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67-640: The first performance was at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 17 November 1866. The piece proved popular: more than 100 performances took place by the following July, the 1,000th was given there on 13 May 1894, and the 1,500th on 25 May 1919. The opera was also adapted and translated into German for performance in Berlin with Madame Lucca as Mignon. Lucca was well received, but the German critics were unhappy with

134-737: A seven-year love affair with the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini . Her ultimatum, that he leave his wife and children and marry her, resulted in Toscanini's abrupt resignation as principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in 1915. Farrar was a close friend to the Met's star tenor Enrico Caruso and there has been speculation that they too had a love affair. It is said that Caruso coined her motto: Farrar farà ("Farrar will do it"). Her marriage to actor Lou Tellegen on February 8, 1916,

201-494: A small German town, the wandering minstrel Lothario sings and the Gypsies dance while the townspeople watch and drink. Jarno threatens Mignon with a stick when she refuses to dance, but Lothario and Wilhelm Meister come to her aid. She thanks them and divides her bouquet of wildflowers between them. Wilhelm and Laerte have a drink together. Philine and Laerte leave, after he gives her his flowers from Mignon. Mignon tells Wilhelm she

268-429: Is applauded in the conservatory. Mignon, in jealousy, shouts that she wishes the building would catch fire and runs out. Lothario hears her and moves toward the conservatory. After Mignon returns, Wilhelm receives her so warmly that Philine, now jealous, sends her to fetch the wildflowers in the conservatory. Wilhelm rushes to save Mignon from the fire that Lothario had set to please her, carrying her unconscious body out of

335-402: Is confronted by Frédéric. Mignon rushes in to break up their impending fight. Wilhelm decides that he cannot stay with Mignon and says goodbye to her. He leaves arm-in-arm with a jubilant Philine. Later, in the courtyard of the castle, Mignon is consumed by a jealous rage, when she hears Lothario playing the harp. He comforts the girl. Philine's portrayal of Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream

402-559: The Opéra .) Unsurprisingly, this "Version allemande" still failed to satisfy the German critics and proved to be a futile endeavour. As Henry Edward Krehbiel describes it, the " Mignon of Carré and Barbier bears little more than an external resemblance to the Mignon of Goethe, and to kill her is wanton cruelty." Despite his success in Paris with the French version, Thomas was asked to revise

469-786: The Salle Favart (the third on this site), is located at Place Boïeldieu in the 2nd arrondissement of Paris , not far from the Palais Garnier , one of the theatres of the Paris Opéra . The musicians and others associated with the Opéra-Comique have made important contributions to operatic history and tradition in France and to French opera. Its current mission is to reconnect with its history and discover its unique repertoire to ensure production and dissemination of operas for

536-740: The 1934–35 season. Her unusual autobiography, Such Sweet Compulsion , published in 1938, was written in alternating chapters purporting to be her own words and those of her deceased mother, with Mrs. Farrar rather floridly recounting her daughter's many accomplishments. In 1967, Farrar died in Ridgefield , Connecticut of heart disease aged 85, and was buried in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla , New York. She had no children. The American author Barbara Paul has written several murder mystery novels featuring Geraldine Farrar, Enrico Caruso , and

603-471: The Drury Lane production, implying that Thomas must have orchestrated it.) The aria is known from several piano-vocal scores and is included as an appendix, sung by Ruth Welting with flute and harpsichord accompaniment, as part of the 1978 recording with Marilyn Horne as Mignon. The recording also includes a second appendix with the original, longer version of the finale. The United States premiere

670-486: The Fair Saint-Laurent on 19 August with verses for the ariettes provided by Pierre Baurans and with music parodying a variety of composers including Vincenzo Legrenzio Ciampi , Duni, Baldassare Galuppi , and Giuseppe Scarlatti , and also included music attributed to the French composers Jean-Louis Laurette and Philidor. Christoph Willibald Gluck was later to compose his own music for the work. His version

737-807: The King's wife, Madame de Maintenon , the fair theatres were quick to adopt much of the Italians' repertory, which included parodies of operas and tragedies. The fair theatres were soon viewed as competition by the Opéra and the Comédie-Française , and restrictions were again more strictly enforced. The troupes at the Foire Saint-Germain and the Foire Saint-Laurent received warnings from the police in 1699 and 1706. Although in 1708

