Jean Eugène Ritt (23 March 1817 – 11 March 1898) was a French actor and
theatre director
A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
.
Life
Ritt was born in Paris into the lower middle class, and raised in Strasbourg. Back in Paris, around 1834, he improvised himself an actor, organizing performances on suburban stages. In 1840, he performed at the
Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique
The Théâtre de l’Ambigu-Comique (, literally, Theatre of the Comic-Ambiguity), a former Parisian theatre, was founded in 1769 on the boulevard du Temple immediately adjacent to the Théâtre de Nicolet. It was rebuilt in 1770 and 1786, but in ...
. ''
Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French Newspaper of recor ...
'' indicated that, as an actor, he was "of modest art". Businessman, skillful and ingenious merchant, he sold mechanical leeches and meat, practiced
open outcry
Open outcry is a method of communication between professionals on a stock exchange or futures exchange, typically on a trading floor. It involves shouting and the use of hand signals to transfer information primarily about buy and sell orde ...
at the
carreau des halles, one of the organizers of this butchery system.
[.]
In 1856, he became an administrator, associated with Charles de Chilly, in the management, until 1862, of the Ambigu
where were successively represented ''Les Fugitifs'', ''
Les Beaux Messieurs de Bois-Doré
''Les Beaux Messieurs de Bois-Doré'' is an 1857 French historical novel by George Sand.
History
The work was first published as a serial in ''Le Progrès Illustré'' in 1857, then was revived in volume by A. Cadot in 1858.
The novel tells a ...
'', ''Fanfan-la-Tulipe'', ''La Bouquetière des Innocents''. Still according to ''Le Figaro'', Chilly said, "This Ritt has two great qualities, he is thrifty and lucky!".
From 1862 to 1870, he presided over the destiny of the theatre of the
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienn ...
, in association with
Adolphe de Leuven
Adolphe de Leuven (30 September 1802 – 14 April 1884) was a French theatre director and a librettist. Also known as Grenvallet, and Count Adolph Ribbing.
He was the illegitimate son of Adolph Ribbing, who was involved in the assassination of G ...
.
In 1872, he decided to rebuild the
Théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin which was burned down in 1871 during the
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune (french: Commune de Paris, ) was a revolutionary government that seized power in Paris, the capital of France, from 18 March to 28 May 1871.
During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the French National Guard had defende ...
and in 1873. Ritt took over, with
Henri Larochelle
Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry.
People with this given name
; French noblemen
:'' See the 'List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.''
* Henri I de Mont ...
, the rebuilt theatre of the Porte-Saint-Martin, for six years, during which they set up ' by
Adolphe d'Ennery
Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery (17 June 181125 January 1899) was a French playwright and novelist.
Life
Born in Paris, his real surname was Philippe. He obtained his first success in collaboration with Charles Desnoyer in ''Émile, ou le ...
and
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraord ...
. The play will be performed continuously from November 7, 1874 to December 20, 1875 (415 performances). To understand the public's enthusiasm, it is enough to quote a letter from
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
to Ritt and Larochelle: "My excellent and dear directors, my whole household wants to review and repeat the ''Autour du Monde'', this amazing success. Do you want to be good enough to give them four tickets for tonight on Tuesday. Cordial thanks." The play brought in about fifteen hundred thousand francs for each of the two directors.
At the same time, he directed the
Théâtre du Châtelet
The Théâtre du Châtelet () is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.
One of two theatres (the other being the Théâtre de la Ville) built on the site of a ''châtelet'', a sm ...
which he saved from bankruptcy.
In 1877, with his partner Henri Larochelle, he took over the management of the Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique.
Henri Chabrillat
Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry.
People with this given name
; French noblemen
:'' See the ' List of rulers named Henry' for Kings of France named Henri.''
* Henri I de Mo ...
succeeded them as director in 1878.
.
In 1884, he was appointed director of the
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
and took
Pedro Gailhard
Pedro or Pierre Gailhard, full name Pierre Samson Gailhard, (1 August 1848 – 12 October 1918) was a French opera singer and theatre director.
Gifted with an exceptional singing bass voice, Pedro Gailhard made his debut at the Opéra-Comique i ...
as director of the stage. The first year was disastrous; the grant and sponsorship absorbed and the Opera became prosperous again. They produce a large number of new works, including ''Taharin'', Massenet's ''
Le Cid
''Le Cid'' is a five-act French tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris and published the same year. It is based on Guillén de Castro's play ''Las Mocedades del Cid''. Cast ...
'', ''
Rigoletto
''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play ''Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had cont ...
'', ''
Sigurd
Sigurd ( non, Sigurðr ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon and was later murdered. It is possible he was inspired by one or more figures from the Frankish Merovi ...
'' (1885); ''Patrie !'', ''Les Deux Pigeons'' (1886); Gounod's ''
Roméo et Juliette'' (1888); ''La Tempête'', ''
Lucia di Lamermoor
''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...
'' (1889); ''Ascanio'', ''Zaïre'', ''Le Rêve'' (1890); ''Le Mage'' (1891), Saint Saëns' ''
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disagr ...
''.
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's repertoire made its first appearance at the Opera. In 1890, the privilege was withdrawn. He then became a
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
.
He was unanimously appointed President of the Association of Dramatic Artists and President of the "La Bouchée de Pain" foundation.
In 1884, he was elected municipal councillor of
Épinay-sous-Sénart
Épinay-sous-Sénart (, literally ''Épinay under Sénart'') is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.
Population
Inhabitants of Épinay-sous-Sénart are known as ''Spinoliens''.
Twin towns
* Peacehaven
...
, where he resided for many years. In 1869, he bought a magnificent property in the city and had a house built there in 1891, now the town hall of this city.
Ritt is buried at the
cimetière du Père-Lachaise (32nd division).
Family
He first married Henriette Sarah Weller (1817-1876) on 6 January 1844 then Rose Rachel Veller (1836-1908) on 7 January 1878. After his death in 1898, his widow, Rose Veller, adopted their young protégée, Charlotte Lesbros (1878-1965) who inherited Épinay-sous-Sénart's property, and married Jacques Froment-Meurice (1864-1947), nephew of playwright
Paul Meurice.
L’Hôtel de Ville et son parc
on ''www.ville-epinay-senart.fr''
Awards
Chevalier of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
, 29 December 1885, then officier, 12 July 1891.
References
External links
Eugène Ritt
on ''Art lyrique.fr''
Eugène Ritt
on ''Documentation Épinay''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritt, Eugene
1817 births
1898 deaths
Male actors from Paris
19th-century French male actors
French male stage actors
French theatre managers and producers
Directors of the Paris Opera
Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery
Officers of the Legion of Honour