Miss George

Marguerite-Joséphine Wiemer , known as Miss George , born with Bayeux the February 24th 1787 and died with Passy the January 12th 1867 is a French Actrice , perhaps, if one believes of it Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier, Alexandre Dumas father, Eugene de Mirecourt and several other authorities of the time, the tragic actress who threw the sharpest glare on the French scene.

Marguerite-Joséphine Wiemer took as name of theater the first name of her father. His/her mother, Marie Verteuil, were the aunt of Jules Verteuil, the secretary of the Comédie-Française, were itself actress and played the maidservants with talent. Having followed her father to Amiens of which he was later the director of the theater, she began in this city in the drama and the Op3era Comique, under the direction of this one.

As of the five years age, she played the parts of children in the Two Hunters and Dairy the , Paul and Virginia , Both Small Savoyard , the Judgment of Pâris . The famous professional singer Mrs Dugazon, in round in Amiens, taught him the role from “Adolphe” in Camille or the Underground . Being filled with wonder at the kindness and the precocity of the small actress, she éprit of the child and asked her father to entrust it to him. “I undertake his fortune”, added it. But Georges Wiemer, who adored his daughter, did not want to separate some.

A few years later, in 1801, celebrates it Miss Raucourt, charged to recruit, for the Comédie-Française, a pupil, to which the government allocated: 1200 francs of pension, if she were considered to be worthy of the lessons of the tragic actress, was passage to Amiens, where Miss George, then fourteen years old and by appearing eighteen, gave him the counterpart in Didon and Phèdre . George discharged so many roles of “Elects” and “Arid”, that Miss Raucourt, filled with enthusiasm, having made known in Wiemer the conditions of the minister, obtained to take along to Paris that whose celebrity was one day to exceed his.

Accompanied by her mother to obviate the reputation which Raucourt enjoyed, Miss George went up to Paris where it followed, always narrowly chaperonnée by his/her mother, lessons of Raucourt in the old small thatched cottage of Thérésa Tallien. Raucourt was, at that time, the tragic queen without rival in the Th3e4atre Fran1cais, where it was pointed out by the nobility of its play and the purity of her diction, but it missed feeling and of tenderness. From an exquisite sensitivity, endowed with an admirable voice hot and stamped well, extended and sound, flexible and powerful, its young pupil drew from his own bottom what its professor missed and could combine with his high-qualities those of a natural and impassioned play. She made her Débuts the November 29th 1802, with Clytemnestre .

Its appearance on stage was the beginning of a general triumph acclaiming its beauty as well as its voice, flexible and rich, with pure and elegant diction. She played three times the role of Clytemnestre which was a great success, then she passed to that of Aménaïde and success was growing. Finally it approached the role of Idamé , of the Orphan of China .

It is about this time that it becomes the mistress of the First Consul, which pushed its rival Miss Duchesnois to assemble a cabal which divided the amateurs of theater into two camps. Its partisans declared that one had surprised their admiration and the battle started. There were two dramatic parties, and almost policies, with the French Theater: the Georgiens and the Circassiens . Georgiens, referring to the thinness of Duchesnois, called its partisans Carcassiens . The days when the two actresses played in the same part, the benches of the floor flew in the room. The Georgiens having persuaded their idol, like counteracts the criailleries of the Carcassiens , to play Phèdre , the triumph of Duchesnois, the victory remained in George, who was admirable of passion in the masterpiece of Root, and it could approach all the roles: Athalie, Mérope, Agrippine, Cléopâtre, Médée. She was proclaimed the first in the Queens. The most hardened Carcassiens declared themselves “that inimitable in Sémiramis , it was exceeded in Mérope . ”

In 1802, George, protected by Bonaparte, and Duchesnois by Joséphine, were committed in the Th3e4atre Fran1cais with four thousand francs of salary. In 1804, the minister Chaptal made receive the two rivals, members with half-share, with definitely definite attributions. It was the roof of the favor and one did not have less than the influence of Bonaparte, a side, and that of Joséphine, other, to arrive at this double result.