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804-529: The Law of 1791 which removed restrictions on the opening of theatres, there was competition with the Théâtre Feydeau , which was resolved in 1801 by merger. By 1807 Napoleon had reduced theatrical freedoms, and the Opéra-Comique was named one of four primary theatres in Paris. French opéra comique , in the 19th century at least, was not necessarily "comic" either in the classical sense of ending happily or

871-566: The New York Metropolitan Opera in Roméo et Juliette on November 26, 1906. She appeared in the first Met performance of Giacomo Puccini 's Madama Butterfly in 1907 and remained a member of the company until her retirement in 1922, singing 29 roles there in 672 performances. She developed a great popular following, especially among New York's young female opera-goers, who were known as "Gerry- flappers ". Farrar created

938-635: The Opéra-Comique also offers relayed performances to cinemas (around France and in Europe); Carmen in June 2009 and Béatrice et Bénédict in March 2010. In 2013 an opera critic was moved to write that of Paris lyric theatres "over the past seven seasons, [the Opéra-Comique] has best succeeded in establishing a particular identity and achieving consistent quality in its productions". In the summer of 2015

1005-524: The Opéra-Comique company settled in the second Salle Favart (architect Louis Charpentier; 1,500 seats), built on the site of the first theatre, destroyed by fire in 1838. The new house was inaugurated with a revival of Hérold's Le Pré aux clercs . During the 1850s and 1860s the Théâtre Lyrique offered competition in the type of repertoire staged, being particularly strong in its policy of new commissions. Performances took place on most evenings of

1072-526: The Opéra-Comique, of which 222 were either world premieres (136) or the first performance in Paris (86). In June 1936 a broadcast of Les Contes d'Hoffmann was disrupted by the start of a company sit-in demanding the director's resignation. In 1939 financial problems resulted in the Opéra-Comique being merged with the Opéra to become the 'Réunion des Théatres Lyriques Nationaux'. Notable premieres during this period included Poulenc's Les Mamelles de Tiresias (1947) and La Voix humaine (1959). However, by

1139-607: The Opéra. Although the company of the Opéra-Comique was disbanded (followed 20 years later by the closure of the opéra comique classes at the Paris Conservatoire ), from 1978 works were staged again at the theatre, both from its traditional repertoire ( Le médecin malgré lui and Werther ) as well as more adventurous repertoire: La chatte anglaise in 1984, Denisov's L'Écume des Jours , as well as productions with international stars, including Jessye Norman as Dido in 1984. While still battling for survival

1206-463: The Salle Favart on 25 May 1887 resulted in the death of 84 people by asphyxiation. The building was destroyed and the director Léon Carvalho was forced to resign, although later he was acquitted of blame and resumed the helm at the company from 1891 to 1897. The third Salle Favart (architect Louis Bernier ) was officially opened in the presence of President Félix Faure on 7 December 1898. As

1273-543: The arts of Sarah Bernhardt and Nellie Melba , dramatic ability is more essential than perfect singing in opera." She recorded extensively for the Victor Talking Machine Company and was often featured prominently in that firm's advertisements. Farrar also appeared in silent films, which were produced between opera seasons. Literary and film critic Edward Wagenknecht describes Geraldine Farrar as “the most illustrious artist Paramount brought to

1340-424: The attention of the arts establishment. At the start of the 1960s Stéphane Wolff, claimed that the theatre could regain its independence: "well-managed, it could again become what it was for so long, the most active and therefore the leading lyric stage in France". However, in 1972 the Opéra-Comique company was closed (although the theatre itself received visiting productions) and its government grant added to that of

1407-473: The beautiful and gifted star, to employ her talents in the attainment of success in the films is one of the greatest steps in advancing the dignity of the motion pictures. Miss Farrar's 'Carmen' in the films is the greatest triumph the motion picture has yet achieved over the speaking stage.” For her performance, she came in first among the women in the 1916 "Screen Masterpiece" contest held by Motion Picture Magazine . One of her other notable screen roles —and

