Marie Sophie Jeanne Laisné (born 21 March 1870; year of death unknown) was a French operatic soprano with the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

. She started her career as Sophie in the first French production of Massenet's ''

Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel ''The S ...

'', and went on to create the roles of Aurore in

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are ''Manon'' (1884 ...

's ''

Le portrait de Manon ''Le portrait de Manon'' is an opéra comique in one act by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Georges Boyer. It is related to Massenet's 1884 opera ''Manon'', widely regarded to be his masterpiece. However ''Le portrait de Manon'' is rarely ...

'', Jeanne in

Benjamin Godard Benjamin Louis Paul Godard (18 August 184910 January 1895) was a French violinist and Romantic-era composer of Jewish extraction, best known for his opera '' Jocelyn''. Godard composed eight operas, five symphonies, two piano and two violin conce ...

's ''La Vivandière'', La Duchesse de Fronsac in

Henri Hirschmann Henri Hirschmann, real name Henri Herblay (30 April 1872 – 3 November 1961), was a French composer of light music. Originally a student of André Gedalge at the Conservatoire de Paris, he studied under Jules Massenet for two years. His best kn ...

's ''L'amour à la Bastille'', and Henriette in Ernest Lefèvre-Dérodé's ''Le follet''. Other notable roles include Micaela in Bizet's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'' and as Mimi in Puccini's ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

''.

Biography

Laisné studied at the

Conservatoire de Paris 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 ...

under Ernest Boulanger, graduating in 1892, after which she was engaged by the

. She made her opera début on 16 January 1893 as Sophie in the first Paris production of

's ''

,'' which also featured

Marie Delna Marie Delna (Paris, 3 April 1875 - Paris, 24 July 1932) was a French contralto. A major singer in Paris, particularly at the Opéra-Comique, she enjoyed an international career in the 1890s through to the 1910s and left several recordings. Lif ...

Max Bouvet Maximilien-Nicolas Bouvet (1854 – 1943) was a French operatic baritone. Bouvet was born at La Rochelle. In 1875, he appeared at the Eldorado café-concert in Paris with the song ''Les myrtes son flétries'' by Gustave Nadaud and de Faure. ...

, and

Guillaume Ibos Guillaume Ibos (10 July 1860 – 22 September 1952) was a French opera singer. Career Born in Muret (Haute-Garonne), Ibos continued his musical studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won first prize. He was immediately hired at th ...

in leading roles. She created the role of Aurore in

's ''

'', a sequel to his earlier ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was f ...

'', at the Opéra-Comique on 8 May 1894. Years after des Grieux's tragic romance, he has adopted a son, who is in love with Aurore, who, unbeknownst to des Grieux, is Manon's niece. The two young lovers have to remind him of his own tragic youth, in order to get him to accept that love should reign in their generation. In connection with the première, writing in ''La Nouvelle Revue'' (1 June 1894) the author and librettist

Louis Gallet Louis Gallet (14 February 1835 in Valence, Drôme – 16 October 1898) was a French writer of operatic libretti, plays, romances, memoirs, pamphlets, and innumerable articles, who is remembered above all for his adaptations of fiction —and ...

refers to "la charmante Mlle Laisné, qui joue et chante à ravir le rôle d'Aurore" (the charming Miss Laisné who plays and sings the role of Aurore so ravishingly). '' Le Matin'' discussed her charming voice and effective execution,; also quotes ''Le Figaro''. and ''

Le Figaro () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...

'' discussed how she agreeably chirped and trilled her way through Aurore. In 1898, '' Le Matin'' praised her performance in ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

'', stating "Mlle Lai è a une voix d'une pureté délicieuse, qu'elle sait conduire avec un art consommé" (Miss Lai é has a voice of delicious purity, which she knows to use with consummate art.) Laisné married Jules Victor Henri Libent on 20 September 1901 in Paris ( 8th arrondissement).Archives de Paris, birth certificate. Marginal note covers her marriage
consultable online

Repertoire

* 1893: Sophie in Massenet's ''

,'' first French production, at the

, 16 January. * 1893: Geneviève in Alfred Bruneau's ''

L'Attaque du moulin ''L'attaque du moulin'' (''The Attack on the Mill'') is a ''drame lyrique'' (opera) in four acts by the French composer Alfred Bruneau. The libretto, by Louis Gallet with the collaboration of Émile Zola, is based on a short story by Zola (include ...

