Schneider, Hortense (Caroline-Jeanne)

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Schneider, Hortense (Caroline-Jeanne)

Schneider, Hortense (Caroline-Jeanne), French soprano; b. Bordeaux, April 30, 1833; d. Paris, May 6, 1920. Following her debut as Inès in La favorite in Agen (May 15, 1853), she went to Paris and joined the Bouffes-Parisiens in 1855. She sang at the Variétés (1856–58) and the Palais-Royal (1858–64), and then scored a remarkable success when Offenbach chose her to create the title role in his La belle Hélène (Dec. 17, 1864). Her popularity increased when she created the title roles in his La Grande Duchessse de Gérolstein (April 12, 1867) and La Périchole (Oct. 6, 1868). She then appeared in London (1868–69) and St. Petersburg (1872). Her career off the stage was a colorful one, more than a match for the roles she played on stage.

Bibliography

M. Rouff and T. Casevitz, H. S.: La vie de fête sous le Second Empire (Paris, 1931).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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