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1474-595: The company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne . It was also called the Théâtre-Italien up to about 1793, when it again became most commonly known as the Opéra-Comique. Today the company's official name is Théâtre national de l'Opéra-Comique , and its theatre, with a capacity of around 1,248 seats, sometimes referred to as

1541-696: The conservatory with the singed flowers still in her hand. Wilhelm has brought Mignon and Lothario to a castle in Italy which he considers buying. There an old man watches over Mignon and prays for her recovery. Antonio relates how the castle’s previous owner had gone mad after his wife had died of grief over the loss of their young daughter. Wilhelm decides to buy the castle for Mignon because it has so speeded her recovery. Mignon awakens and confesses to Wilhelm of her love for this strangely familiar place. He finally realizes that he loves her deeply and resists Philine’s attempts to win him back. Lothario re-enters and informs

1608-473: The couple that he is the owner of the castle and that returning here has restored his sanity. After reading a prayer found in a book in the house, Mignon realizes that she is his daughter Sperata. The three embrace happily. Notes Sources Op%C3%A9ra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs . In 1762

1675-433: The differences between opéra and opéra comique faded, the two main houses in Paris came more into competition, although the Salle Favart saw the premieres of more innovative works: Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande (1902), Dukas' Ariane et Barbe-bleue (1907), Ravel's L'heure espagnole (1911), and French premieres of works by Puccini and Falla. Between 1900 and 1950, 401 works by 206 different composers were performed at

1742-516: The end of the Second World War, the Opéra-Comique's best artists, assets and repertory had been gradually taken from it to enrich the Opéra. The Opéra-Comique discovered some fresh energy in 1950s, restaging Roméo et Juliette , Orphée et Eurydice , Le roi malgré lui and Les noces de Jeannette and introducing Bluebeard's Castle , Landowski's Les Adieux and Dallapiccola 's Volo di Notte to attract new audiences and keep

1809-427: The end of the second act ("Je suis Titania") was insufficient, and another florid aria ("Alerte, alerte, Philine!") was inserted after the second act entr'acte and before Laerte's 6/8 Allegretto ("Rien ne vaut"). The finale was also much shortened. Philine's extra aria appears to have either never been orchestrated, or the orchestration was lost or destroyed. (Most sources say that the aria was performed and not cut from

1876-481: The fairground entrepreneurs Charles Alard and Maurice were able to purchase from the Opéra's director Pierre Guyenet the right to use singers, dancers, musicians, and sets, this did not last as Guyenet died in 1712, leaving the Opéra with a debt in the neighborhood of 400,000 livres. Alard resorted to giving silent performances with the actors' speeches displayed to the audience on large cue cards. The players next tried including vaudeville airs via audience participation:

1943-426: The first act ("Fugitif et tremblant" in the French version), and in the second act, a rondo-gavotte for Frédéric ("Me voici dans son boudoir") was devised using the music of the entr'acte preceding that act, to satisfy Mme Trebelli-Bettini, who was discomfited by having to take on a role originally written for buffo tenor. Apparently, the coloratura soprano Elisa Volpini, who was to sing Philine, felt that her aria at

2010-642: The first performances of such important French works as Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust (1846), Thomas' Mignon (1866), and Bizet's Carmen (1875). In the latter part of the century the theatre revived works it had made its own, restaged works from the repertoire of the Théâtre Lyrique (which had closed in 1872) and premiered new pieces, such as Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann (1881); Delibes' Lakmé (1883); Massenet's Manon (1884), Esclarmonde (1889), and Werther (French premiere in 1893); and Charpentier's Louise (1900). A fire at

2077-434: The flowers that she gave him in the hands of Philine. In Philine’s room in the baron's castle, Philine is elated, living in the luxury and charming the baron. Laerte is heard outside, praising Philine. Wilhelm and Mignon enter. She pretends to sleep while Wilhelm and Philine sing. When the couple leave, Mignon tries on Philine’s costumes and make-up. She is jealous and exits. Frédéric enters. When Wilhelm returns for Mignon he