'' at the

* 1894: Created the role of Aurore in Massenet's ''

'' at the

, 8 May. * 1894: Nanette in Verdi's ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'' at the

, from 14 November * 1895: Virginie in

Victor Massé Victor Massé (; born Félix Marie Massé; 7 March 1822 – 5 July 1884) was a French composer. Biography Massé was born in Lorient (Morbihan) and studied at the Paris Conservatoire, winning the Prix de Rome in 1844 for his cantata ''Le Rénég ...

's ''Paul et Virginie'' at the

, from 26 February * 1895: Created the role of Jeanne in

's ''La Vivandière'' at the

, 1 April * 1896: Isabelle in

Ferdinand Hérold Louis Joseph Ferdinand Herold (28 January 1791 – 19 January 1833), better known as Ferdinand Hérold (), was a French composer. He was celebrated in his lifetime for his operas, of which he composed more than twenty, but he also wrote ballet mus ...

's ''

Le pré aux clercs ''Le pré aux clercs'' (, ''The Clerks' Meadow'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Ferdinand Hérold with a libretto by François-Antoine-Eugène de Planard based on Prosper Mérimée's ''Chronique du temps de Charles IX'' of 1829.Pougin A ...

'' at the

, 19 January * 1896: L'Ombre heureuse in Gluck's ''

Orphée et Eurydice (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning an ...

'' at the

, 6 March. * 1897: Created the role of La Duchesse de Fronsac in

's ''

L'amour à la Bastille L'Amour may refer to: People * Louis L'Amour (1908–1988), American cowboy novelist * Michelle L'amour (born 1980), American neo-burlesque performer Other uses * ''L'Amour'' (album), a 1983 album by Lewis * ''L'Amour'' (film), a 1973 film * L ...

'' at the

, 14 December * 1898: Philomèle in Delibes' ''

Le roi l'a dit ''Le roi l'a dit'' (''The King Has Spoken'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women.MacDonald H. "Le roi l'a di ...

'' at the

, 13 March * 1898: Philine in Thomas' ''

Mignon ''Mignon'' () is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. ...

'' at the

, 24 April * 1898: Rafaela in

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally whe ...

's '' Haydée, ou Le secret'' at the

, 12 February * 1898: Virginie in

's ''Paul et Virginie'' at the

, 24 November * 1898: Marceline in Beethoven's ''

'' at the

, 30 December * 1899: Henriette in Halévy's '' L'eclair'' at the

, 5 June * 1899: L'Ombre heureuse in Gluck's ''

'' at the

, 20 December * 1900: Jeanette in Victor Massé's '' Les noces de Jeannette'' at the

, 7 January * 1900: Philine in Thomas' ''

'' at the

, 19 January * 1900: Anna in Boieldieu's ''

La dame blanche ''La dame blanche'' (, ''The White Lady'') is an opéra comique in three acts by the French composer François-Adrien Boieldieu. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and is based on episodes from no fewer than five works of the Scottish wri ...

'' at the

, 2 February * 1900: Created the role of Henriette in Ernest Lefèvre-Dérodé's ''

Le follet ''Le Follet'' was a Parisian fashion magazine, published weekly from November 1829 to 1892. It was at one point merged with ''Le Courrier de la Mode''. It was richly illustrated with fashion plates. Le Follet belonged to the numerous fashion ma ...

'', 1 May * 1900: Sœur Euphémie in

François Devienne François Devienne (; 31 January 1759 – 5 September 1803) was a French composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period and professor for flute at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatory. Career Devienne was born in Joinvill ...

's ''

Les Visitandines LES or Les may refer to: People * Les (given name) * Les (surname) * L.E.S. (producer), hip hop producer Space flight * Launch Entry Suit, worn by Space Shuttle crews * Launch escape system, for spacecraft emergencies * Lincoln Experimental S ...

'', 15 May From 1900, she also appeared as Micaela in Bizet's ''Carmen'', Suzel in Erlanger's '' Le Juif Polonais'', Baucis in Gounod's ''

Philémon et Baucis ('' Philemon and Baucis'') is an opera in three acts by Charles Gounod with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. The opera is based on the tale of Baucis and Philemon as told by La Fontaine (derived in turn from Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' ...

'', and Mimi in Puccini's ''

''.

Biography

Repertoire

References

Further reading