Germaine Bailac
{{Short description|French mezzo-soprano opera singer (1881–1977)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Germaine Bailac
| image = Germaine Bailac, Carmen, 1916 (cropped).jpg
| image_upright = 1.1
| caption = Bailac as Bizet's Carmen, published in 1916
| birth_date = {{birth date|1881|03|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Toulouse, France
| death_date = {{death date and age|1977|10|12|1881|03|28|df=y}}
| death_place = Paris, France
| education = {{ubl| Conservatoire de Toulouse | Conservatoire de Paris }}
| occupation = {{ubl|Operatic mezzo-soprano | Operatic contralto | Academic teacher }}
| organization = {{ubl|Paris Opera | Opéra-Comique | Opéra de Monte-Carlo | Conservatoire de Toulouse }}
}}
Jeanne Albertine Germaine Bailac de Boria (28 March 1881 – 12 October 1977) was a French mezzo-soprano opera singer and voice teacher. After studying at the Toulouse and Paris conservatoires, she made her début at the Paris Opera in August 1907 in the title role of Samson et Dalila. In May 1908, she performed in the world premiere of Isaac de Camondo's Le Clown at the Opéra-Comique. She subsequently appeared in various roles, in particular Bizet's Carmen, in Paris and the provinces. In later life she taught voice at the Toulouse Conservatoire.
Early life
Born in Toulouse on 28 March 1881, Jeanne Albertine Germaine Bailac was the daughter of the Spanish-born violinist Frédéric Bailac and his Algerian-born wife Adelaïde Clotilde Armand.{{cite web|url=https://basededonnees.archives.toulouse.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/914120_1E490/ILUMP9999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928170526/https://basededonnees.archives.toulouse.fr/4DCGI/WEB_RegistreVisuImgAppelExterne/914120_1E490/ILUMP9999 |archive-date=28 September 2021 |url-status=live|title=Bailac: Décédée à Paris 15e le 12 octobre 1977|publisher=Registre des naissances, Toulouse, 1881, acte 741|accessdate=14 February 2022 |language=fr}} She studied the piano for many years before developing her voice. After Pedro Gailhard heard her singing at a recital in Biarritz around 1902, he advised her to attend the {{ill|Conservatoire de Toulouse|fr|Conservatoire à rayonnement régional de Toulouse}}. She continued her voice training at the Conservatoire de Paris.{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5356228q/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom|title=Une Artiste Méridionale|publisher=L'Express du Midi|date=11 August 1907|accessdate=14 February 2022|language=fr|archive-date=14 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214143824/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5356228q/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.artlyriquefr.fr/dicos/Opera-Comique%20Cantatrices.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220314/https://www.artlyriquefr.fr/dicos/Opera-Comique%20Cantatrices.html |archive-date=14 March 2022 |url-status=live|title=Bailac Germaine|publisher=Association l'Art Lyrique Français|accessdate=14 February 2022 |language=fr}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5356228q/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom|title=Audition Musicale à Mazamet|publisher=Le Midi artiste|date=4 May 1901|accessdate=14 February 2022|language=fr|archive-date=14 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214143824/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5356228q/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom|url-status=live}}
Career
File:Germaine Bailac, 1913 (cropped).jpg
Shortly after winning the first prize at the Opéra-Comique, she was engaged by Gailhard of the Paris Opera to sing the title role in Samson et Dalila by Saint-Saëns in August 1907. Her début received enthusiastic support, both for her voice and her performance as a dramatic actress. She was immediately considered to be among the most competent contraltos.{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k41405263/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929142030/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k41405263/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom |archive-date=29 September 2021 |url-status=live|title=Nos Compatriores|publisher=La Dépêche|date=20 August 1907|accessdate=14 February 2022 |language=fr}} In 1911, she appeared at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in the premiere of the last opera by Saint-Saëns, Déjanire. She created the role of Phenice,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=200UDQAAQBAJ&dq=germaine+bailac+phenice&pg=PA134|title=Alto: The Voice of Bel Canto|author=Marek, Dan H.|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|date=2016|accessdate=14 February 2022|isbn=978-1-4422-3589-2|page=134|language=|archive-date=30 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430010743/https://books.google.com/books?id=200UDQAAQBAJ&dq=germaine+bailac+phenice&pg=PA134|url-status=live}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5FqHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA372|title=Saint-Saëns and the Stage: Operas, Plays, Pageants, a Ballet and a Film|author=Macdonald, Hugh|publisher=Cambridge University Press|date=2019|accessdate=21 February 2022|isbn=978-1-10-842638-1|page=372|language=|archive-date=30 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220430010743/https://books.google.com/books?id=5FqHDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA372|url-status=live}} giving a "remarkable performance".{{cite web|url=http://www.bruzanemediabase.com/fre/Documents/Articles-de-presse/Le-Matin-16-mars-1911-Dejanire-de-Saint-Saens/(offset)/551|title=Une grand première / Déjanire L'œuvre nouvelle de Camille Saint-Saëns triomphe à Monte-Carlo|publisher=Le Matin|date=16 March 1911|accessdate=14 February 2022|language=fr|archive-date=14 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214162556/http://www.bruzanemediabase.com/fre/Documents/Articles-de-presse/Le-Matin-16-mars-1911-Dejanire-de-Saint-Saens/(offset)/551|url-status=live}}
From May 1908, Bailac sang at the Opéra-Comique. Making a successful début in Isaac de Camondo's Clown, she went on to take the title role in Bizet's Carmen, Charlotte in Gounod's Werther, Margared in Lalo's Le roi d'Ys and Madame de la Haltère in Massenet's Cendrillon. She later performed in operas at Vichy's Grand Casino and in other provincial venues.{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k55844713/f18.image.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22?rk=85837;2|title=Province|publisher=La Rampe|date=9 July 1921|accessdate=14 February 2022|language=fr|archive-date=14 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214170703/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k55844713/f18.image.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22?rk=85837;2|url-status=live}} She spent the last twenty years of her singing career at the Monte Carlo Opera.{{cite web|url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4149275b/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929092324/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k4149275b/f3.item.r=%22Germaine%20Bailac%22.zoom |archive-date=29 September 2021 |url-status=live|title=Nos Compatriotes|publisher=La Dépêche|date=25 September 1941|accessdate=14 February 2022 |language=fr}}
Bailac retired from the stage in September 1941. She is remembered in particular for performing as Carmen some 3,000 times. She continued her career as a voice teacher at the Toulouse Conservatoire.
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailac, Germaine}}
Category:20th-century French women opera singers
Category:20th-century French women pianists
Category:Actresses from Toulouse
Category:French operatic mezzo-sopranos