“- How Napoleon did it leave you? ” asked one day Alexandre Dumas father Miss George. - It left me to be made emperor! she answered.

In 1806, Misses George created the role of the Queen, in Templiers , of Raynouard, who had an extraordinary success. She created then the role of “Mandane” in the tragedy of Ataxerxès of Delrieu, the April 30th 1808. She played it four times when, at the day of the fifth, the May 11th, she disappeared, removed by the tsar Alexandre I {{er}} which took it along to Saint-Pétersbourg, while passing by Vienna, where she was accepted by the Bagration princess and stopped with Vilna where she was made applaud by the Polish princesses. In Russia, its life entered a new phase of honors, glory and richness.

It began in the middle of an extraordinary enthusiasm, with Peterhof, accompanied by Vedel and Mainvielle: the Fleuriot manager had made come especially from Paris Vedel to play the first parts. After eight representations given to the Court, in front of the emperor Alexandre, his brothers Constantin and Michel, the empress-mother and the reigning empress, George began with the Large Theater, with an immense success. All the room applauded like only one man and the princesses themselves shouted: “George! George! ” It rained crowns and flowers. The tragic actress, god of the Russians, royally remunerated and filled present, carried out a princely train, often walked in a splendid harnessed barouche of four chestnut horses of the Ukraine. Its diamonds were legendary. When the Alexandre emperor saw it, it got out of its car to greet it.

The September 28th 1808, it represented Cinna with Erfurt in front of the Emperor, the Tsar and the king of Saxony. The 29, she played Britannicus , before the same increased assembly of prince Guillaume of Prussia, the duke Guillaume of Bavaria and prince Léopold of Saxony-Cobourg. The October 3rd, it was Philoctète , the 4, it was the turn of Iphigéniie in Aulide , the 6, the Death of César , in front of an audience crowned with large complete: two emperors, three kings, a queen, twenty princes and six large-dukes.

Some time before the entry of Napoleon in Russia, Miss George had requested the permission to leave Saint-Pétersbourg with the tsar who had answered him:

- Madam, I will support the war against Napoleon to keep you.

- But, Lord, my place is not here any more; it is in France.

- Let take the initiative with my army and I you will lead

to it - In this case, I like to better wait until the French are in Moscow, I will await

less longer

As she refused with energy of obtempérer to the orders of the Russian police force enjoignant to him to illuminate the windows of his residence, with each new Russian victory, the tsar finishes by him gave the authorization to leave. It is admirably received by Bernadotte with Stockholm where it remained three months, is celebrated and cherished by the Court and the city. In the month of June 1813, it left for the Westphalia where it was accepted by the king Jerome Bonaparte. To Dresden, it gave fifty representations of the June 22nd until the August 10th.

Returned with the Comédie-Française with whole share, and the time of her absence counted like presence, Miss George reappeared in Clytemnestre with greatest success. She inherited the succession of Miss Raucourt who, withdrawn in the countryside, did not play any more but her defending body. It was at that time that Napoleon fell and was exiled. Its fall was a poignant sorrow for Miss George. Also, at the time of the return of the isle of Elba, Miss Mars and Miss George, wanting to attend the re-entry of the Emperor, took a window with Frascati. They wore straw hats of white rices, decorated enormous bouquets of violets. Persecuted they had been known for one year with the Comédie-Française, because of their attachment to the Emperor: they were noticed, the violets were an emblem of March, the month of the birth of the King de Rome and return of Napoleon. From this day, the violets became a symbol. Some even carried, like an order of knighthood, a violet of gold to the buttonhole. When Talma, George and Mars appeared the evening on the boards, they were sifted applause. After Waterloo, Miss George requested the favor to accompany the deposed Emperor with Sainte-Hélène. She had disappeared in province when an order of the May 8th expelling it of the Comédie-Française found there.

