Gabriel Soulacroix (Baritone) (Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Dep. Loire-et-Garonne) 1853 – Parigi 1905)

He studied singing at the conservatoires of Toulouse and Paris. He made his debut in 1878 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels in Gounod’s ‘’Mireille’’. After significant success in Brussels and at the French province he was engaged in 1885 by the Opéra-Comique in Paris (debut as Bellamy in ‘’Les dragons de Villars’’ of Maillart). Here he appeared in the premiere of the operas ‘’La Basoche’’ of Messager (30. 5. 1890), ‘’Pêcheurs de perles’’ of Bizet  (1893) and in French première of Verdi’s ‘’Falstaff’’ (1894). In 1887, during of theatre fire at the Opéra-Comique, he saved the lives of many people. Till 1894 he remained at the Opéra-Comique, where he also guested later; then, however, primarily he sang at the Théâtre Gaité Lyrique in Paris. At the Opéra-Comique he also appeared in 1898 in the French première of Puccini’s ‘’La Bohème’’. From 1881-1904 he appeared at Covent Garden in London and sang parts like Figaro in ‘’Barbiere di Siviglia’’, Escamillo in ‘’Carmen’’ and Mercutio in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’ of Gounod. Here in 1884 he also performed in the English première of the opera ‘’Sigurd’’ of  Reyer. At the opera house of Monte Carlo he performed in the premiere of the opera ‘’Messaline’’ of Isidore de Lara together with Francesco Tamagno and Meyriane Héglon. On 18. 2. 1902 at the same house he sang in the premiere of Massenet’s ‘’Le Jongleur de Notre Dame’’. He died quite suddenly, at the height of his career.

Chronology of some appearances

1878 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie  

1885-1904 Paris Opéra-Comique

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Berliner, Paris 1900-07

Herodiade (Massenet): Vision fugitive 32700 994G

Rip-Rip (Planquette): Couplets de la paresse 32855 997G

Basoche (Messager): A ton amour 32656 1025G

Timbre d'Argent (Saint-Saëns): Napolitaine 32676 1093G

Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1902?

Basoche (Messager): Je suis aime de la plus belle 0291

Basoche (Messager): Quand tu connaоtras Colette 0292

Noces de Jeannette (Masse): Enfin, me voilа seul 0442

Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1902/1903

Traviata (Verdi): Lorsqu'а de folles amours 3695

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Air de Figaro 3712

Jongleur de Notre-Dame (Massenet): Legende de la sauge 3691

Rip (Planquette): Couplets de la paresse 3723

Dutreih cylinders & discs, Paris 1904?

Quand l'oiseau chante (Tagliafico) 151807

Odeon, Paris 1904?

Richard, Coeur-de-Lion (Gretry): O Richard, o mon roi 33396

Martha (Flotow): Romance 33464

Odeon, Paris 1905?

Zauberflute (Mozart): Ton coeur m'attend with Leclerc 36151

Philemon et Baucis (Meyerbeer): Relevez-vous with Leclerc 36153