Jeanne Laisné (soprano) explained

Jeanne Laisné
Image Upright:	1.2
Birth Name:	Marie Sophie Jeanne Laisné
Birth Date:	21 March 1870
Birth Place:	Paris, France
Nationality:	French
Education:	Conservatoire de Paris
Occupation:	Operatic soprano
Spouse:	Jules Victor Henri Libent

Marie Sophie Jeanne Laisné (born 21 March 1870; year of death unknown) was a French operatic soprano with the Opéra-Comique. She started her career as Sophie in the first French production of Massenet's Werther, and went on to create the roles of Aurore in Jules Massenet's Le portrait de Manon, Jeanne in Benjamin Godard's La Vivandière, La Duchesse de Fronsac in Henri Hirschmann's L'amour à la Bastille, and Henriette in Ernest Lefèvre-Dérodé's Le follet. Other notable roles include Micaela in Bizet's Carmen and as Mimi in Puccini's La bohème.

Biography

Laisné studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under Ernest Boulanger, graduating in 1892, after which she was engaged by the Opéra-Comique.^[1] She made her opera début on 16 January 1893 as Sophie in the first Paris production of Jules Massenet's Werther, which also featured Marie Delna, Max Bouvet, and Guillaume Ibos in leading roles.^[2]

She created the role of Aurore in Jules Massenet's Le portrait de Manon, a sequel to his earlier Manon, at the Opéra-Comique on 8 May 1894. Years after des Grieux's tragic romance, he has adopted a son, who is in love with Aurore, who, unbeknownst to des Grieux, is Manon's niece. The two young lovers have to remind him of his own tragic youth, in order to get him to accept that love should reign in their generation.^[3] In connection with the première, writing in La Nouvelle Revue (1 June 1894) the author and librettist Louis Gallet refers to "la charmante Mlle Laisné, qui joue et chante à ravir le rôle d'Aurore" (the charming Miss Laisné who plays and sings the role of Aurore so ravishingly).^[4] Le Matin discussed her charming voice and effective execution,^[5] and Le Figaro discussed how she agreeably chirped and trilled her way through Aurore.

In 1898, Le Matin praised her performance in Fidelio, stating "Mlle Lai[s]nè a une voix d'une pureté délicieuse, qu'elle sait conduire avec un art consommé" (Miss Lai[s]né has a voice of delicious purity, which she knows to use with consummate art.)^[6]

Laisné married Jules Victor Henri Libent on 20 September 1901 in Paris (8th arrondissement).^[7]

Repertoire

• 1893: Sophie in Massenet's Werther, first French production, at the Opéra-Comique, 16 January^[8]
• 1893: Geneviève in Alfred Bruneau's L'Attaque du moulin at the Opéra-Comique^[9]
• 1894: Created the role of Aurore in Massenet's Le portrait de Manon at the Opéra-Comique, 8 May.^[10]
• 1894: Nanette in Verdi's Falstaff at the Opéra-Comique, from 14 November^[11]
• 1895: Virginie in Victor Massé's Paul et Virginie at the Opéra-Comique, from 26 February^{[12] [13]}
• 1895: Created the role of Jeanne in Benjamin Godard's La Vivandière at the Opéra-Comique, 1 April^{[14] [15]}
• 1896: Isabelle in Ferdinand Hérold's Le pré aux clercs at the Opéra-Comique, 19 January^[11]
• 1896: L'Ombre heureuse in Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice at the Opéra-Comique, 6 March.^[16]
• 1897: Created the role of La Duchesse de Fronsac in Henri Hirschmann's L'amour à la Bastille at the Opéra-Comique,^[17] 14 December^[18]
• 1898: Philomèle in Delibes' Le roi l'a dit at the Opéra-Comique, 13 March^[19]
• 1898: Philine in Thomas' Mignon at the Opéra-Comique, 24 April^[20]
• 1898: Rafaela in Daniel Auber's Haydée, ou Le secret at the Opéra-Comique, 12 February^[21]
• 1898: Virginie in Victor Massé's Paul et Virginie at the Opéra-Comique, 24 November
• 1898: Marceline^[22] in Beethoven's Fidelio at the Opéra-Comique, 30 December
• 1899: Henriette in Halévy's L'eclair at the Opéra-Comique, 5 June^[23]
• 1899: L'Ombre heureuse in Gluck's Orphée et Eurydice at the Opéra-Comique, 20 December^[24]
• 1900: Jeanette in Victor Massé's Les noces de Jeannette at the Opéra-Comique, 7 January^[25]
• 1900: Philine in Thomas' Mignon at the Opéra-Comique, 19 January^[20]
• 1900: Anna in Boieldieu's La dame blanche at the Opéra-Comique, 2 February^[26]
• 1900: Created the role of Henriette in Ernest Lefèvre-Dérodé's Le follet, 1 May^[27]
• 1900: Sœur Euphémie in François Devienne's Les Visitandines, 15 May^[28]