Mignon - Misplaced Pages Continue

2144-2243: The following list is compiled from Wild, Levin, and Wolff. 1829–1830 Paul-Auguste Ducis 1830, July – 5 August, Jean-François Boursault, Alexandre Huvé de Garel 1830–1831 Alexandre Singier 1831–1832 Émile Lubbert 1832, 14 January – 1 June, Émile Laurent 1832–1834 Paul Dutreich 1834–1845 François-Louis Crosnier , Alphonse Cerfbeer (administrator) 1845–1848 Alexandre Basset 1848–1857 Émile Perrin 1857–1860 Nestor Roqueplan 1860–1862 Alfred Beaumont 1862, 1 February – 20 December, Émile Perrin 1862–1870 Adolphe de Leuven , Eugène Ritt 1870–1874 Adolphe de Leuven, Camille du Locle 1874-1876 Camille du Locle 1876-1887 Léon Carvalho 1887, May to December, Jules Barbier 1888-1891 Louis Paravey 1891-1897 Léon Carvalho 1898-1913 Albert Carré 1914-1918 Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi , Émile and Vincent Isola 1919-1925 Albert Carré, Émile and Vincent Isola 1925-1931 Louis Masson and Georges Ricou 1931-1932 Louis Masson 1932-1936 Pierre-Barthélemy Gheusi 1936-1939 14 member committee presided by Antoine Mariotte 1939-1940 Henri Busser 1941-1944 Max d'Ollone 1944 Lucien Muratore 1944 (Liberation) 4 member committee: Roger Désormière , Pierre Jamin, Louis Musy and Émile Rousseau 1945-1946 Albert Wolff 1946-1948 Henry Malherbe 1948-1951 Emmanuel Bondeville 1952-1953 Louis Beydts 1990-1994 Thierry Fouquet 1994-1999 Pierre Médecin 2000-2007 Jérôme Savary 2007-2015 Jérôme Deschamps 2015-2021 Olivier Mantei . 2021-2026 Louis Langrée 1849-1868 Théophile Tilmant 1868-1876 Adolphe Deloffre 1876 Charles Constantin 1876-1877 Charles Lamoureux 1877-1898 Jules Danbé 1898-1904 André Messager 1904-1906 Alexandre Luigini 1906-1908 François Ruhlmann 1909 Gustave Doret 1910-1913 François Ruhlmann 1914-1919 Paul Vidal 1919-1921 André Messager 1921-1924 Albert Wolff 1924-1925 Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht 1925-1932 Maurice Frigara 1932-1936 Paul Bastide 1936-1944 Eugène Bigot 1947-1953 André Cluytens Frédéric Blasius Geraldine Farrar Alice Geraldine Farrar (February 28, 1882 – March 11, 1967)

2211-414: The king in 1780, although the names Comédie-Italienne and Théâtre Italien were still used frequently by the press and public for many years thereafter. In 1783 the company moved again, into the Salle Favart (architect Jean-François Heurtier ; ca. 1,100 seats) on the site where the current theatre stands. Around that time the works of Grétry featured strongly. With the proliferation of opera houses after

2278-486: The last having been performed more than 2,500 times. Since the Middle Ages popular light theatrical entertainments had been a part of the seasonal Parisian fairs, especially the Foire Saint-Germain and the Foire Saint-Laurent. They included farces, tightrope acts, acrobatics, and marionettes, and also included music, such as vaudevilles and popular songs. The audiences were diverse, from all levels of society, and

2345-434: The modern one of being funny; the term covered a much wider category of work. Notable composers in the history of the Opéra-Comique include Auber , Halévy , Berlioz and Bizet . After Rossini's arrival in Paris, new works at the Opéra-Comique took in Italian vocal style and techniques, leading to greater virtuosity, although "the repertory as a whole stood as a bulwark against the italianate invasion of Rossini". In 1840,

2412-456: The music was arranged by Jean-Claude Gillier, and the orchestra consisted of 15 players. Lesage authored many of the early opéras comiques , and composers like Gillier worked primarily as arrangers of existing music. In 1716 one of the troupes' leaders, Catherine Vanderberg purchased additional rights and began to present more original works by authors, such as Jacques-Philippe d'Orneval , Alexis Piron , and Louis Fuzelier . In these early days

