A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lalande, Henriette-Clémentine

LALANDE, Henriette-Clémentine Méric, the daughter of Lamiraux-Lalande, the chief of a provincial operatic company, was born at Dunkerque in 1798. Having been taught music by her father, she soon developed a fresh and ringing voice, and was endowed with excellent memory and intelligence; but the only teaching she really had was in the music of the parts entrusted to her. She made her début with success in 1814 at Naples: Fétis heard her, and admired her as an actress of opéra comique, at Douai in the following year. She continued to sing till 1822, with equal success, in the principal towns of France, and was then engaged at the Gymnase Dramatique at Paris, Ebers having made an unsuccessful attempt to engage her for London. Clever enough to perceive, however, after hearing the singers at the Italian Opera, how utterly she was without the knowledge of the proper manner of producing her voice, she took lessons of Garcia, and made her first appearance, April 3, 1823, in 'Les Folies amoureuses,' a pasticcio arranged by Castil-Blaze. About this time she became the wife of M. Méric, a horn-player at the Opéra Comique. Rejecting the offer of an engagement at the latter theatre, on Garcia's advice, she went to Italy, and received additional teaching from Bonfichi and Banderali at Milan. After singing with increased éclat at Venice, Munich, Brescia, Cremona, Venice (again), and other Italian cities, she at length appeared in London during the season of 1830. 'She had been for six years reported to be one of the best singers of Italy—much had been expected of her … She had been compared with the best of the best; but she arrived in England too late, and her place, moreover, had been filled by women of greater genius. She was a good musician, and sang with taste; but her voice, a soprano, ere she came had contracted a habit of trembling, in those days a novelty (would it had always remained so!), to which English ears were then averse. She gave little satisfaction' (Chorley). Mme. Méric sang, however, again in London in 1831. In Paris she pleased no better in these latter years, and at length retired, in 1833, as it is said, to Spain; since then no more has been heard of her. A biography, with a portrait, of Mme. Méric-Lalande was published in the musical journal, Teatro della Fenice, Venice, 1826, 18mo.

[ J. M. ]