Miss George continued then during five years, of 1816 to the 1821]] triumphal series of her representations on the scenes of all the French big cities. At the beginning of the year 1810, Miss George, of passage to Caen, wanted to re-examine her birthplace, of which it was if brought closer. She arrived the January 4th in the town of Bayeux where the advertisement of its arrival had caused a sharp emotion. Very cordially accommodated, it was shown very sensitive to these expressions of sympathy, saying to which wanted to hear it that it came “to play in family” and that it would make all her efforts to deserve the votes of her compatriots. The success which it obtained in Mérope was colossal, the enthusiasm of Bayeusains held of is delirious.

Louis XVIII, wanting to prove the case to him which it made of its talent, granted to him a benefit with the Opéra, in Britannicus , with the assistance of all the Comédie-Française. Of memory of man, one did not see similar multitude. Reconciled with the public of Paris, George began again, with the Odéon, where it entered in 1821, all her great roles: Sémiramis, Mérope, Idamé, Clytemnestre.

Miss George held a suspended very whole room with her gesture and with its glance and silence at it was as moving as the word. Covering the difficult situations of the majesty of its nature, with this powerful audacity of the genius, it passed by the abrupt ones and sublimes transitions from the tears to the laughter and laughter to terror. Subjects, in its part of Saül (1822), entrusted the role of Pythonisse to Miss George and purposely composed for it Cléopâtre and Jeanne d' Arc . The latter had an extraordinary success. Just as the Jane Shore of Lemercier had been made for Talma, the Jane Shore of Liadières was made up for Miss George. It was its first test in the drama shakespearien; she was a prelude to with Christine and with Lucrèce Borgia , She created then the Salome of the Macchabées, where she was made applaud with enthusiasm,

In 1823, it appeared in the count Julien , whose principal merit was to be played by the actress in vogue. In 1827, an impromptu running away led it to London where it obtained the public representation and at opened office, of a French work. The June 28th 1827, it gave Sémiramis and, a few days afterwards, it played Mérope with same success. In 1828, it formed with its compatriot Harel a flying troop and made a new round in province. It came, during this round, to give some representations to Bayeux for the second time. Arrival in December with Harel, it played Sémiramis , Jeanne d' Arc , Cléopâtre , Rodogune and Phèdre . In 1829, it pushed until Amsterdam where it gave several representations. This same year 1829 saw it returning in Odéon from which Harel came to take the direction per hour when the dawn of the Romantisme appeared on the horizon and the new formula of the dramatic art found in him a firm and devoted support.

Without giving up the traditional masterpieces, Miss George delivered herself, body and heart, with the interpretation of the romantic dramas and became the banner-bearer of the new school, creating the principal roles in a Festival of Néron , Norma Subjects, the Marshal's wife of Ancre , Alfred de Vigny, Jeanne insane the , of Fontan. However, Odéon was a framework a little quite traditional and obsolete for the parts of the new school that Harel affectionnait more and more, artistically and pecuniarily speaking. The December 3rd 1831, accompanied by a superb troop, it passes to the direction of the theater of the Saint Martin's day Door followed Miss George. After a resumption of Christine , it creates successively the principal roles in the Tower of Nesle , Périnet Leclerc , Lucrèce Borgia , the burning Room , Marie Tudor , the Family Moronval , Malcontents , the Manor of Montlouvier , the War of the maidservants , Jeanne of Naples , Isabeau of Bavaria , the Marchioness of Brinvilliers , the Seven Children of Lara , Venetian the , the Empress and Jewish the , the bloody Nun .

With the first of Lucrèce Borgia , Miss George obtained such a success of applause, with the first act, that the emotion failed to prevent it from playing the others: “Ah! my friend! she says to Victor Hugo, I will not have never the force to continue”. The poet had to comfort it so that it can complete its role with same success as at the beginning. Never no actress equalized it in this scene, the following day, it wrote: “Miss Georges passes, as she wants, and without effort, of pathetic tending to pathetic terrible. She makes applaud and she makes cry. She is sublime like Hécube and touching like Desdémona. ”

In connection with the creation of the role of Marie Tudor, the poet wrote: “Since the charming smile, by which it opens the second act, until the tearing cry, by which it closes the part, there is not one of the nuances of its talent which she admirably does not clarify. It creates, in the creation even of the poet, something which astonishes and which charms the author himself; she cherishes, she frightens, she tenderizes, and it is a miracle of its talent which the same woman, who has just made you so much quiver, makes you so much cry. ” Rachel, having always refused with obstinacy to take the councils of Miss George, to play Marie Tudor , is lived to constantly refuse the role by the author. “Neither Lucrèce Borgia , nor Marie Tudor will for a long time find an interpreter of this force”, wrote Théophile Gautier in 1845. The memory of Miss Georges will always mingle with these two formidable roles where she really collaborated with the poet, and those which will not have seen the two parts played by the large actress, will not include/understand as well the irresistible, immense effect of it”.

