Pierre Grivot
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Antonin-François Grivot, born Paris in 1834 (or possibly 1836), died 1912, was a French singer and actor who enjoyed a long career in Paris, in both operetta
and opéra comique
. His wife was the actress and singer Laurence Grivot
.
, he sang in La chercheuse d'esprit by Charles-Simon Favart where he met his future wife.
After touring for two years, Grivot joined the Théâtre de la Gaîté
in 1869, helping it through the crisis of the Paris Commune
, and spent a season in Cairo with his wife.
Returning to France they both were engaged by Offenbach for operettas : at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
and again at the Gaîté, with premieres such as Le voyage dans la lune
and revivals of Orphée aux enfers and Geneviève de Brabant (1875).
After a year at the Variétés
he moved to the Opéra-Comique
where he remained as a member of the company employed in the trial
repertoire for over 20 years. After his debut as Monostatos in The Magic Flute
on 15 November 1879, his many roles included Guillot in La Basoche
, Dancaire in Carmen
, Lord Elfort in Le domino noir
, Thibaut in Les dragons de Villars
, Hortensius in La fille du regiment
, Cockburn in Fra Diavolo
, the doctor in L'irato
, Cantarelli in Le pré aux clercs
, Bertrand in Les rendez-vous bourgeois
, and Miton in Le roi l'a dit
.
He created roles in Jean de Nivelle
by Léo Delibes
(Le sire de Malicorne), Les contes d'Hoffmann
by Offenbach (servant roles), L'amour médecin (Bahis) and Joli Gilles (Pasquello) by Ferdinand Poise, and Manon
by Massenet (Guillot).
After the death of his wife in 1890, he reduced his stage work and retired in 1903.
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
and 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...
. His wife was the actress and singer Laurence Grivot
Laurence Grivot
Laurence Grivot, born Marie Laurent, Versailles in 1843, died Thomery on 5 June 1890, was a French operetta singer and actress. She was the wife of Pierre Grivot.-Life and career:...
.
Life and career
He made his stage debut at the Théâtre Molière before entering the Théâtre Montmartre and Théâtre des Batignolles. At the Théâtre des Délassements-Comiques he appeared in 1862 in La reine Crinoline. Appearing at the Théâtre du VaudevilleThéâtre du Vaudeville
The Théâtre du Vaudeville was a theatre in Paris. It opened on 12 January 1792 on rue de Chartres. Its directors, Piis and Barré, mainly put on "petites pièces mêlées de couplets sur des airs connus", including vaudevilles....
, he sang in La chercheuse d'esprit by Charles-Simon Favart where he met his future wife.
After touring for two years, Grivot joined 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 1869, helping it through the crisis of the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, and spent a season in Cairo with his wife.
Returning to France they both were engaged by Offenbach for operettas : at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
Théâtre de la Renaissance
The name Théâtre de la Renaissance has been used successively for three distinct Parisian theatre companies. The first two companies, which were short-lived enterprises in the 19th century, used the Salle Ventadour, now an office building on the Rue Méhul in the 2nd arrondissement.The current...
and again at the Gaîté, with premieres such as Le voyage dans la lune
Le Voyage dans la Lune
A Trip to the Moon is a 1902 French black-and-white silent science fiction film. It is based loosely on two popular novels of the time: Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon and H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon....
and revivals of Orphée aux enfers and Geneviève de Brabant (1875).
After a year at the 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:...
he moved to 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...
where he remained as a member of the company employed in the trial
Antoine Trial
Antoine Trial was a French singer and actor. He was the younger brother of the musician Jean-Claude Trial and husband of soprano Marie-Jeanne ....
repertoire for over 20 years. After his debut as Monostatos in The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
on 15 November 1879, his many roles included Guillot in La Basoche
La Basoche
La Basoche is an opéra comique in three acts of 1890, with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Albert Carré.-History:Messager's 1889 opérette Le mari de la reine at Bouffes-Parisiens was a disappointment, and the composer and his wife were struggling to afford even basic necessities...
, Dancaire in 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...
, Lord Elfort in Le domino noir
Le domino noir
Le domino noir is an opéra comique by the French composer Daniel Auber, first performed on 2 December 1837 by the Opéra-Comique at the Salle de la Bourse in Paris. The libretto to the three-act piece is by Auber's usual collaborator, Eugène Scribe. It was one of Auber's most successful works,...
, Thibaut in Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Joseph-Philippe Lockroy.-Performance history:...
, Hortensius in La fille du regiment
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...
, Cockburn in Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo , is the popular name given to Michele Pezza, a famous Neapolitan guerrilla leader who resisted the French occupation of Naples, proving an “inspirational practicioner of popular insurrection”. Pezza figures prominently in folk lore and fiction...
, the doctor in L'irato
L'irato
L'irato, ou L'emporté is an opéra-comique in one act by the French composer Étienne Méhul with a libretto by Benoît-Joseph Marsollier. It was first performed at the Théâtre Favart, Paris on 17 February 1801...
, Cantarelli in Le pré aux clercs
Le Pré aux clercs
Le pré aux clercs is an opéra comique in three acts by Ferdinand Hérold with a libretto by François-Antoine-Eugène de Planard based on Prosper Mérimée's Chronique du temps de Charles IX of 1829.-Performance history:...
, Bertrand in Les rendez-vous bourgeois
Les rendez-vous bourgeois
Les rendez-vous bourgeois is an opéra bouffon in one act by Nicolas Isouard to a French libretto by François Benoît Hoffmann, in the form of an opéra comique with spoken dialogue between the musical numbers...
, and Miton in Le roi l'a dit
Le roi l'a dit
Le roi l'a dit is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women...
.
He created roles in Jean de Nivelle
Jean de Nivelle (opera)
Jean de Nivelle is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. It premiered on 6 March 1880 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, with the French tenor, Jean-Alexandre Talazac in the title role...
by Léo Delibes
Léo Delibes
Clément Philibert Léo Delibes was a French composer of ballets, operas, and other works for the stage...
(Le sire de Malicorne), Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
by Offenbach (servant roles), L'amour médecin (Bahis) and Joli Gilles (Pasquello) by Ferdinand Poise, and 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...
by Massenet (Guillot).
After the death of his wife in 1890, he reduced his stage work and retired in 1903.