Ninon Vallin
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Eugénie "Ninon" Vallin (8 September 1886 22 November 1961) was a French
lyric soprano A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre that can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and ot ...
who achieved considerable popularity in
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 ...
,
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
and classical song recitals during an international career that lasted for more than four decades.


Career

Eugénie Vallin was born at Montalieu-Vercieu, a small town about 30 miles east of
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
. She studied at the Lyon Conservatoire and later in Paris. At first, she had no intention of performing opera, preparing herself for a career on the concert platform. In 1911, she was chosen by
Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 â€“ 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
to sing the part of the celestial voice in the first performance of his ''
Le martyre de Saint Sébastien ''Le Martyre de saint Sébastien'' is a five-act musical mystery play on the subject of Saint Sebastian, with a text written in 1911 by the Italian author Gabriele D'Annunzio and incidental music by the French composer Claude Debussy (L.124). ...
''. She continued her association with Debussy, giving the première of his ''Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé'' in 1914 at the
Salle Gaveau The Salle Gaveau, named after the French piano maker Gaveau, is a classical concert hall in Paris, located at 45-47 rue La Boétie, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is particularly intended for chamber music. Construction The plans for t ...
in Paris, accompanied by the composer. She also worked extensively with other contemporary composers, including
Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (; 5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His ...
, Joaquín Nin-Culmell, and
Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn de Echenagucia (9 August 1874 â€“ 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – ''mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born ...
; the latter two accompanied her in recordings of their own works. She was first persuaded to sing opera in 1912, appearing in a number of roles 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 ...
, including Micaëla (in ''
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 ...
''), Mimì (in ''
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 ...
''), Clara in '' Les cadeaux de Noël'', and the title role in ''Louise''. She went on to make her début at the
Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón () is a historic opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acoustics expert Leo Beranek among leadin ...
, as Marguerite (in ''
Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...
'') in 1916, returning there regularly over the next 20 years. She made other débuts at Milan's
La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
(in 1916), Rome (1917), the
Paris Opéra 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 ...
, as
Thaïs Thaïs (; ; ) was a Greek who accompanied Alexander the Great on his military campaigns. Likely from Athens, she is most famous for having instigated the burning of Persepolis, the capital city of the Achaemenid Persian Empire, after it was con ...
, (1920) and San Francisco opera (1934). The range of roles which she undertook was unusually varied in their vocal requirements:
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 ...
, Charlotte (in ''
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 ...
''), Juliette (in ''
Roméo et Juliette ''Roméo et Juliette'' (, ''Romeo and Juliet'') is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on ''Romeo and Juliet'' by William Shakespeare. It was first performed at the Théâtre Ly ...
''), Marguerite (in ''Faust''),
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''. ...
, Zerlina (in ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'') and Mélisande. She also sang the trio of heroines in ''
The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...
''. Vallin had a great affection for French operetta, and performed works by Lecocq, Massé, and Chabrier; she even ventured into
music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...
during the 1930s, singing at the
Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of the historic Muslim world, Islamic world. Additionally, the ...
in Paris. Such was her popularity in her native country that she also appeared in a 1937 film, '' Madelon's Daughter''. Vallin worked with most of the leading French singers of her era, including the renowned tenor Georges Thill, whom she disliked. Her voice was that of a good-sized lyric soprano, well balanced but strongest in its middle and lower registers; but, at her peak, she was also capable of singing high coloratura, as recordings of arias by Bellini and
Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''bel canto'' opera ...
illustrate. Her tone was cool and clear, with exemplary enunciation. Louise, Charlotte and Manon became her signature roles. Her performances were described by the critic
André Tubeuf André Tubeuf (18 December 1930 – 26 July 2021) was a French writer, philosopher, and music critic. Biography Training Tubeuf was born in Smyrna (today İzmir), Turkey. A condisciple in Beirut, Lebanon, France, of Salah Stétié and Robert Ab ...
as the "epitome of good singing but also of good taste". Sound technique supported both her versatility and the durability of her career; as late as 1946, when she was 60, she sang the Countess (in ''
Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...
'') and she continued singing and recording into the 1950s. Between 1953 and 1959, she was a guest professor at the Conservatory in Montevideo.


Death

She died in 1961, aged 75, at La Sauvagère, her estate at Millery, near Lyon.


Recordings

Ninon Vallin left a considerable output of 78-rpm recordings, dating from 1913 until the early 1950s, which can be heard on CD reissues. Many of them consist of operatic arias but there are also notable discs of French ''mélodies'' by Fauré, Chausson and Hahn. Among the complete or semi-complete opera recordings in which she featured were: * ''Louise'' (abridged); conducted by Eugène Bigot in 1935; * ''Werther''; conducted by Elie Cohen in 1931, with Georges Thill as the tenor lead, in what is still considered to be the finest, most idiomatic recording of this work; and * Les noces de Jeannette, conducted by Laurent Halet in 1922.


Legacy

A French school in Valence is named after her. As well as a facility for children with disabilities in Grenoble.


References


Bibliography

* Barnes, H.M.
953 Year 953 ( CMLIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Battle of Marash: Emir Sayf al-Dawla marches north into the Byzantine Empire and ravages the countryside of Malatya ...
"Ninon Vallin", ''Record collector'', viii, 53; with a discography. * Celletti, R.
964 Year 964 ( CMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events Byzantine Empire * Arab–Byzantine War: Emperor Nikephoros II continues the reconquest of south-eastern Anatolia (modern Turkey). He recaptures Cyp ...
"Ninon Vallin", in ''Le grandi voci'', (Roma: Istituto per la collaborazione culturale); with an opera discography by R. Vegeto. * Fragny, R. de.
963 Year 963 (Roman numerals, CMLXIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March 15 – Emperor Romanos II dies at age 39, probably of poison administered by his wife, Emp ...
''Ninon Vallin, princesse du chant'', (Lyon: Éd. et Impr. du Sud-Est). *Pinchard, M.
962 Year 962 ( CMLXII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * December – Arab–Byzantine wars – Sack of Aleppo: A Byzantine expeditionary force under General Nike ...
"Hommage à Ninon Vallin", ''Musica'', 95: 4. * Steane, John
974 Year 974 ( CMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Battle of Danevirke: Emperor Otto II defeats the rebel forces of King Harald I, who has invaded Nordalbingia (modern-day Ho ...
''The Grand Tradition'', (Duckworth, London).


External links


Marston notes on Vallin's life and recordings


{{DEFAULTSORT:Vallin, Ninon 1886 births 1961 deaths French operatic sopranos Fonotipia Records artists People from Isère Academic staff of the École Normale de Musique de Paris 20th-century French women opera singers Knights of the Legion of Honour French music educators French women music educators