Marie Le Rochois (c. 1658 – 8 October 1728) was a French

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

tic soprano who belonged to the

Académie Royale de Musique 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 ...

. She is often referred to as Marthe Le Rochois or simply La Rochois.

Opera career

She was introduced to

Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lulli, ; – 22 March 1687) was an Italian-born French composer, guitarist, violinist, and dancer who is considered a master of the French Baroque music style. Best known for his operas ...

, possibly by his father-in-law Michel Lambert who may have been her teacher, and became a member of the

Paris Opéra 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 ...

in 1678. She sang in operas by Lully,

Pascal Collasse Pascal Collasse (or Colasse) (22 January 1649 ( baptised) – 17 July 1709) was a French composer of the Baroque era. Born in Rheims, Collasse became a disciple of Jean-Baptiste Lully Jean-Baptiste Lully ( , , ; born Giovanni Battista Lu ...

, Henri Desmarets,

Marc-Antoine Charpentier Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still u ...

, André Campra,

Marin Marais Marin Marais (; 31 May 1656, in Paris – 15 August 1728, in Paris) was a French composer and viol player. He studied composition with Jean-Baptiste Lully, often conducting his operas, and with master of the bass viol Monsieur de Sainte-Colom ...

, and

André Cardinal Destouches André Cardinal Destouches (sometimes called des Touches) (baptised 6 April 1672 – 7 February 1749) was a French composer best known for the '' opéra-ballet'' '' Les élémens''. Biography Born in Paris, the son of Étienne Cardinal ...

but she was best regarded for her portrayal of '' Armide'' in Lully's opera. Unlike some of her wilder colleagues at the opera, Julie d'Aubigny and Fanchon Moreau, she enjoyed a reputation for moral rectitude. Less of a celebrity, she was more of an artist, as indicated by the number of important roles with which she was entrusted by Lully and his successors.

Retirement

After retiring from the stage in 1698, she became a teacher, while remaining active in the contemporary arts social world. Her students included Marie Antier and Françoise Journet. She died in Paris in 1728.

Roles created

*Arethusa in Lully's '' Proserpine'' (Paris, 1680) *Merope in Lully's ''

Persée ''Persée'' (''Perseus'') is a tragédie lyrique with music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and a libretto by Philippe Quinault, first performed on 18 April 1682 by the Opéra at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. Roles Synopsis ACT I: The Pa ...

'' (Paris, 1682) *Arcabonne in Lully's '' Amadis'' (Paris, 1684) *Angéligue in Lully's ''

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

'' (Paris, 1684) *Armide in Lully's '' Armide'' (Paris, 1686) *Galatée in ''

Acis et Galatée ''Acis et Galatée'' (''Acis and Galatea'') is an opera by Jean-Baptiste Lully. Unlike most of his operas, which are designated '' tragédies en musique'', Lully called this work a '' pastorale-héroïque'', because it was on a pastoral theme and ...

'' (Paris, 1686) *Polixène in the Lully-Collasse '' Achille et Polyxène'' (Paris, 1687) *Thétis in Collasse's ''Thétis et Pélée'' (Paris, 1689) *Lavinie in Collasse's ''Enée et Lavinie'' (Paris, 1690) *The title role in Desmarets's '' Didon'' (Paris, 1693) *The title role in Charpentier's '' Médée'' (Paris, 1693) *Ariane in Marin Marais's ''Ariane et Bacchus'' (Paris, 1696) *Vénus in Desmarets's '' Vénus et Adonis'' (Paris, 1697) *The title role in Destouches's '' Issé'' (Paris, 1697) *Roxane in Campra's '' L'Europe galante'' (Paris, 1697)

Sources

*Anthony, James R (1992), 'Le Rochois, Marie' in ''The

New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London)

External links

Photoarchive/Grove page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Rochois, Marie 1650s births 1728 deaths French operatic sopranos 17th-century French women opera singers 18th-century French women opera singers