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. Le Roi malgré lui (Chabrier) Je suis du pays des gondoles LF16 WL2092-1 Columbia, Paris 1930-03-05
2. Le Roi malgré lui (Chabrier) La polonais est triste et grave LF16 WL2091-1 Columbia, Paris 1930-03-05
3. Le Val d’Andorre (Halévy) Voilà le corcier (Chanson du chevrier) LF30 WL2283 Columbia, Paris 1930-05-13
4. Le vieux ruban (Henrion) 1744 Pantophon, Paris 1905
5. Le vieux ruban (Henrion) X-1216 Zonophone, Paris 1902-12
6. Les Saisons (Massé) Chanson du blé (orch) X-2012 Zonophone, Paris 1902-11
7. Les Saisons (Massé) Chanson du blé D15177 WLX647-1 Columbia, Paris 1928-12-01
8. Les vieilles de chez-nous (Levadé) D13043 WL1019 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-13
9. L’Ombre (Flotow) Quand je monte cocotte D13083 WL1316 Columbia, Paris 1928-12-01
10. Louise (Charpentier) Voir naître une enfant  HMB14 WLX646 Columbia, Paris 1928-12-01
11. Mandolinata (Paladilhe) 1785 Pantophon, Paris 1905
12. Pardon de Ploërmel (Meyerbeer) En chasse LF30 WL2256 Columbia, Paris 1930-05-05
13. Plaisir d’amour (Martini) D13044 WL1016 Columbia, Paris 1928-04-13
14. Plaisir d’amour (Martini) X-2014 Zonophone, Paris 1902-11
15. Ronde d’amour (Chaminade) 1743 Pantophon, Paris 1905
16. Tambourins (Couperin, arr Tiersot) D13094 WL1491 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-18
17. Zauberflöte (Mozart) Je suis le joyeux oiseleur (Der Vogelfänger) D13092 WL1480 Columbia, Paris 1929-03-15