Marie Justine Benoîte Favart (née Duronceray) (; 15 June 1727 – 22 April 1772) was an operatic singer, actress, playwright and dancer, the wife of the dramatist,

Charles Simon Favart Charles Simon Favart (; 13 November 1710 – 12 May 1792) was a French playwright and theatre director. The Salle Favart in Paris is named after him. Biography Born in Paris, the son of a pastry-cook, he was educated at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, ...

Biography

Madame Favart is largely responsible for the 18th-century change in Parisian operatic taste from French standards to performances of a lyric type adapted from Italian models, which developed later into the genuine French comic opera. She was also a bold reformer in matters of stage costume, playing the peasant with bare arms, in wooden shoes and linen dress, and not, as heretofore, in court costume with enormous hoops, diamonds and long white kid gloves. With her husband, and other authors, she collaborated in a number of successful pieces, and one ''La fille mal gardée'' she produced alone.

Maurice, comte de Saxe Maurice, Count of Saxony (, ; 28 October 1696 – 20 November 1750) was a notable soldier, officer and a famed military commander of the 18th century. The illegitimate son of Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania ...

, a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

and her husband's patron, began to make advances to Mme Favart, and Favart was forced to flee. Mme Favart was established by the marshal in a house at

Vaugirard The 15th arrondissement of Paris () is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ('the fifteenth'). The 15th arrondissement, called , is situated on the left bank of the River Seine. S ...

; proving a fickle mistress, she was suddenly arrested and confined in a convent, where she was brought to unconditional surrender in the beginning of 1750. Before the year was out the marshal died, and Mme Favart reappeared at the Comédie Italienne, where for twenty years she was a great favourite. Among the roles created by Mme Favart were La Vieille, Robinette and Thérèse in

Egidio Duni Egidio Romualdo Duni (or Egide Romuald Duny; 11 February 1708 – 11 June 1775) was an Italian composer who studied in Naples and worked in Italy, France and London, writing both Italian and French operas. Biography Born in Matera, Duni was tau ...

's ''

La fée Urgèle ''La fée Urgèle, ou Ce qui plaît aux dames'' (, ''The Fairy Urgèle, or What Pleases Women'') is an ''opéra comique'' (specifically a ''comédie mêlée d'ariettes'') in four acts by the composer Egidio Duni. The libretto, by Charles-Simon Fava ...

'', which was premiered at court in 1765. Madame Favart in fictionalised form is the title-character of Offenbach's 1878

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

, ''

Madame Favart ''Madame Favart'' () is an opéra comique, or operetta, in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. Performance history After defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870) ended Napoleon III' ...

''. In the edition in ten volumes of the works of the couple Favart, published in 1763-1772 at Duchesne (Paris), Volume 5 is devoted exclusively to the dramatic works of Marie Justine Favart. These are the following: *1753: ''Les amours de Bastien et Bastienne, parodie du Devin de village'', *1754: ''La feste d’amour, ou Lucas et Colinette, petite pièce en vers et en un acte'', *1757: ''Les encorcelés, ou Jeannot et Jeannette, parodie des Surprises de l’amour'', *1758: ''La fille mal gardée, ou Le pédant amoureux, parodie de la Provençale'', *1760: ''La fortune au village, parodie d’Églée'' and *1762: ''Annette et Lubin, comédie en un acte et en vers''.

References

Sources

* *

Warrack, John John Hamilton Warrack (born 9 February 1928) is an English music critic, writer on music, and oboist. Career Born in London, Warrack is the son of Scottish conductor and composer Guy Warrack and Jacynth Mary Ellerton. He was educated at Winchest ...

and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages,

External links

Justine Favart
on Data.bnf.fr
Scholarly edition of Favart's "Annette et Lubin"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Favart, Justine Actors from Avignon Actresses from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 1727 births 1772 deaths 18th-century French dramatists and playwrights French women dramatists and playwrights 18th-century French women opera singers French ballerinas 18th-century French actresses French stage actresses 18th-century French ballet dancers 18th-century French women writers Musicians from Avignon Dancers from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur