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Jean (Alexis) Périer (2 February 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
tic baryton-martin and actor. Although he sang principally within the
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
repertoire, Périer did portray a number of opera roles; mostly within operas by
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
and
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...
. His career was almost entirely centered in Paris and he had a long association with the
Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...
. He sang in a large number of world premieres, most notably originating the role of Pelléas in Debussy's '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' in 1902. In addition to his opera career, Périer appeared in several films between 1900 and 1938.


Biography

Jean Périer was born in Paris, the son of Belgian parents. His father was an opera singer and repetiteur. After initially working at the Credit Lyonnais,Gänzl K. ''The Encyclopedia of the Musical Theatre.'' Blackwell, Oxford, 1994. he became a pupil of
Émile-Alexandre Taskin Émile-Alexandre Taskin, born in Paris on 18 March 1853, and died there on 5 October 1897, was a French operatic baritone mainly active at the Paris Opéra-Comique. He was a descendant of the harpsichord maker Pascal Taskin (1723–1793). After ...
(opéra comique) and
Romain Bussine Romain Bussine (4 November 1830 – 20 December 1899) was a French voice teacher, baritone singer, translator and poet active in the second half of the 19th century. Career He was born in Paris; and from the late 1860s until his death Bussi ...
(singing) at the
Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or 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 Jean Ja ...
, winning first prizes in both in 1892. He made his debut as Monostatos in
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
's ''
The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...
'' at the
Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...
later that year on 16 December. He continued to perform at that opera house until 1920, with the exception of the years 1894 through 1900 when he principally sang at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens and other Parisian theatres specializing in
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
.Harold Barnes: "Jean Périer", ''Grove Music Online'' ed. L. Macy (Accessed 30 January 2009)
(subscription access)
Although he performed a great deal of operetta, he also sang a number of operatic roles including the title role in ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'', Lescaut in '' Manon Lescaut'', and Scarpia in ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
''. His career was almost entirely centred in Paris, particularly at the Opéra-Comique, where he notably created the role of Pelléas in
Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
's '' Pelléas et Mélisande''. He repeated the role of Pelléas at the Manhattan Opera Company in 1908 and at the
Opéra de Monte-Carlo The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house which is part of the Monte Carlo Casino located in the Monaco, Principality of Monaco. With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Charles III, Prince of Monaco, Prince Charl ...
. He appeared in numerous other world premieres, most notably Ramiro in
Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
's ''
L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same name The opera, s ...
'' (1911) and leading roles in Messager's ''Véronique'' (1898) and '' Fortunio'' (1907). Périer's other roles at the Opéra-Comique included Clément Marot in '' La Basoche'', Juliano in '' Le domino noir'', Lindorf in '' Les contes d’Hoffmann'', Lescaut 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 f ...
'', Ulysse in ''Télémaque'', Laerte in ''
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''. ...
'', César in '' Les rendez-vous bourgeois'', Caoudal in '' Sapho'', Francois in ''Le Chemineau'', Crispin in ''Le légataire universel'' and Auguste in ''L'enfant roi''. Although described as a baritone, he created roles for Debussy and Ravel in the Baryton-Martin register. His was a declamatory art, and he created convincing characters with the help of his clear diction and his ability as an actor. In addition to his opera career, he acted in several films between 1900 and 1938. His voice on one of the seven published recordings he made (Act 2 of ''Véronique'', 1904) is described as dry and husky. After retiring in 1938, Périer worked as an acting and singing teacher in Paris. He died in
Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
, Paris on 3 November 1954. His brother was the French popular singer Camille Périer " Kam-Hill", 1856–1935.


Roles created by Périer

Among roles which Périer created are: *Arogagyne in ''Phryné'' by
Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...
in 1893 *André (Massèna) in ''Rivoli'' by André Wormser in 1896 *Florestan de Valaincourt in '' Véronique'' by
André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...
in 1898 *Brutus in ''Shakespeare!'' by Gaston Serpette in 1899 *Pelléas in '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' by
Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...
in 1902 (Périer also sang Pelléas in the American premiere in New York, 1908). *Giorgio d'Ast in '' La reine Fiammette'' by
Xavier Leroux Xavier Henry Napoleón Leroux (; 11 October 1863 – 2 February 1919) was a French composer and a teacher at the Paris Conservatory. He was married to the famous soprano Meyrianne Héglon (1867–1942). Life Born in Italy at Velletri, 30  ...
in 1903 *Auguste in ''L'Enfant Roi'' by Alfred Bruneau in 1905 *Hans in ''Hans le joueur de flûte'' by Louis Ganne in 1906 *The title role in ''
Don Procopio ''Don Procopio'' is a two-act opera buffa by Georges Bizet with an Italian libretto completed in 1859, and first performed in 1906. Background Bizet spent 1857 to 1860 in Italy as winner of the Prix de Rome. Looking for inspiration for a work to s ...
'' by
Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...
in 1906 *Landry in Messager's ''Fortunio'' in 1907 *Ramiro in ''
L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same name The opera, s ...
'' by
Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
in 1911 *The title role in '' Mârouf, savetier du Caire'' by Henri Rabaud in 1914 *Jérôme Coignard in ''La reine Pédauque'' by Levadé in 1920 *Duparquet in '' Ciboulette'' by
Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn de Echenagucia (9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – ''mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born ...
in 1923 *Livran in ''Quand on est trois'' by Szulc in 1925 *Le Marquis in ''Mannequins'' by Szulc in 1925. Périer also played the speaking role of Brother Dominic in the premiere of Honegger's dramatic
oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...
''
Jeanne d'Arc au Bûcher Jeanne may refer to: Places * Jeanne (crater), on Venus People * Jeanne (given name) * Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, c.1412–1431), French folk heroine and saint * Jeanne Devos (religious sister) * Jeanne Devos (photographer) * Joan of Flander ...
'' in Basle on 12 May 1938, with
Ida Rubinstein Ida Lvovna Rubinstein (; – 20 September 1960) was a dancer, actress, art patron and Belle Époque figure from the Russian Empire. She performed with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes from 1909 to 1911 and later formed her own company. ''Bolero (Rave ...
.


Films

In the second half of his career Périer appeared in over 30 French feature films, including: * ''Monsieur Don Quichotte'' (1910) * ''Oliver Twist'' (1910) * ''Manon'' (1910) * ''Vingt ans après'' (1922) * ''Poker d'as'' (1927) * '' About an Inquest'' (1931) Original title ''Autour d'une enquête'' * '' The Night at the Hotel'' (1932) Original title ''Une nuit à l'hôtel'' * ''Prenez garde à la peinture'' (1932) * '' The Beautiful Adventure'' (1932) Original title ''La belle aventure'' * '' Simone Is Like That'' (1933) Original title ''Simone est comme ça'' * '' The Path to Happiness'' (1934) Original title ''Le chemin du bonheur'' * '' King of the Camargue'' (1935) * ''
Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization, the last of which wa ...
'' (1935) * ''
Martha Martha (Aramaic language, Aramaic: מָרְתָא‎) is a Bible, biblical figure described in the Gospels of Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John. Together with her siblings Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is descr ...
'' (1936) * '' Forty Little Mothers'' (1936) Original title ''Le mioche'' * '' Compliments of Mister Flow'' (1936) * ''Les Amants traqués'' (1936) * ''Le Mioche'' (1936) * '' Parisian Life'' (1936) * '' Boissière'' (1937) * ''L'Affaire du courrier de Lyon'' (1937) * '' The Novel of Werther'' (1938) * '' Rail Pirates'' (1938) Original title ''Les pirates du rail'' * '' Three Waltzes'' (1938) * ''La Rue sans joie'' (1938) * ''Remontons les Champs-Élysées'' (1938) * ''Légions d'honneur'' (1938) * ''
Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...
'' (1938) * ''La Mort du cygne'' (1938) * ''
Entente cordiale The Entente Cordiale (; ) comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and the French Third Republic, French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Fr ...
'' (1939) * ''Le Destin fabuleux de Désirée Clary'' (1941) * ''Le Brigand gentilhomme'' (1941) * '' Mademoiselle Béatrice'' (1943) * ''Les Roquevillard'' (1943) * '' The Man Who Sold His Soul'' (1943) * ''Un seul amour'' (1943) * '' The Ménard Collection'' (1944) * '' The Seventh Door'' (1947) * ''Le Comédien'' (1947, Périer plays himself)cinema-francais.fr
accessed 17 November 2008.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perier, Jean 1869 births 1954 deaths Male actors from Paris French male film actors French male silent film actors French male singers French operatic baritones 20th-century French male actors French people of Belgian descent