Eugène Grangé (16 December 1810 – 1 March 1887) was a French playwright,

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

, chansonnier and goguettier.

Biography

The son of Pierre-Joseph Basté and Louise-Thérèse Grangé, Pierre-Eugène Basté was born in rue Beautreillis in Paris. He attended the school and the collège Charlemagne. After graduation, he began working in a banking house that he left to start a literary career. At 17, he found himself having comédies en vaudeville played in the small theaters of

Boulevard du Temple The Boulevard du Temple, formerly nicknamed the "Boulevard du Crime", is a thoroughfare in Paris that separates the 3rd arrondissement from the 11th. It runs from the Place de la République to the Place Pasdeloup, and its name refers to the ne ...

. He would sign these pieces with his middle name, Eugène and his mother's surname. He became the favorite author of

Théâtre des Funambules The Théâtre des Funambules ('The Theatre of the Tightrope-Walkers') was a former theater located on the boulevard du Temple in Paris, sometimes called the Boulevard du Crime. It was located between the prominent Théâtre de la Gaîté, and th ...

and of Mme Saqui's show. By that time, he was dubbed the " Scribe of the boulevard du Temple". As a consequence of his success, Mme Saqui wanted him to work exclusively for her. For a year or two, Grangé would be the sole - and highly paid - author of her theater. In 1833, he gave the

théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques The Théâtre des Folies-Dramatiques was a theatre in Paris in the 19th and 20th centuries. Opened first in 1832 in the site of the old Théâtre de l'Ambigu-Comique on the Boulevard du Temple, under Frédérick Lemaître it became a noted venue f ...

a three-act play: ''Le Gamin'', in collaboration with Lubize (1798-1863). Then, in 1836, he presented the

théâtre des Variétés The Théâtre des Variétés is a theatre and "salle de spectacles" at 7–8, boulevard Montmartre, 2nd arrondissement, in Paris. It was declared a monument historique in 1974. History It owes its creation to the theatre director Mademoiselle ...

with ''Le Tour de faction'', which was met with great success. During his career, he addressed all genres: comedy,

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

, drama,

féerie ''Féerie'', sometimes translated as "fairy play", was a French theatrical genre known for fantasy plots and spectacular visuals, including lavish scenery and mechanically worked stage effects. ''Féeries'' blended music, dancing, pantomime, and ...

, year-end review. Eugene Grangé was also a songwriter and a goguettier. He would participate to the monthly singing dinners of the '' Gnoufs-Gnoufs'' founded in 1858. Then, in May 1865 at the invitation and under the patronage of his friend Clairville, he joined the Fourth '' société du Caveau'' of which he eventually became a full member. He would be elected president seven times (1868, 1872, 1874, 1877, 1880, 1882 and 1884). At the end of the year 1879, Louis Henry Lecomte evaluated Grangé's output to no less than 350 plays and 300 songs that were inserted into the magazine ''Le Caveau''. In addition to these songs are 72 speeches in verse that he gave as president of the ''Caveau''. In 1881, he wrote the foreword presentation of his friend Henri Fénée's songbook, like him a member of the ''Caveau''. Avant-propos
in Henri Fénée, ''Loisirs lyriques d'un amateur de chansons'', Veuve Édouard Vert, Paris, 1881. Married to Sophie-Jenny Dubois, he died in his home at 54 rue Saint-Lazare in Paris.

Œuvres

* 1843: ''Les Bohémiens de Paris'', drama 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 Grangé,

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 ...

* 1845: ''Constant-la-Girouette'',

comédie en vaudevilles The ''comédie en vaudevilles'' () was a theatrical entertainment which began in Paris towards the end of the 17th century, in which comedy was enlivened through lyrics using the melody of popular vaudeville songs.Barnes 2001. Evolution The an ...

in 1 act, with Jules-Henri Brésil * 1853: ''Les Sept Merveilles du monde'',

by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Grangé, théâtre de la Porte-Saint-Martin * 1853: ''Le Carnaval des Maris'', comédie en vaudevilles MMr. Cormon and Eugène Grangé,

* 1858: ''Le Punch Grassot'', operetta by Eugène Grangé and

Alfred Delacour Alfred Delacour or Alfred-Charlemagne Delacour, real name Pierre-Alfred Lartigue, (3 September 1817 – 31 March 1883 ) was a 19th-century French playwright and librettist. Biography In addition to his occupation as a physician, which he prac ...

* 1860: ** ''La Sirène de Paris'', drama by Eugène Grangé and Xavier de Montépin ** ''La Pénélope à la mode de Caen'', operetta by Eugène Grangé, Paul Siraudin and

Lambert-Thiboust Lambert-Thiboust (25 October 1827 – 10 July 1867) was a 19th-century French playwright. Biography Lambert-Thiboust began his career as a comedian. He won a prize for tragedy at the Paris Conservatoire in 1848 and briefly pursued acting at th ...

** ''Les Mémoires de Mimi-Bamboche'',

in 5 acts by Eugène Grangé and Lambert-Thiboust * 1861: ** ''La Mariée du Mardi-gras'', operetta by Eugène Grangé and Lambert-Thiboust ** ''La Beauté du diable'', operetta by Eugène Grangé and Lambert-Thiboust * 1862: ''La Boîte au lait'', operetta by Eugène Grangé and

Jules Noriac Jules Noriac, real name Claude, Antoine, Jules Cairon, (24 April 1827 – 1 October 1882), was a French journalist, playwright, writer, librettist and theatre director. Biography Cairon was first a journalist and columnist in many newspapers. ...

; transformed into an opéra-bouffe on a music by

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera ' ...

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs is ...

* 1865: ''Un clou dans la serrure'', comédie en vaudevilles by Eugène Grangé and Lambert-Thiboust * Before 1868: ''La Croqueuse de pommes'', set in music by Louis Deffès * 1873: ''La Cocotte aux œufs d'or'', féerie by Hervé and Clairville, Eugène Grangé and Victor Koning * 1878: ''Coco de Clairville'', operetta by Eugène Grangé and

* 1881: ''Les Deux Roses'', by Clairville, Victor Bernard and Eugène Grangé

References

External links

Eugène Grangé
article by Louis-Henry Lecomte published in ''La Chanson'' on 1 January 1880.
Eugène Grangé
on Data.bnf.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Grange, Eugene 19th-century French dramatists and playwrights French opera librettists 19th-century French poets French chansonniers Writers from Paris 1810 births 1887 deaths