Description

 LUCIEN FUGÈRE (PARIS, FRANCE, 22 JULY, 1848 – PARIS, FRANCE, 15 JANUARY, 1935)

 

 

 

 

He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris under the pedagogues Raguneau and Édouard Batiste. He made his first public appearance in 1871 at the Café-Concert Bata-clan in Paris. In 1874, he joined the operetta theater Bouffes-Parisiens. In 1877, he was engaged at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where he made his debut as Jean in Les Noces de Jeannette by V. Massé. He became one of the most popular artists at the Opéra-Comique.

Opera Premieres

Paris Opéra-Comique 20.12.1880: L’Amour Médecin (F. Poise)

Paris Opéra-Comique 18.5.1887: Le roi malgré lui (E. Chabrier) as Fritelli

Paris Opéra-Comique 30.5.1890: La Basoche (A. Messager) as Longueville

Paris Opéra-Comique 24.5.1893: Phryné (C. Saint-Saëns) as Dicéphile

Paris Opéra-Comique 8.5.1894: Le portrait de Manon (J. Massenet)

Paris Opéra-Comique 1.4.1895: La Vivandière (B. Godard) as Ballafré

Paris Opéra-Comique 26.11.1895: Xavière (T. Dubois)

Paris Opéra-Comique 1898: La Bohème (G. Puccini) as Schaunard

Paris Opéra-Comique 24.5.1899: Cendrillon (J. Massenet) as Pandolfe

Paris Opéra-Comique 20.2.1901: La fille de Tabarin (G. Pierné)

Paris Opéra-Comique 20.11.1901: Grisélidis (J. Massenet)

Paris Opéra-Comique 8.11.1906: Le Bonhomme Jadis (E. Jacques-Dalcroze)

Nice Opéra 1906: Sanga (I. de Lara)

Paris Opéra-Comique 5.6.1907: Fortunio (A. Messager)

Paris Opéra-Comique 4.5.1910: Le Mariage de Télémaque (C. Terrasse)

Paris Opéra-Comique 2.2.1900: Louise (G. Charpentier) as the father

One of his star roles was Longueville in A. Messager’s La Basoche, and Messager also composed the part of Maître André for him in Fortunio. During the 1910-1919 seasons, he was engaged at the Théâtre Gaîté-Lyrique in Paris, where he sang the title role in J. Massenet’s Don Quichotte on 29.12.1910. Massenet dedicated the score of the opera to him, although he could not participate in the premiere in Monte Carlo. In 1913, he performed in the premiere of Henri Février’s opera Carmosine at this theater.

After 1919, he returned to the Opéra-Comique and in 1927 appeared as Don Bartolo in G. Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In 1897, he made a guest appearance at Covent Garden in London as Leporello in Don Giovanni—his only performance abroad. From 1906 to 1910, he also sang in Nice and Marseille. During the First World War, he gave numerous concerts for French soldiers, and as late as 1932, he still appeared at the Opéra-Comique. In 1928, he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honor.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Oui, Madame… (Madamina, il catalogo) D13093 WL1482 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-15
2. Joconde (Isouard Nicolò) Dans un délire extrême 1827 Pantophon, Paris 1905
3. Joconde (Nicolò) Dans un delire extrême (Romance) X-2015 Zonophone, Paris 1902-11
4. Jongleur de Notre-Dame (Massenet) Pour la vierge 1824 Pantophon, Paris 1905
5. Jongleur de Notre-Dame (Massenet) Pour la vierge d’abord D13077 WL1024 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-14
6. La Basoche (Messager) Elle m’aime (orch) X-2011 Zonophone, Paris 1902-11
7. La Basoche (Messager) Elle m’aime 1825 Pantophon, Paris 1905
8. La Basoche (Messager) Elle m’aime D13045 WL1022 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-14
9. La Basoche (Messager) Trop lourd est le poids D13045 WL1023 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-14
10. La Procession (Franck) D15177 WLX896 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-06
11. La vieille chanson du jeune temps (Widor) D13094 WL1490 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-18
12. L’anneau d’argent (Chaminade) D13077 WL1020 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-13
13. Le Maître de Chapelle (Paër) Ah! quel plaisir… Pour imiter son charme LFX32 LFX32 WLX1297 WLX1298 Columbia, Paris 1930-03-07
14. Le Médecin malgré lui (Gounod) Qu’ils sont doux D15178 WLX901 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-08