Rosalie Gautier, Rose Féart on stage, was a Franco-Swiss singer and singing teacher.
Biography
Rose Fréart was born in Saint-Riquier. Her father was a sugar industrialist. Shortly after the birth of his daughter, he returned to his hometown of Argenton-sur-Creuse, where Rose Féart spent her entire childhood. She was introduced to music by the organist of, Anselme Picardeau, who detected the child's vocal qualities. Sent to Paris to continue her musical studies, she won the first prize of the Conservatoire de Musique in lyrical declamation on 2 August 1902, at the age of 24. Her soprano voice was noticed by the Opéra de Paris who immediately engaged her. Rose Féart became one of the most important opera singers for the great repertoire, especially in Wagnerian roles, and worked with composers of her time such as Massenet, Fauré, Debussy, César Franck, and André Caplet. Her career developed quickly, in operas and concerts, and lasted 20 years, in France and Switzerland as well as in other major opera houses in Europe. She died in Geneva on 5 October 1954 aged 76.
Roles
1902: Don Giovanni, Mozart, Opéra de Paris
1903: Les Huguenots, Meyerbeer, Opéra de Paris; Tannhäuser, Wagner, Opéra de Paris; Le prophète, Meyerbeer, Opéra de Paris
1904: Il trovatore, Verdi, Opéra de Paris
1904/1905: Tristan und Isolde, Wagner, stage creation at the Paris Opera House
1905: Armide, Gluck, Opéra de Paris; Ariane, Massenet, Opéra de Paris
1908: Prométhée, Fauré, direction Fauré, premiered in Paris at the hippodrome de Paris then Opéra de Paris; Aida, Verdi, Opéra de Paris; Rédemption, Édouard Blanc, direction Messager, Conservatoire de Paris
1908/1909: Götterdämmerung, Wagner, direction Messager, stage premiere at the Opéra de Paris; Lohengrin, Opéra de Paris
1909 : Pelléas et Mélisande, Debussy, premiere at Covent Garden septuor pour quatuor à cordes et trois voix féminines, André Caplet, premiere, Criquebeuf-en-Caux
1910: La Damoiselle élue, Debussy, direction Messager
1911: Rose Féart was chosen by Debussy to create his Martyre de Saint Sébastien at the Théâtre du Châtelet but, at the last moment, she abandoned the production which provoked religious tinted controversy, and was replaced by her double, a debutant lyrical soprano spotted by Debussy, Ninon Vallin, who was successful at the premiere and thus began her great international career, which led Rose Féart to take over her role when she witnessed Vallin's success; Lohengrin
1914: Le Vieux Coffret, pour voix et piano, André Caplet, premiere, Yport
1914/1918: Rose Féart multiplied patriotic recitals during the war, including at Argention-sur-Creuse where she stayed with her family
1916: Mélodie pour harpe, André Caplet, premiere, at Les Éparges
1918: Détresse, for voice and piano, André Caplet, premiere. Called by Albert Paychère to make a replacement for the Alceste by Gluck at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, she won a triumph and conquered the public's admiration and affection. She moved to Geneva where she stayed for the rest of her life, becoming a Swiss citizen.
1919/1920: Pelléas et Mélisande and Don Giovanni in Geneva
Armide, Lohengrin and Iphigénie en Tauride by Gluck, the three in Geneva
1921: concerts with arias of Armide and a song cycle by Maurice Emmanuel including Odelettes Anacréoniques, Conservatoire de Paris
