Lucien Fugère was a French baritone, particularly associated with the French repertory and Mozart roles. He enjoyed an exceptionally long career, singing into his 80s.
Lucien Fugère, 1890
As Sir John Falstaff in Verdi's Falstaff
As Papageno in Mozart's Magic Flute
As Sancho Pança in Massenet's Don Quichotte
Louise is a “musical novel,” or “roman musical,” in four acts and five scenes by Gustave Charpentier. It can be considered an opera. The composer himself penned the French libretto with contributions from Saint-Pol-Roux, a symbolist poet and the inspiration of the surrealists. It is an atmospheric story of working-class life in Paris, with the city itself invoked along the way: young Louise, a seamstress living with her parents, loves Julien, an artist; she desires freedom, associated in her mind with him and the city. Musically the work is considered an example of verismo, and marks the beginning of naturalism in French opera.
Poster by Rochegrosse for the opera's premiere
Portrait of Charpentier by Edgar-Henri Boutry, 1888