Pauline Mathilde Lucie Auguez de Montalant (28 March 1868 – 18 July 1955) was a French opera singer (light

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 ...

Biography

Training

Auguez was born in

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

. Her father, Auguste Jules Arsène, was employed by the railway. As a student 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 ...

, she received a third medal for

solfège In music, solfège (British English or American English , ) or solfeggio (; ), also called sol-fa, solfa, solfeo, among many names, is a mnemonic used in teaching aural skills, Pitch (music), pitch and sight-reading of Western classical music, W ...

in 1885, a first prize for

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 ...

in 1886, a second singing prize in 1887 and a second prize for opéra comique in 1887.

Career

Her stage debut was in 1887 at 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 ...

. Her first important role, on 29 March 1888, was at that theatre in ''Madame Turlupin'', an opéra comique by

Ernest Guiraud Ernest Guiraud (; 23 June 18376 May 1892) was an American-born French composer and music teacher. He is best known for writing the traditional orchestral recitatives used for Bizet's opera '' Carmen'' and for Offenbach's opera '' Les contes d ...

, in which she played Isabelle. She then sang in ''le Baiser de Suzon'' by

Herman Bemberg Herman Emanuel Bemberg Ocampo (29 March 1859 – 21 July 1931)Baker, Theodore; rev. by Nicolas Slonimsky (1978) ''Baker's Biographical dictionary of musicians – 6th ed.'' New York: Schirmer Books, 138. was a German people, German-Argentine compos ...

(premiere, role of Suzon); in Gounod's ''

Mireille Mireille () is a French given name, derived from the Provençal Occitan name ''Mirèio'' (or ''Mirèlha'' in the classical norm of Occitan, ). It could be related to the Occitan verb ''mirar'' "to look, to admire" or to the given names ''Miriam'' " ...

'' and Maillard's '' Les dragons de Villars''. On 30 January 1889, she premiered

Louis Varney Louis Varney (; 30 May 1844, New Orleans, Louisiana – 20 August 1908, Cauterets, France) was a French composer. Biography Louis Varney was the son of Alphonse Varney, a French conductor at the Bouffes-Parisiens and at the Grand Théâtre d ...

's ''la Vénus d'Arles'' at the

Théâtre des Nouveautés The Théâtre des Nouveautés ("Theatre of the New") is a Parisian theatre built in 1921 and located at 24 boulevard Poissonnière (Paris, 9th arr.). The name was also used by several earlier Parisian theatre companies and their buildings, begin ...

. On 11 December 1891, at the

Théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés () is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History The theatre owed its creation to Mademoiselle Montans ...

, she was Denise de Flavigny in Hervé's '' Mam'zelle Nitouche''. Later at the Variétés, she played in Offenbach's '' les Brigands''. In 1894, she gave a song recital at

la Bodinière The Théâtre La Bodinière was a theater in Paris directed by Charles Bodinier between 1890 and 1902. It staged lectures and performances for a distinguished audience of aristocrats, grand bourgeois and intelligentsia. Background Charles Bodin ...

, which earned her this comment in '' la Caricature'': Her performances were frequently acclaimed by critics. For example, the ''

Journal amusant ''Journal amusant'' was a French weekly satirical magazine published from 1856 until 1933. It was founded by the caricaturist, journalist, and publisher Charles Philipon. The magazine's immediate predecessor was ''Journal pour rire'' which Phili ...

'' wrote in 1910: On 10 March 1898, she married journalist and playwright

Henri Lavedan Henri Léon Emile Lavedan (9 April 1859 – 4 September 1940), French dramatist and man of letters, was born at Orléans, the son of , a well-known Catholic and liberal journalist. Lavedan contributed to various Parisian papers a series of wit ...

. Auguez died on 18 July 1955 at her home in the

6th arrondissement of Paris The 6th arrondissement of Paris (''VIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ''le sixième''. The arrondissement, called Luxembourg in ...

.Archives de Paris 6th, death act #622, year 1955 (view 3/31)
/ref> She is buried with her husband and their daughter Geneviève at Père-Lachaise Cemetery..

References

External links

Auguez Mathilde (1868-1955)
on Amis et passionnés du Père-Lachaise {{DEFAULTSORT:Auguez, Mathilde 1868 births 1955 deaths People from Amiens Conservatoire de Paris alumni French operatic sopranos Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery