Caroline Barbot (née Marie-Caroline Douvry) (27 April 1830 in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

– 17 September 1893), was a French operatic

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

. She is most notable for creating the role of Leonora in " La Forza del Destino" by Verdi in

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, Russia, in 1862.

Training and career

Caroline Barbot studied at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

with Manuel Garcia the younger and won first prize for singing upon completion of her studies in 1850. She married the tenor

Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot Joseph-Théodore-Désiré Barbot, born in Toulouse on 12 April 1824, died in Paris on 1 January 1879, was a French operatic tenor. He is most notable for creating the title role in Charles Gounod's opera "Faust". Training and career Joseph-Théo ...

and appeared with him in operas in France, Belgium, Italy and Russia. Upon their return to Paris, her husband created the role of Faust in

Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

's opera of the same name at the

Théâtre Lyrique The Théâtre Lyrique () was one of four opera companies performing in Paris during the middle of the 19th century (the other three being the Paris Opera, Opéra, the Opéra-Comique, and the Théâtre-Italien (1801–1878), Théâtre-Italien). ...

while Caroline appeared in leading roles in operas by Bellini,

Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Meyer Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Ro ...

and Verdi at the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

. Verdi saw her in his opera "

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" in Paris and chose her to create the leading role of Leonora in his opera "La Forza del Destino" in St.Petersburg. The premiere was scheduled for 1861, but when Verdi arrived in Russia to supervise the rehearsals, Barbot was ill. Rather than accept a substitute in the leading role of Leonora, Verdi returned to Italy and came back to Russia the following season where the opera achieved great success with Barbot, as planned, as Leonora. Caroline appeared with her husband in subsequent seasons in Russia, and she continued her international career in France, Italy and England until 1872. Her husband became a singing teacher at the Conservatoire in Paris upon his retirement from the stage, and Caroline died in that city in 1893.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barbot, Caroline Conservatoire de Paris alumni 1830 births 1893 deaths Singers from Paris French operatic sopranos 19th-century French women opera singers