Alice Ducasse

Anne-Elisa Alice Ducasse, was born in Valparaíso, Chile, on May 20, 1841, and died December 4, 1923, in Paris in the 9th arrondissement. She was an opera singer and teacher active in Paris.Walsh TJ. ''Second Empire Opera – The Théâtre-Lyrique Paris 1851-1870.'' John Calder Ltd, London, 1981.

Biography

Alice Ducasse is the daughter of Pierre Édouard Ducasse and Blanche Aline Pelletier.

As a member of the company at the Théâtre Lyrique under Pasdeloup and Vizentini she sang various roles at that theatre, creating Mab in Bizet's ''La jolie fille de Perth'', as well as Nérine in ''L'irato'' by Méhul (November 1868), Formosa in ''En Prison'' by Guiraud (March 1869), Thérèse in ''Don Quichotte'' by Boulanger (May 1869) and Nydia in ''Le Dernier Jour de Pompéi'' by Victorin Joncières (September 1869)From Dissertation of Doctorat by Nicolas Deshoulières : L'oeuvre critique et musicale de Victorin Joncières, Paris-Sorbonne, 2018 (www.nicolasdeshoulieres.fr)

Moving over to the Opéra Comique she created Léna in the 1872 premiere of '' La princesse jaune'', and Frasquita in the 1875 premiere of ''Carmen'', as well as singing in the first Opéra Comique performances of works premiered elsewhere: Jacqueline in ''Le médecin malgré lui'' in 1872, Stéphano in '' Roméo et Juliette'' in 1873, a shepherd in the 1874 revival of ''Le pardon de Ploërmel'', Nicette in the 1871 revival of ''Le Pré aux clercs'' (the 1,000th performance), Mirza in the 1876 production of ''Lalla-Roukh'', Rita in the 1877 revival of ''Zampa'' (500th performance) and Papagena in the 1879 production of ''The Magic Flute''.Wolff, Stéphane. ''Un demi-siècle d'Opéra-Comique 1900–1950.'' André Bonne, Paris, 1953.

Other roles included Bertrand in the 500th anniversary ('travesty') performance at the Opéra-Comique of ''Les Rendez-Vous Bourgeois'' by Isouard in March 1873, Georgette in ''Le val d'Andorre'' in October 1875, and Gillotin in ''Gille et Gillotin'' in March 1877. In October 1880, Ducasse sang Germaine in the premiere of ''Monsieur de Floridor'' at the Opéra-Comique.

After appearing as Marceline in ''The Marriage of Figaro'' in May 1882, Ducasse left the stage to take up teaching.Soubies A, Malherbe C. ''Histoire de l'opéra comique — La seconde salle Favart 1840–1887.'' Flammarion, Paris, 1893.

One of her students is the actress Amélie Diéterle.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ducasse, Alice
1841 births
1923 deaths
Singers from Valparaíso
French operatic sopranos