Félicie Rose Delaunay ( Bünzli; 28 January 1857 – 31 December 1939) 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 ...

. After studying 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 made her début in May 1882 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 ...

as Isabelle in Ferdinand Hérold's '' Pré aux clercs''. After performing leading roles at the Opéra-Comique until 1886, she appeared in various provincial theatres and travelled as far as Cairo.

Biography

Félicie Rose Bünzli was born on 28 January 1857 in

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

, the daughter of the Swiss-born violinist Auguste Bünzli (1820–1901). She was one of three children. After training with her father, she attended the

. In addition to voice, she studied piano under Félix Le Couppey. She made her stage debut in 1882 at the Opéra-Comique as Isabella 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 ...

''. Over the next four years, her roles there included 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 ...

'', Javotte in ''

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 ...

'' by Delibes, and the title role in Massé's '' Les noces de Jeannette''. In January 1885, she appeared as Micaëla in the 200th presentation of 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 ...

'', alongside

Célestine Galli-Marié Célestine Galli-Marié (; November 1840 – 22 September 1905) was a French mezzo-soprano, who is most famous for creating the title role in Georges Bizet's ''Carmen''.Wright, L. A. "Galli-Marié". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' ...

in the title role. In 1886, she left the Opera-Comique to perform at the

Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation) ...

and at the

Opéra de Monte-Carlo The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco. With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Charles III, Prince of Monaco, Prince Charl ...

, where she appeared as Coralian in Adolphe Adam's '' Le toréador''. She continued to perform in operas in France's major provincial theatres and even ventured as far as Cairo. Back in Paris, in September 1892, she appeared at the Théâtre de la Gaîté as Serpolette in Robert Planquette's '' Les Cloches de Corneville''. In April 1937 she celebrated her

diamond wedding A wedding anniversary is the anniversary of the date that a wedding took place. Couples often mark the occasion by celebrating their relationship, either privately or with a larger party. Special celebrations and gifts are often given for partic ...

anniversary with her husband, actor (1854–1937). She died on 31 December 1939 in

Saint-Raphaël, Var Saint-Raphaël (; ) is a commune in the Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France. Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies a larger and older town, Fréjus; together they form an urban agglomeration known ...

where the couple has settled in 1922.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaunay, Rose 1857 births 1939 deaths Musicians from Reims French operatic sopranos French people of Swiss descent 19th-century French women opera singers 20th-century French women opera singers