Clairval

Clairval, real name Jean-Baptiste Guignard, (27 April 1735, Étampes – 1795, Paris) was an 18th-century French operatic singer (tenor), comedian and librettist. He played with the same authority drama, comedy and opera, in a considerable number of roles. Among the most notable were:

This opéra comique was a version of Beauty and the Beast imagined by Marmontel, where Clairval had to become ugly; but he refused to don the first scheduled disguise: an animal fur. This role was one of his best success.
This role earned Clairval the nickname "Molé of the Comédie-italienne".[2]
Clairval wearing a costume
Clairval in the role of Blondel (opera Richard Cœur-de-Lion)

References

  1. Comedy in one act and in prose mêingled with ariettes, libretto by Desfontaines, created 4 August 1785 at Opéra-Comique (salle Favart)
  2. Jullien : Histoire du costume de théâtre, 1880

Sources

  • Ferdinand Hoefer : Nouvelle Biographie Générale, [tome 10]
  • Gaston Maugras :Le duc de Lauzun et la Cour intime de Louis XV, 1907, (p. 174)
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