Lillie Grandval (Frankfurt, 20 December 1904 – 21 August 2000)

Kutsch, K. J. Karl-Josef Kutsch, also known as K. J. Kutsch, (born 11 May 1924) is a German physician and co-author with Leo Riemens of the ''Großes Sängerlexikon'', the standard reference for opera singers. Life and work Born in Gangelt, Kutsch studied me ...

and

Riemens, Leo Leonardus Antony Marinus Riemens (3 December 1910 – 3 April 1985) was a Dutch musicologist and cultural journalist. He wrote a book about Maria Callas, and together with Karl-Josef Kutsch began a reference book about opera singers in 1962, which ...

(2003). ''

Großes Sängerlexikon ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (''Biographical Dictionary of Singers'', literally: Large singers' lexicon) is a single-field dictionary of singers in classical music, edited by Karl-Josef Kutsch and Leo Riemens and first published in 1987. The first ...

'' (fourth edition, in German). Munich: K. G. Saur, p. 1808. . was a French soprano, active in opera and operetta for over 30 years, and described as "One of the most popular French singers of her generation".Gourret J. ''Dictionnaire des Cantatrices de l'Opéra.'' Editions Albatros, Paris, 1987.

Life and career

Born Lillie Millot, she studied at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

under Thomas Salignac, and sang in music-hall and took part in the

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...

premiere of '' Le Tzaréwitch'' (Sonia) in 1929. She made her debut at the Paris

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-Italienne ...

on 15 December 1932 in ''

Le pré aux clercs ''Le pré aux clercs'' (''The Clerks' Meadow'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Ferdinand Hérold with a libretto by François-Antoine-Eugène de Planard based on Prosper Mérimée's ''Chronique du temps de Charles IX'' of 1829.Pougin A. H ...

'' (Marguerite de Valois). With the company she went on to sing (Isabelle) in the same opera, the title role in ''

Manon ''Manon'' () is an ''opéra comique'' in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel '' L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut'' by the Abbé Prévost. It was first ...

'', ''

Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. The ...

'' (Philine), the title roles in ''

Mireille Mireille () is a French given name, derived from the Provençal Occitan name ''Mirèio'' (or ''Mirèlha'' in the classical norm of Occitan, ). It could be related to the Occitan verb ''mirar'' "to look, to admire" or to the given names ''Miriam'' ...

'', ''Phryné'' and ''

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

'', Carmen (Micaela), ''La Traviata'' (Violetta), ''

Le Barbier de Séville ''The Barber of Seville or the Useless Precaution'' (french: Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile) is a French play by Pierre Beaumarchais, with original music by Antoine-Laurent Baudron. It was initially conceived as an opéra comiq ...

'' (Rosine), ''

les Pêcheurs de perles ' (''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in ...

'' (Léïla), ''

Les contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died ...

'' (Olympia, Giulietta, Antonia), ''Madame Butterfly'' (Butterfly), ''

La Basoche ''La Basoche'' is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Carré. The opera is set in Paris in 1514 and depicts the complications that arise when the elected "king" of the student guild, the Basoche, is ...

'' (Marie d'Angleterre), ''Fragonard'' (la Guimard), ''Fortunio'' (Jacqueline), ''Angélique'' (Angélique), ''la Rôtisserie de la Reine Pédauque'' (Catherine), ''Le Roi d’Ys'' (Rozenn), ''La Bohème'' (Mimi, Musette), ''

Mesdames de la Halle ''Mesdames de la Halle'' is an opérette bouffe in one act by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Armand Lapointe. It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, Paris on 3 March 1858. and was the first work of Offenbach's at t ...

'' (Ciboulette), ''

Ciboulette ''Ciboulette'' is a French opérette in three acts, music by Reynaldo Hahn, libretto by Robert de Flers and Francis de Croisset, first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, in Paris, on 7 April 1923. One of the most elegant and refined compo ...

