Mécène Marié de l'Isle
Encyclopedia
Claude-Marie-Mécène Marié de l'Isle (born Château-Chinon
, 1811, died Paris, 1882) was a French
musician and opera
singer.
He won first prize for double-bass at the Conservatoire in 1830, and began his career as a tenor
in the opera chorus of the Opéra-Comique
in Paris. He made his professional opera début at the opera house in Metz
as Raoul in Meyerbeer
's Les Huguenots
in 1838. The following year he portrayed his first role at the Opéra-Comique, singing Albert in Louis Clapisson’s La symphonie. In 1840 he had the distinction of portraying Tonio in the world premiere of Donizetti
’s La fille du régiment
.
Marié left the Opéra-Comique in 1841 to join the roster of principal tenors at the Opéra National de Paris. He remained there through 1844, singing such roles as Eléazar in La Juive
, Max in Der Freischütz
, Arnold in Guillaume Tell
, Raoul, Fernand in La favorite
, and the title role in Robert le diable
. He began to experience vocal difficulties in his upper register in the mid 1840s and decided to retrain his voice as a baritone
. In 1845-1848 he sang his first baritone roles at La Monnaie
and in opera houses in Italy.
In 1848 Marié returned to the Opéra National de Paris where he remained for the rest of his career. While there he sang the title role of Guillaume Tell, Nevers in Les Huguenots, Alphonse in La favorite, and Raimbaud in Le comte Ory
. In 1851 he portrayed the role of Alcée in the premiere of Gounod
's Sapho
. In 1855 he performed the role of Robert in the premiere of Verdi
's Les vêpres siciliennes
. In 1862 he sang Phanor in the premiere of Gounod's La reine de Saba
.
Around 1860 he was the conductor the orchestra at the Café Charles in Paris. Marié semi-retired from the stage in 1864, but occasionally returned to the stage for performances as late as 1879. He was active as a voice teacher from 1864 up until his death. His pupils included his three daughters, notably Célestine Galli-Marié, who created the title role in the premiere of Bizet
's Carmen
.
Château-Chinon
Château-Chinon is the name of two communes of the Nièvre département, in France:* Château-Chinon * Château-Chinon The two towns are neighboring each other. They were separated during the French Revolution....
, 1811, died Paris, 1882) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
musician and opera
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...
singer.
He won first prize for double-bass at the Conservatoire in 1830, and began his career as a 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...
in the opera chorus 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...
in Paris. He made his professional opera début at the opera house in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
as Raoul in 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 Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
in 1838. The following year he portrayed his first role at the Opéra-Comique, singing Albert in Louis Clapisson’s La symphonie. In 1840 he had the distinction of portraying Tonio in the world premiere of Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer from Bergamo, Lombardy. His best-known works are the operas L'elisir d'amore , Lucia di Lammermoor , and Don Pasquale , all in Italian, and the French operas La favorite and La fille du régiment...
’s La fille du régiment
La fille du régiment
La fille du régiment is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. It was written while the composer was living in Paris, with a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard.La figlia del reggimento, a slightly different Italian-language version , was...
.
Marié left the Opéra-Comique in 1841 to join the roster of principal tenors at the Opéra National de Paris. He remained there through 1844, singing such roles as Eléazar in La Juive
La Juive
La Juive is a grand opera in five acts by Fromental Halévy to an original French libretto by Eugène Scribe; it was first performed at the Opéra, Paris, on February 23, 1835.-Composition history:...
, Max in Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz
Der Freischütz is an opera in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind. It premiered on 18 June 1821 at the Schauspielhaus Berlin...
, Arnold in Guillaume 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...
, Raoul, Fernand in La favorite
La favorite
La favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
, and the title role in Robert le diable
Robert le diable
Robert le diable may refer to:* Robert le diable by Giacomo Meyerbeer* Robert the Devil, a medieval legend...
. He began to experience vocal difficulties in his upper register in the mid 1840s and decided to retrain his voice as a 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...
. In 1845-1848 he sang his first baritone roles at La Monnaie
La Monnaie
Le Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie , or the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg is a theatre in Brussels, Belgium....
and in opera houses in Italy.
In 1848 Marié returned to the Opéra National de Paris where he remained for the rest of his career. While there he sang the title role of Guillaume Tell, Nevers in Les Huguenots, Alphonse in La favorite, and Raimbaud in Le comte Ory
Le comte Ory
Le comte Ory is an opéra written by Gioachino Rossini in 1828. Some of the music originates from his opera Il viaggio a Reims written three years earlier for the coronation of Charles X...
. In 1851 he portrayed the role of Alcée in the premiere of 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...
. In 1855 he performed the role of Robert in the premiere of 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...
. In 1862 he sang Phanor in the premiere of 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...
.
Around 1860 he was the conductor the orchestra at the Café Charles in Paris. Marié semi-retired from the stage in 1864, but occasionally returned to the stage for performances as late as 1879. He was active as a voice teacher from 1864 up until his death. His pupils included his three daughters, notably Célestine Galli-Marié, who created the title role in the premiere of Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
's Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
.