Julie Dorus-Gras

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Julie Dorus-Gras as Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots, a role she created at the world premiere at the Paris Opera on 29 February 1836

Julie Dorus-Gras (7 September 1805 – 6 February 1896) was a Belgian operatic soprano.[1]

Early life and training

She was born Julie-Aimée-Josèphe Van Steenkiste,

Paris Conservatoire in 1821 and studied singing in the class conducted by Blangini and Henri. Later she received additional vocal training from Bordogni and Paer.[3]

Career

To begin her career she made a concert tour which took her to

Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels. In 1829 she performed Elvire in the first Brussels performance of Auber's La muette de Portici and repeated the role in the notorious performance of 25 August 1830 which precipitated the Belgian Revolution.[1]

The increasing political unrest in Belgium caused her to decide to return to Paris. She was engaged by the

. Dorus appeared in concert in London in 1839 and sang the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor, in English, at London's Drury Lane Theatre, conducted by Berlioz, in 1847.[1] In 1849 she appeared in some of her most famous roles in French opera at the Royal Opera House, London, and was praised by music critic Henry Chorley as "an excellent artist, with a combined firmness and volubility of execution which have not been exceeded, and were especially welcome in French music".[1] Dorus acquired the name Gras on 19 April 1833, when she married one of the leading violinists in the orchestra of the Paris Opera. She died in Paris.[3][4]

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d Forbes, Elizabeth, "Dorus-Gras, Julie", GroveOnline {{citation}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  2. ^ Forbes, Elizabeth. "Dorus-Gras (née Van Steenkiste), Julie(-Aimée-Josephe [Joséphine])" in Sadie (2001) and Sadie (1992)
  3. ^ a b c d e Pitou (1990), p. 380.
  4. ^ Pierre 1900, p. 743 (exact date of marriage).

Sources