'' (Zénobie) and ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays '' Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'' (Alice Ford).L'Art Lyrique website
accessed 25 September 2015. She partnered leading French tenors in many of these works, as well as

Jan Kiepura Jan Wiktor Kiepura (May 16, 1902 – August 15, 1966) was a Polish singer (tenor) and actor. Life and career Jan Kiepura was born in Sosnowiec, Poland, the son of Miriam (née Neuman), a former professional singer, and Franciszek Kiepura, a b ...

and

Giacomo Lauri-Volpi Giacomo Lauri-Volpi (11 December 1892 – 17 March 1979) was an Italian tenor with a lyric voice of exceptional range and technical facility. He performed throughout Europe and the Americas in a top-class career that spanned 40 years. Caree ...

in ''La Bohème''. Grandval became a "divette d'opérette" during the war years, leading to many performances in around the provinces of France and into Belgium and Switzerland. She also sang regularly on the radio. During these years Grandval sang at the Châtelet in the 1941 revival of ''Valses de Vienne'' to the music of the Father and Son Strauss, then took part in the premiere of its French counterpart ''Valses de France'' (as Virginie) with popular pieces by Gounod, Bizet, Godard, Delibes, Hervé and Métra, adapted by

Henri Casadesus Henri-Gustave Casadesus (30 September 1879, Paris – 31 May 1947, Paris) was a violist, viola d'amore player, composer, and music publisher. Early life Casadesus received his early musical instruction with Albert Lavignac and studied viola with ...

who also added some numbers of his own, and with arrangements by his brother Francis Casadesus; this ran for over a year.L'encyclopédie multimedia de la comédie musicale théâtrale en France (1918-1940)
accessed 18.09.15. At the

Salle Favart The Salle Favart, officially the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique, is a Paris opera house and theatre, the current home of the Opéra-Comique. It was built from 1893 to 1898 in a neo-Baroque style to the designs of the French architect Louis Bernie ...

she took part in the premieres of ''Mon Ami Pierrot'' by Barlow in 1935 (singing Ninon) and ''l'École des Maris'' by Bondeville in 1935 (Isabelle) as well as the Paris premieres of Samuel-Rousseau's ''Tarass Boulba'' (Xénia) and Alfano's ''Cyrano de Bergerac'' (Roxane). Her last appearance at the Opéra-Comique was in 1953, but she continued to perform throughout France. After her debut at the Paris Opera in 1946 with Gilda in ''

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 ...

'' she went on to sing Marguerite in ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'', Rozenn in ''

Le Roi d'Ys ' (''The King of Ys'') is an opera in three acts and five tableaux by the French composer Édouard Lalo, to a libretto by Édouard Blau, based on the old Breton legend of the drowned city of Ys. That city was, according to the legend, the capita ...

'' and Hébé in ''

Les Indes galantes (French: "The Amorous Indies") is an opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau with a libretto by Louis Fuzelier. It takes the form of an ''opéra-ballet'' with a prologue and (in its final form) four ''entrées'' (acts). Following an allegorical prologue, th ...

'' at the Salle Garnier. Later at

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and a well-to-do suburb of Paris, developed in ...

Casino she sang Jacqueline in the 50th anniversary of '' Fortunio'' in 1957, and Marie d'Angleterre, alongside

Willy Clément Willy Clément (born in Cairo on 19 July 1918, died in Paris on 7 March 1965) was a French baritone who was noted in light baritone roles and operetta.Caubert A. Portrait - notes for INA memoire vive CD 064, Paris, 2006. Life and career Clément c ...

and

André Dran André Theophile Joseph Dran (15 June 1924, in Metz – 12 September 2014, in Pouancé) was a French tenor,La Basoche ''La Basoche'' is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Carré. The opera is set in Paris in 1514 and depicts the complications that arise when the elected "king" of the student guild, the Basoche, is ...

'' in 1958 conducted by

Jésus Etcheverry Jésus Etchéverry (14 November 1911 in Bordeaux – 12 January 1988 in Paris) was a French operatic conductor (music), conductor. He began studying the violin while still very young, and played with diverse small orchestras to pay for his tuition ...

.Report from France - Enghien-les-Bains. ''Opera'', November 1958, p725.

Recordings

Grandval participated in the 1943 recording of excerpts from '' L'étoile'' (Laoula) for Pathé.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grandval, Lillie 1904 births 2000 deaths French operatic sopranos 20th-century French women opera singers