From 1900, she also appeared as Micaela in Bizet's Carmen, Suzel in Erlanger's Le Juif Polonais, Baucis in Gounod's Philémon et Baucis, and Mimi in Puccini's La bohème.^[29]

Further reading

• L'Europe artiste, Paris, 1853–1904, viewable on Gallica
• Le Ménestrel, Paris, 1833–1940, viewable on Gallica
• Le Monde artiste puis "illustré", Paris, 1862–1914, viewable on Gallica

Notes and References

1. Léon Garnier. 10 January 1892. Concours du conservatoire. L'Europe artiste. 1. 7 July 2018. .
2. Book: Hansen, Jack Winsor. The Sibyl Sanderson Story: Requiem for a Diva. 2005-01-01. Hal Leonard Corporation. 9781574670943. 183. en.
3. Web site: Le portrait de Manon. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
4. Web site: le Portrait de Manon. Association l'Art Lyrique Française. 3 June 2019 . fr.
5. News: Les Theatres . 4 June 2019 . Le Matin . 9 mai 1894.

   also quotes Le Figaro.

6. News: Les Premières . 4 June 2019 . Le Matin . 31 Décembre 1898., page 3.
7. Archives de Paris, birth certificate. Marginal note covers her marriage. consultable online.
8. 22 January 1893. Werther. Le Monde artiste. 4. 58. 7 July 2018. .
9. 26 November 1893. L'attaque du moulin. Le Monde artiste. 48. 766. 7 July 2018. .
10. 13 May 1894. Le Portrait de Manon. Le Monde artiste. 19. 7 July 2018. .
11. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: F. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
12. 3 March 1895. Notes et informations. Le Monde artiste. 9. 121. 7 July 2018. .
13. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: P. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
14. 7 April 1895. La Vivandière. Le Monde artiste. 184. 7 July 2018. .
15. 10 April 1895. New Operas. Musical Courier. 30. 6.
16. Léon Garnier. 12 January 1896. Soirée parisienne. L'Europe artiste. 110. 7 July 2018. .
17. Book: Hirschmann . Henri . L'amour á la Bastille . Choudens et Cie . Paris . 1 . 4 June 2019.
18. Web site: [Creations a L'Opera-Comique] ]. Artlyriquefr.fr . 4 June 2019.
19. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: R. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
20. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: M. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
21. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: H. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
22. Web site: Parys . A. de . [Fidelio, opéra de Jean-Nicolas Bouilly et Ludvig van Beethoven / dessin de Parys] ]. Gallica . 1898 . 4 June 2019. Note the opera was presented in French, changing the names slightly.
23. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: E. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
24. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: O. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
25. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: N. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
26. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: D. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
27. Web site: le Follet . Artlyriquefr.fr . 4 June 2019.
28. Web site: Œuvres Lyriques Françaises: V. l'Art Lyrique Français . 4 June 2019.
29. Web site: Cantatrices de l'Opéra Comique. Association l'Art Lyrique Française. 3 June 2019 . fr.