Marie Pélissier

Marie Pélissier (sometimes Pelissier) (1706/1707 – March 21, 1749) was a French soprano.

Pélissier debuted at the Paris Opera in 1722, soon thereafter marrying Victor Pélissier and appearing at his theater in Rouen. She returned to Paris after his bankruptcy, singing at the Paris Opera again on May 16, 1726 in a performance of Pascal Collasse's Thétis et Pélée, in which she won great plaudits. Later in the year she created the role of Thisbé in Pirame et Thisbé by François Francoeur and François Rebel. Her performance attracted the notice of Catherine-Nicole Le Maure, who returned from retirement and incited a rivalry which grew to include their respective supporters, the mauriens and the pélissiens as well.^[1] A scandal involving the theft of gold and money from her lover, François Lopez Dulis,^[2] led to Pélissier's dismissal on February 15, 1734, whereupon she fled to London. She was back at the Paris Opera on April 19, 1735, remaining there until retiring in October 1741. Pélissier has been described as having a small voice whose production was, at least at the start of her career, somewhat forced. Even so, she was held by many to be the equal of Marie Le Rochois in the power of her declamation and movements. She created many roles, including five for Jean-Philippe Rameau: Aricia in Hippolyte et Aricie; Emilie in Les Indes galantes; Telaira in Castor et Pollux; and Iphise in both Les fêtes d'Hébé, ou Les talents lyriques and Dardanus. Her portrait exists, painted by François-Hubert Drouais.^[1]

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