Zulma Bouffar
Encyclopedia
Zulma Madeleine Boufflar, known as Zulma Bouffar, born Nérac
24 May 1841, died Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames
20 January 1909, was a French actress and soprano singer, associated with the opéra-bouffe of Paris in the second half of the 19th century who enjoyed a successful career around Europe.
, who heard her sing in Hamburg in 1864. The same year Bouffar appeared at Bad Ems in Offenbach's Lischen et Fritzchen
, and repeated her success in Paris.
From this time for about 12 years Bouffar was probably Offenbach's mistress – his longest extra-marital liaison. She created Nani in Les géorgiennes, Jeannet in Les bergers, Gabrielle in La vie Parisienne
, Drogan in Geneviève de Brabant
, Toto in Le château à Toto
, Fragoletto in Les Brigands
, Robin Luron in Le Roi Carotte
, Ginetta in Les braconniers, Moschetta in Il signor Fagotto
and Prince Caprice in Le voyage dans la lune
– a range of men's and women's roles.
In 1873 Bouffar was reported in the Parisian press to have been considered for the title role of Bizet's new opera, Carmen
. Although the composer refuted the story, the singer did attend the premiere of the piece in 1875.
From 1891-93 Bouffar became the manager of the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
. In the latter part of her stage career, Bouffar appeared in operettas by Lecocq and Strauss
, and sang around Europe. She announced her retirement from the stage in 1902.
Nérac
Nérac is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France.-External links:*...
24 May 1841, died Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames
Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames
Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
20 January 1909, was a French actress and soprano singer, associated with the opéra-bouffe of Paris in the second half of the 19th century who enjoyed a successful career around Europe.
Life and career
Aged only 6 Bouffar appeared in La fille bien gardée in Marseille, and followed this with successful performances in Lyon. Her father then toured with her around western Europe and Scandinavia. After her father’s death in 1854 she continued travelling, bringing into her repertoire some of the contemporary songs of OffenbachJacques Offenbach
Jacques Offenbach was a Prussian-born French composer, cellist and impresario. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s–1870s and his uncompleted opera The Tales of Hoffmann. He was a powerful influence on later composers of the operetta genre, particularly Johann Strauss, Jr....
, who heard her sing in Hamburg in 1864. The same year Bouffar appeared at Bad Ems in Offenbach's Lischen et Fritzchen
Lischen et Fritzchen
Lischen et Fritzchen is a one-act operetta with music by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by ‘P Dubois’ , first performed in 1863.-Performance history:...
, and repeated her success in Paris.
From this time for about 12 years Bouffar was probably Offenbach's mistress – his longest extra-marital liaison. She created Nani in Les géorgiennes, Jeannet in Les bergers, Gabrielle in La vie Parisienne
La Vie Parisienne
La Vie Parisienne was a magazine in France founded in 1863 and popular at the turn-of-the-twentieth century. It was originally intended as a guide to upper class and artistic life in Paris , but it soon evolved into a mildly risqué erotic publication...
, Drogan in Geneviève de Brabant
Geneviève de Brabant
Geneviève de Brabant is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach, first performed in Paris in 1859. The plot is based on the medieval legend of Genevieve of Brabant....
, Toto in Le château à Toto
Le château à Toto
Le château à Toto is an opéra bouffe in three acts of 1868 with music by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...
, Fragoletto in Les Brigands
Les brigands
Les brigands is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy....
, Robin Luron in Le Roi Carotte
Le roi Carotte
Le roi Carotte is a 4-act opéra-bouffe-féerie with music by Jacques Offenbach and libretto by Victorien Sardou, after E. T. A. Hoffmann. It premiered at the Théâtre de la Gaîté on 15 January 1872...
, Ginetta in Les braconniers, Moschetta in Il signor Fagotto
Il signor Fagotto
Il signor Fagotto is a one-act opérette by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter and Étienne Tréfeu, first performed in 1863...
and Prince Caprice in 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....
– a range of men's and women's roles.
In 1873 Bouffar was reported in the Parisian press to have been considered for the title role of Bizet's new opera, 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...
. Although the composer refuted the story, the singer did attend the premiere of the piece in 1875.
From 1891-93 Bouffar became the manager of the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
The theatre was rebuilt to plans by the architects Jacques Ignace Hittorff and Jean-François-Joseph Lecointe on the boulevard Saint-Martin, at the corner of rue de Bondy...
. In the latter part of her stage career, Bouffar appeared in operettas by Lecocq and Strauss
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, and sang around Europe. She announced her retirement from the stage in 1902.