Names Worn By Marie Cabel

Marie Cabel

We're changing it up a bit by doing a post on a opera singer, Marie Cabel. Born Marie-Josèphe Dreulette in Liège, Belgium, to an officer father who eventually came to work as an accountant for a few differnet theatres. After the death of her father, she started giving music lessons to help support her family. She married the brother of one of her voice teachers, but it was an unhappy marriage that ended in divorce. Her operatic debut came in 1848 at Théâtre Chateau des Fleurs, where she was hardly noticed. In Lyon, she was discovered by Jules Seveste who then hired her to work at Théâtre Lyrique, where she debuted in "Le bijou perdu", originating the role of Toinon. François-Joseph Fétis, a composer, musicologist, and critic described her as such: "young, fresh, winsome, cheerful, having the devil of a body, lacking at the time taste and musical style, but blessed with an adorable voice, of a marvelous purity, whose brilliant and silvery timbre produced an amazing effect on the public, with which she launched the most difficult lines with amazing confidence and assurance…"
She then became quite popular, and the theatre, which was in a working class part of Paris, started to have customers from more well-bred backgrounds, including Napoleon III and his wife, Eugénie de Montijo.

After the death of Seveste, although she was now no longer under contract, the new owner Émile Perrin, was able to persuade Marie to stay, and she signed a five year contract. Marie became more and more popular, and even her less-appreciated roles drew crowds. The famous "Laughing song" or "Éclat de rire" in its original French, was said to have been created for her. One of her most famous roles was of that of Philine in "Mignon". She continued to work for many years, but sadly was taken to an asylum after her mental health decreased, and died. I was surprised by how simple and rather easy her life was compared to many of her time, even though her end was a sad one.

Athénaïs - "Les mousquetaires de la reine" - This lovely French name comes from the Greek Athenais which came from the name of the Goddess Athena. It is pronounced "a-tay-na-EES".

Toinon - "Le bijou perdu" - I have to say I've never seen this name before, though it seems to be used mainly as a surname. It has also been suggested as a form of Antonia or Antoinette.

Corbin - "Georgette ou Le moulin de Fontneoy" - I found this one especially unusual, as it is usually used for men. Corbin comes from the French corbeau meaning "raven", and was usually used for someone who had dark hair. I rather like this for a girl.

Rosine - "Peines d'amour perdues" - One of the prettiest Rose names, Rosine is a French diminutive of it. Early actress Sarah Bernhardt was born Rosine.

Dinorah - "Dinorah" or "Le pardon de Ploërmel" - This name is sometimes cited as a form of Dinah, coming from the Hebrew din, meaning "trial" or "judgement". It has also been credited as being of Arabic origin and coming from dinur, "of fire".

Philine - "Mignon" - Possibly her most famous role, Marie was the original Philine. It could be a form of the Greek philai, meaning "to love, to caress". It has a soft, romantic sound, and would make a great way to honor a Philip.