A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Puget, Loisa

PUGET, Loisa, born at Paris about 1810; though an amateur, achieved an extraordinary popularity in the reign of Louis Philippe by her songs, composed to Gustave Lemoine's words. Among the best known of these were, 'A la grâce de Dieu,' 'Ave Maria,' 'Le Soleil de ma Bretagne,' 'Ta dot,' 'Mon pays,' 'Les rêves d'une jeune fille,' etc. Musically speaking they are inferior to those of Panseron, Labarre, or Masini; but the melodies were always so natural and so suited to the words, and the words themselves were so full of that good, bourgeois character, which at that time was all the fashion in France, that their vogue was immense. Encouraged by her success, Puget aspired to the theatre. She took lessons from Adolphe Adam, and on Oct. 1, 1836, produced at the Opera Comique a one-act piece, 'Le mauvais Œil,' which was sung to perfection by Ponchard and Mme. Damoreau. In 1842 she married Lemoine, and finding the popularity of her songs on the wane, had the tact to publish no more. She broke silence only once again with an operetta called 'La Veilleuse, ou les Nuits de Milady,' produced at the Gymnase, Sept. 27, 1869. Madame Lemoine has for some time resided at Pau, where she is still living (1881).

[ G. C. ]