A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Roze, Marie

ROZE, Marie, née Ponsin, born March 2, 1846, at Paris; received instruction in singing from Molker at the Conservatoire, and in 1865 gained 1st prizes in singing and comic opera. She made her début Aug. 16 of that year at the Opera Comique as Marie, in Hérold's opera of that name, and at once concluded an engagement for the next four years there, during which she appeared in 'L'Ambassadrice,' 'Joseph,' 'La Dame Blanche,' 'Le Domino Noir,' 'Fra Diavolo,' etc. She created the part of Djalma in 'Le Premier jour de Bonheur' of Auber, at his request, on Feb. 15, 1868; also that of Jeanne in Flotow's 'L'Ombre,' July 7, 1870. She was greatly admired at the Opéra Comique for her sympathetic voice and natural charm of person and manner. Her next engagement was at the Grand Opera, where she played Marguerite in 'Faust.' At the outbreak of the war she left the opera for the army, and served with zeal in the ambulance. After the war she sang for a season at the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels, and on April 30, 1872, first appeared in England at the Italian Opera, Drury Lane, as Marguerite, and as Marcelline in 'Les Deux Journées,' on its short-lived production, June 20, 1872. The ensuing seasons, until 1877, she passed at Drury Lane, where she made a distinct success, June 11, 1874, as Berengaria in Balfe's 'Il Talismano,' at Her Majesty's, and in the provinces, singing both in Italian and English in opera or the concert-room. In the winter of 1877 she made a highly successful visit to America, returning in 1879 to Her Majesty's Theatre, where she is now (1881) engaged. Her parts include Donna Anna, Donna Elvira, Pamina, Susanna, Alice, Leonora (Verdi), Agatha, Mignon, Carmen, A'ida, Ortrud, etc., Madame Roze has been married, 1st to Mr. Julius Perkins, an American bass singer of great promise, who died in 1875; and 2ndly to Mr. Henry Mapleson. On April 17, 1880, at Mr. Ganz's orchestral concert, she revived with great success the 'Divinités du Styx' from Gluck's 'Alceste' (last sung here in 1871 by Viardot Garcia), and an air from Mozart's 'Il Re Pastore,' which was formerly a favourite with Madame Lind-Goldschmidt. [App. p.766 "Add that after singing at the Birmingham Festival of 1882 with great success, she joined the Carl Rosa company from 1883 to 1887; in that time she added to her repertory Fidelio, and Elsa, and was the first representative in England of Manon Lescaut in Massenet's opera of that name. Margaret and Helen in Boito's 'Mefistofele,' Carmen, Fadette in Maillart's 'Dragons de Villars,' Donna Maria in Marchetti's 'Ruy Blas,' are among the parts which she has sung on the first production of these works in English."]

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