2479-438: The musicians would play a popular tune, and the spectators would sing, while the actors remained silent. This was further enhanced when the words began to be displayed to the audience on a large banner. In 1713 and 1714 several of the fair troupes were able to conclude a new series of agreements with the creditors of the deceased Guyenet, who at this point had become the managers of the rather expensive Opéra. For an annual fee

2546-604: The one that Farrar personally ranked her finest—was as Joan of Arc in the 1917 film Joan the Woman . In June 1931, Farrar made her debut radio broadcast over the National Broadcasting Company's nationwide "Red" network. In 1960, Farrar was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame , in the music and film categories, located at 1620 and 1709 Vine Street. Beginning in 1908, Farrar had

2613-402: The opera Miss Farrar caused 'much amusement' by appearing before the curtain with a live goose under her arm." According to her biographer: "Unlike most of the famous bel canto singers of the past who sacrificed dramatic action to tonal perfection, she was more interested in the emotional than in the purely lyrical aspects of her roles. According to Miss Farrar, until prime donne can combine

2680-498: The opera's alterations to the Goethe original, so Thomas composed a shorter finale with a tragic ending, in which Mignon falls dead in the arms of Wilhelm. This ending was an attempt to make the story of the opera somewhat more similar in tone to the tragic outcome of Goethe's. (The original version of Mignon for the Opéra-Comique had to have a happy ending, since at that time in Paris tragic operas in French were exclusively reserved for

2747-543: The presentations were given on makeshift stages. However, with the establishment in 1672 of King Louis XIV 's Académie royale de Musique (popularly known as the Opéra) under Jean-Baptiste Lully , the use of music by fair troupes was significantly curtailed. When the Italian players at the Hôtel de Bourgogne were banished from Paris in 1697 for performing their comedy La fausse prude ("The False Prude"), which satirized

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2814-535: The previous generation, Lillian Nordica .) She appeared in the title roles of Ambroise Thomas ' Mignon and Jules Massenet 's Manon , as well as Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette . Her admirers in Berlin included Crown Prince Wilhelm of Germany , with whom she is believed to have had a relationship beginning in 1903. After three years with the Monte Carlo Opera , Farrar made her debut at

2881-693: The role at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1883. The versions of the opera performed outside France, in particular, those in the United States and Italy, have been in Italian (later also in French), with Mignon as a soprano or mezzo-soprano, and Frédéric as a mezzo-soprano or contralto, and with the sung recitatives and the shortened finale. More recently, in 1986, the original opéra comique version with soprano Cynthia Clarey as Mignon

2948-417: The role of librettist for the theatre was more important than that of the composer – and pre-eminent among them for more than forty years was Charles-Simon Favart , who made his first contribution in 1734 and achieved his first important success with La chercheuse d'esprit in 1741. In 1743 the impresario Jean Monnet paid 12,000 livres to the Opéra for the right to run the Opéra-Comique, He renovated

3015-602: The screen.” The acquisition of Farrar by producer Jesse Lasky in 1915 was regarded as “the most sensational coup in motion-picture history” at the time. As a prima donna of the Metropolitan Opera , Farrar’s arrival in Hollywood was greeted with great anticipation and fanfare: When her private car arrived at Santa Fe station, the mayor of Los Angeles was on hand to greet her. All six of her Lasky films were directed by Cecil B. DeMille , with whom she hit it off perfectly, being much adored by her fellow workers, down to

3082-653: The theatre and brought together a group of highly talented creative artists, including, besides Favart, who also worked as a stage director, the comedian Préville , the stage designer François Boucher , and the ballet master Dupré and his pupil Jean-Georges Noverre . Jean-Philippe Rameau may also have been the leader of the orchestra. The company was, however, too successful, and the Opéra refused to renew Monnet's privilege in 1745. After working briefly in Lyon, and mounting unsuccessful productions in Dijon (1746) and London (1749), he

3149-560: The theatre closed for 18 months for major refurbishment including the costume department, the salle Bizet, and the hall Boieldieu. During the closure a webopera and a fan zone at the UEFA Cup where spectators were invited to sing well-known opéra-comique songs took place. After the works, the theatre reopened in 2017, with the first stage production since the composer's death of Marais's Alcione (on 25 April 2017) with Jordi Savall conducting Le Concert des Nations . The information in

