet
, was employed in the Royal Swedish Opera
in 1778 and became one of the great stars in Sweden in the Gustavian era.
The French Du Londel Theatre of 1753-1771 had long a bad reputation in Swedish history, because they were the cause of the dissolving of the first Swedish-speaking national theatre, who were exiled from Bollhuset to be replaced by a theatre which was only enjoyed by those who could speak French. This was true, as the audience of the French Theatre was mainly from the upper classes. Lately, however, they have been given credit for making the modern French theatre popular in Sweden, which laid the foundation of the national stage's Swedish Royal Opera and Royal Dramatic Theatre
.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Dumont, (born in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France), also known as Mademoiselle le Prévost (or Prevot), was a French actor and singer. She spent a large part of her career in Sweden, where she was the perhaps most significant female star of the French Theatre
Du Londel Troupe
The Du Londel Troupe was a French 18th-century theatre troupe. From 1753 to 1771, it was active as the French Theatre of Sweden, where it played a great part in that country's theatre history....
during the Age of Liberty.
Background and career
Marie Dumont, whose stage name was Mademoiselle le Prévost, was a member of the French Du Londel TroupeDu Londel Troupe
The Du Londel Troupe was a French 18th-century theatre troupe. From 1753 to 1771, it was active as the French Theatre of Sweden, where it played a great part in that country's theatre history....
engaged on the orders by the Swedish queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was Queen of Sweden between 1751 and 1771 as the spouse of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden.-Background:...
in 1753. The Du Londel Company had performed in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
under the leadership of Jeanne du Londel and Pierre de Laynay when it arrived in Stockholm in 1753. They first shared with the Swedish Theatre in Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
(during the 1753-54 season), but the building was soon reserved for them. They performed for the public in Bollhuset in winter, and for the royal court in the theatres of the royal palaces in summer. The troupe only contained twelve members at first, and in 1756, Louis Du Londel, the son of Jeanne Du Londel
Jeanne Du Londel
Marie Jeanne Du Londel also called 'du Londel' and 'Dulondel', née Chateauneuf was a French actor and theatre director. She was the leader of the Du Londel Troupe....
, travelled to Haag
Haag
-Places:*The Hague, in the Netherlands *Several places in Germany:**Haag, Upper Franconia in the district of Bayreuth, Bavaria**Haag an der Amper in the district of Freising, Bavaria**Haag in Oberbayern in the district of Mühldorf, Bavaria...
and hired eight new members, of which Prévost was the most prominent one.
The French Theatre had a strict hierarchy, and Prévost was appointed prima donna
Prima donna
Originally used in opera or Commedia dell'arte companies, "prima donna" is Italian for "first lady." The term was used to designate the leading female singer in the opera company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano...
in the conditions of her contract; she was to play the lead parts in tragedies, comedies from
Comédie-Française
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française or Théâtre-Français is one of the few state theaters in France. It is the only state theater to have its own troupe of actors. It is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris....
and Comédie-Italienne
Comédie-Italienne
Over time, there have been several buildings and several theatrical companies named the "Théâtre-Italien" or the "Comédie-Italienne" in Paris. Following the times, the theatre has shown both plays and operas...
, opéra comique
Opéra comique
Opéra comique is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged out of the popular opéra comiques en vaudevilles of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent , which combined existing popular tunes with spoken sections...
s and breeches role
Breeches role
A breeches role is a role in which an actress appears in male clothing .In opera it also refers to any male character that is sung and acted by a female singer...
s. She was also a singer, and participated in public concerts at Riddarhuset.
She was known as Madame Baptiste after she her marriage to another member of the troupe, Jacques-Baptiste Anselme (born 1732), whose stage name was Monsieur Baptiste. He was contracted as a second-part actor. Other notable members of the troupe was Marguerite Morel
Marguerite Morel
Marguerite Morel as married Marguerite Du Londel, was a French ballerina, and actress and opera singer. She was active in Sweden 1755-1771 and at that time counted as the perhaps notable star in the ballet in Sweden...
, the dancer and ballet master Elisabeth Soligny
Elisabeth Soligny
Jeanne-Elisabeth Le Clerc Soligny known also under her stage name Elisabeth Le Clerc, was a French ballet mistress and ballerina. She was a premier dancer at the French Ballet of the Du Londel Troupe in Sweden and of the Royal Swedish Ballet.Le Clerc was employed at the Ballet of the French...
and Jeanne Louise Du Londel, daughter of director Jeanne Du Londel, who became the protegée of the court with her own carriage and dresser and was appointed instructor in French etiquette to Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden.
The theatre fire
Baptiste is remembered also in connection to the fire at the first Drottningholm Palace TheatreDrottningholm Palace Theatre
The Drottningholm Palace Theatre is an opera house located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, which has been described by Per-Erik Öhrn, the theatre’s former artistic director, as "the Swedish jewel in our European cultural heritage crown of centuries-old theatres".Currently the...
. It was she who rushed out on the stage, in the middle of the play on the celebration of the queen's name's day, 25 August 1762, and alarmed that the theatre was on fire. The audience first thought it was a part of the performance. The event was described by the nobleman Knut Henrik Leijonhufvud :
The fourth act was just finished and the orchestra played...at last the usual clap gave the signal of silence; and Madame Baptiste came running and made a gesture, which displayed all her devastation; no one though anything but that it was a part of the play. He, who discovered, that the signal had not the necessary effect was the only one with the resolution to come in and then she replied only with half suffocated voice, le feu.
After this, panic erupted and the fire spread very quickly in the wooden building; Leijonhufvud described how one nobleman took Princess Sophia Albertina under his arm, another the two princes, how the queen and the Crown prince argued about who was going to leave first and how he gave way to "The poor women, who an account of their big skirts was in terrifying danger", and how the whole building was burning. The fire caused the death of one maid, two boys and two "people of the working class". For the actors, it was also a catastrophe; as their own apartments were in the same building, they lost all their possessions.
It was believed, that many more people would have been killed if Baptiste had not called out in time. For her actions, she was rewarded with a pension from the state in 1762. In 1769, she gave it up in exhange for a large sum of money, but the pension was returned to her in 1776.
Later life
In 1771, the French Theatre was dissolved by king Gustav III of SwedenGustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
and all the actors fired. The Baptiste family toured around Europe for a while, but was enable to find a permanent position and returned to Sweden in 1776. The Baptiste family performed plays for the royal court with other members form the former French troupe in 1776-1780. Jacques Baptiste was a member of the royal court chapel in 1773-1786. They had with intent to start an acting school. This never came about, but their daughter, Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet was a Swedish opera singer and a dramatic stage actor. She was active in both the Royal Swedish Opera, and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. She is regarded as the greatest tragedienne in Sweden during the 1780s decade, before the first noted native tragedienne, Maria Franck...
, was employed in the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
in 1778 and became one of the great stars in Sweden in the Gustavian era.
The French Du Londel Theatre of 1753-1771 had long a bad reputation in Swedish history, because they were the cause of the dissolving of the first Swedish-speaking national theatre, who were exiled from Bollhuset to be replaced by a theatre which was only enjoyed by those who could speak French. This was true, as the audience of the French Theatre was mainly from the upper classes. Lately, however, they have been given credit for making the modern French theatre popular in Sweden, which laid the foundation of the national stage's Swedish Royal Opera and Royal Dramatic Theatre
Royal Dramatic Theatre
The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages....
.