Mlle Duval (short for Mademoiselle Duval) (c. 1718 – after 1775) was an 18th-century French

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

who wrote the second

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

by a woman ever performed 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 ...

Biography

Mlle Duval, whose first name is unknown, was a French composer and dancer who was an accomplished

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

ist. A letter to the ''Journal des nouvelles de Paris'' in 1736 reported she was known by the name ''La Légende'' because she was an

illegitimate Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...

child, possibly indicating that Duval was a

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

. She may be the same person as an 18th-century French composer who is identified as Louise Duval (1704–1769), though their birth and death dates do not appear to match up. Much of what is known about Mlle Duval's life comes from mentions in contemporary accounts; for instance, her birth date is deduced from a letter stating that she was 18 in 1736, the year she composed her best-known work, the

opera ballet Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

''Les Génies, ou Les caractères de l'Amour'' (Geniuses, or Love's Characters). The libretto of ''Les Génies'', which was written in the heroic ballet style, was by Fleury de Lyon, and its publication was sponsored by the Prince of Carignan. ''Les Génies'' premiered at the Paris Opera in October 1736, becoming only the second opera by a woman to be performed at the Opera; the first had been by Jacquet de la Guerre forty years earlier. It ran for nine performances, with the music being praised by critics as well composed and its composer singled out as a "young person with much talent". A review in the ''

Mercure de France The () was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group. The gazette was publis ...

'' reported that she accompanied the full performance of her opera on harpsichord. Another of her compositions is the

duet A duet (italian language, Italian: ''duo'') is a musical composition for two Performing arts, performers in which the performers have equal importance to the piece, often a composition involving two singers or two pianists. It differs from a har ...

''Du Dieu qui fait aimer'' (Of God Who Causes Love), which was published in 1736. However, an air, ''Tout ce que je vois me rappelle'' (Everything I See Reminds Me), which has been attributed to her, is now thought to be by Marie-Elizabeth Cléry. One source states that she performed at the

Académie Royale de Musique 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 ...

and retired with a substantial pension, while another notes her as a former actress and

supernumerary Supernumerary means "exceeding the usual number". Supernumerary may also refer to: * Supernumerary actor, a performer in a film, television show, or stage production who has no role or purpose other than to appear in the background, more common ...

dancer with the Paris Opera. However, as the name Duval is a common one in France, it is not certain that all such references are to the composer. Mlle Duval's death date is uncertain; one account has her dying as early as 1769, but a more detailed account has her alive in 1775.

Selected works

*'' Les Génies, ou Les caractères de l'Amour'' (opera ballet) *''Du Dieu qui fait aimer'' (duet)

Notes and references

1710s births Date of death unknown Year of death unknown 18th-century French classical composers French Baroque composers French women classical composers 18th-century women composers {{France-composer-stub