3216-450: The theatre hosted one of the major baroque revivals: Atys , with Les Arts Florissants in 1987. The company regained its autonomy and returned, albeit with an inadequate budget, to the Salle Favart in 1990. Although its budget amounted to less than most provincial French opera houses, the first new director of the independent Opéra-Comique, Thierry Fouquet, attempted to run a balanced programme but handed over in 1994 to Pierre Médecin, who

3283-670: The title roles in Pietro Mascagni 's Amica ( Monte Carlo , 1905), Puccini's Suor Angelica (New York City, 1918), Umberto Giordano 's Madame Sans-Gêne (New York, 1915), as well as the Goosegirl in Engelbert Humperdinck 's Königskinder (New York, 1910), for which Farrar trained her own flock of geese. According to a review in the New York Tribune of the first performance, "at the close of

3350-486: The troupes obtained the right to perform light comedies interspersed with songs and dances and to use sets and theatre machines. They were also given the right to use the name "Opéra-Comique". The first work officially given that designation was Télémaque (a parody of the opera by André Cardinal Destouches ), which was first performed by the Théâtre de la Foire Saint-Germain in 1715. The words were by Alain-René Lesage ,

3417-558: The very prop boys, as she had been by the stagehands at the Metropolitan. She starred in more than a dozen films from 1915 to 1920, including Cecil B. De Mille 's 1915 adaptation of Georges Bizet 's opera Carmen . " The film’s premiere at Symphony Hall in Boston was preceded by a fulsome publicity campaign and garnered effusive reviews by critics. San Francisco Call & Post wrote: The resolution of Geraldine Farrar,

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3484-470: The week except for major festivals. Boxes could be hired for a year at a time, and many subscribers were wealthy. Before 1848 a third of subscribers were of the aristocracy, but after then it became an especially middle class theatre. After 1848 Émile Perrin sought to revive the repertoire with more literary and ambitious works. Until 1864 its repertoire was still prescribed, by statute, to have spoken dialogue between musical numbers. The Opéra-Comique staged

3551-435: The wider public. Mainstays of the repertory at the Opéra-Comique during its history have included the following works which have each been performed more than 1,000 times by the company: Cavalleria Rusticana , Le chalet , La dame blanche , Le domino noir , La fille du régiment , Lakmé , Manon , Mignon , Les noces de Jeannette , Le pré aux clercs , Tosca , La bohème , Werther and Carmen ,

3618-537: The work for the first performance at the Drury Lane Theatre in London on 5 July 1870. This version was given in Italian with recitatives (instead of spoken dialogue). The role of Mignon, originally for mezzo-soprano , was sung by a soprano ( Christina Nilsson ), and the role of Frédéric, originally a tenor , was sung by a contralto (Zelia Trebelli-Bettini). A second verse was added to Lothario's aria in

3685-468: Was able to repurchase the Opéra-Comique privilège in December 1751 and remained its director until 1757. During his second period as director, Monnet continued to work with Favart and Noverre, and Boucher designed and built a substantial new theatre for the company of the Foire Saint-Laurent in 1752. The theatre was later installed in a wing of the Hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs on the rue Bergère, where it

3752-438: Was actually original, composed by Antoine Dauvergne , and began a period of new works in a more Italian style in which music played a much more significant role. Composers for the company during this period included Egidio Duni , François-André Danican Philidor and Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny . The dramatist Michel-Jean Sedaine wrote the text of his first opera for the company, Le diable à quatre , in 1756. It premiered at

3819-603: Was an American lyric soprano who could also sing dramatic roles. She was noted for her beauty, acting ability, and "the intimate timbre of her voice." In the 1910s, she also found success as an actress in silent films . She had a large following among young women, who were nicknamed "Gerry-flappers". Farrar was born in Melrose, Massachusetts , the daughter of baseball player Sidney Farrar , and his wife Henrietta Barnes. At age five, she began studying music in Boston and by 14

