Talk:Gabriel Soulacroix

Role debut

Grove says that his debut was as Beckmesser in La Monnaie's first production of Die Meistersinger. Is there a reason to believe that it was Mireille instead?Singingdaisies (talk) 12:24, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

To try to reply to your question, Martin J. Nos artistes des theatres et concerts. Paul Ollendorff, Paris, 1895 has the following: M. SOULACROIX (Gabriel-Valentin) Né à Furael (Lot-et-Garonne), le 11 déc. 1855. Études au Conservatoire de Toulouse [etc]. Déb. à la Monnaie de Bruxelles, dans Mireille (5 sept. 1878), y chante tout le répert. ; y crée le Timbre d'argent, Joli Gilles, Jean de Nivelle, les Maîtres chanteurs, etc., etc. ; quitte la Monnaie et début à l'Op.-Com. dans les Dragons de Villars : rôle de Bellamy (25 sep. 1885);
(I should have referenced the first line of the Career section as from that source).
The CARMEN site gives 7 March 1885 as the premiere of Mastersingers at the Monnaie; although it certainly lists some Soulacroix appearances earlier than then, it does not give a 1878 run for Mireille...
I’ve no idea how good this site is: http://www.wagneropera.net/Operas/Intro-Meistersinger.htm, but it also gives 1885 as the year of the Brussels premiere of Mastersingers. Cg2p0B0u8m (talk) 13:12, 31 August 2009 (UTC)

That makes sense. Amadeusonline.net also gives the year as 1885. I guess Grove is in error in this case. I am not sure about the 1878 Mireille run either. Soulacroix did portray Ourrias at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in January 1889.Singingdaisies (talk) 14:03, 31 August 2009 (UTC)