One of great successes of George was the Tower of Nesle . The role of Marguerite of Burgundy had been made for it and it is with some injustice that it reproached the author for having sacrificed it to Bocage which played Buridan. However, the riots which marked the beginnings of the reign of Louis-Philippe had carried the most disastrous blows to successes of the Harel direction. Prohibitions of the Pact of famine and Vautrin completed the ruin of the unfortunate director (March 26th, 1840) who had to then take again his functions of business manager wandering with Miss George that it initially led in province, then in Italy, Austria and until the Crimea. It turned over even to Saint-Pétersbourg where it was as applauded as at the time of its first voyage. In March 1840, it returned in its birthplace for the third and last time, playing there Marie Tudor and Marguerite of Burgundy , of the Tower of Nesle .

Having taken its retirement in May 1849, it lived in the embarrassment and obtained the place of Inspector of the Academy before reserved for Miss Mars. She still reappeared on the scene of the Comédie-Française for a representation in Rodogune which left the amazed spectators still see him such an amount of power. Its last effort was, without any doubt, a representation in Odéon the July 3rd 1855. At the time of its death, the press was excellent. One went as a crowd to his burial and the Church, miserly by its pumps for Molière, prodigal for the creative one was inspired by it by the role of Salome in the Macchabées .

The tragic actress had a sister, who appeared, under the name of “George Cadette”, in several theaters where it held initially the roles of ingenuous with grace and decency. Later, it passed to the employment of the confidantes and discharged with a real talent of various roles. Georges Cadette pointed out himself especially on the scene of the Porte-Saint-Martin and with the Theater-History. It created the roles of “Miss de Vaudrey” in Vautrin (1840), of the “Nurse” of Kennedy in Catherine Howard (1843), of the “Plumeau Widow” in the Knight of House-Red (1847).

Miss George resembles, to mistake there, with a medal of Syracuse, or to Isis of the low-reliefs eginetic, the arc of its eyebrows, traced with an incomparable purity and a smoothness, extends on two black eyes full with flames and tragic flashes. The nose, thin and right, half-compartment of an oblique nostril and passionnellement dilated, are linked with the face by a line of a splendid simplicity. The mouth is powerful, acute with its corners, superbly scornful, like that of Némésis avenger, which awaits the hour of démuseler its lion to the bronze nails; this mouth however has charming smiles opened out with a very imperial grace, and one would not say, when she wants to express tender passions, that she has just launched the ancient imprecation or the modern anathema, the chin, full with force and resolution, takes shape firmly, and raises, by a majestic contour, this profile which is rather of a goddess that of a mortal. Like all the beautiful women of the pagan cycle, Miss Georges has the face broad, full, reinflated with the temples, but relatively low, rather similar to that of the Venus de Milo, a voluntary, voluptuous and powerful face. A remarkable singularity of the neck of Miss Georges, it is that instead of swelling side of the nape of the neck internally, it forms a reinflated and constant contour which binds the shoulders to the base of the head without any sinuosity. The fastener of the arms has something of formidable by the strength of the muscles and the violence of contour; one of the bracelets of shoulder would make the belt for a woman of intermediate size; but they very white, very pure, are finished by a wrist of a childish delicacy, and nice hands, struck small cavities, true royal hands made to carry the sceptre and to knead the handle of the dagger of Eschyle and Euripide.

Théophile Gautier (1835)

Sources

Memories of the Company of sciences, arts and the Humanities of Bayeux , 6th v., Bayeux, Duvant, 1901, p. 1-40

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