3886-399: Was another one of her favourite Met parts. Farrar quickly transitioned into concert recitals, and was signed (within several weeks of announcing her opera retirement) to an appearance at Hershey Park on Memorial Day 1922. She continued to make recordings and give recitals throughout the 1920s and was briefly the intermission commentator for the Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts during

3953-656: Was as Leoncavallo's Zazà . By this stage, her voice was in premature decline due to overwork. According to the American music critic Henry Pleasants , the author of The Great Singers from the Dawn of Opera to Our Own Time (first published 1967), she gave between 25 and 35 performances each season at the Met alone. They included 95 appearances as Madama Butterfly and 58 as Carmen in 16 seasons. The title role in Puccini 's Tosca , which she had added to her repertoire in 1909,

4020-421: Was captured by Gypsies as a child. Wilhelm decides to purchase Mignon’s freedom. Lothario comes to say goodbye to Mignon. Lothario wants Mignon to travel with him, but she stays with Wilhelm. Frédéric lovingly follows Philine in, but she also wants Wilhelm. The acting troupe is about to set off for a baron's castle after receiving an invitation to perform there. Mignon is deeply in love with Wilhelm, but upset to see

4087-551: Was first given in Laxenburg, Austria, on 28 May 1759. Other settings were later composed for the Opéra-Comique by Bernardo Porta (14 February 1790) and Jean-Pierre Solié (30 November 1809). On 3 February 1762 the Opéra-Comique was merged into the Comédie-Italienne and occupied the Hôtel de Bourgogne , gaining in respectability what it lost in independence. The company was renamed to Opéra-Comique by an edict of

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4154-667: Was given on 9 May 1871 at the French Opera House in New Orleans. This was followed by a Maurice Strakosch production in Italian at the New York Academy of Music on 22 November 1871 with Christine Nilsson as Mignon, Mlle. Léon Duval as Philine, Victor Capoul as Wilhelm, and Mlle. Ronconi as Frédéric. The substantial success of the opera in London and New York has been attributed to the presence of Christine Nilsson in both productions. Nilsson also performed

4221-802: Was giving recitals. Later she studied voice with the American soprano Emma Thursby in New York City , in Paris , and finally with the Italian baritone Francesco Graziani in Berlin . Farrar created a sensation at the Berlin Hofoper with her debut as Marguerite in Charles Gounod 's Faust in 1901 and remained with the company for three years, during which time she continued her studies with famed German soprano Lilli Lehmann . (She had been recommended to Lehmann by another famous soprano of

4288-596: Was responsible for the centenary season in 1998 with a new production of Pelléas et Mélisande . The loss of private sponsors led to a policy of musical comedy and operetta under Jérôme Savary from 2000. A decree of November 2004 put the theatre on a new basis, stressing the variety of productions it should mount: "de l'opéra baroque à la création contemporaine et le patrimoine de l'Opéra-Comique". It currently mounts 7 or 8 operas or opéra comiques (some of them co-productions), with complementary concerts, recitals and exhibitions, each season. In common with many other opera houses

4355-487: Was revived for a production at the Wexford Festival Opera . Noted soprano interpreters of Mignon have included Emma Albani (Covent Garden's first Mignon in 1874), Lucrezia Bori , and Geraldine Farrar ; mezzo-sopranos have included Marilyn Horne , Giulietta Simionato , Frederica von Stade , Risë Stevens , and Ebe Stignani . Lily Pons was famous for singing Philine. In the courtyard of an inn in

4422-426: Was the source of considerable scandal. The marriage ended, as a result of her husband's numerous affairs, in a very public divorce in 1923. The circumstances of the divorce were brought again to public recollection by Tellegen's bizarre 1934 suicide in Hollywood. Farrar reportedly said "Why should that interest me?" when told of Tellegen's death. Farrar retired from opera in 1922 at the age of 40. Her final performance

4489-549: Was used by the Opéra in 1781, and then as the first concert hall of the Paris Conservatory , which was founded on the same site in 1795. The new theatre was especially important, as it enabled the company to perform at times when the fair was not in operation. Monnet's friend Jean-Joseph Vadé wrote the libretto for Les troqueurs , first staged in July 1753 and advertised as a translation of an Italian work. The music

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