Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais

See also: Beaumarchais

Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais , born the January 24th 1732 with Paris where he died the May 18th 1799, is a writer and Dramaturge French and was one of the emblematic figures of the Age of Enlightenment.

Biography

Born in Paris on January 24th, 1732; died in Paris on May 18th, 1799 with old 67 years.

Origin and family

Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais was born the January 24th 1732 with Paris, where he worked all his life. Wire of clock and watch maker, he is the inventor of the mechanism of the exhaust to pole. He explained it to the sior Lepautre, clock and watch maker of the King, who claims himself then in the beginning but Pierre-Augustin confuses it in court. Beaumarchais is also the inventor of a mechanism of improvement intended for the pedals of toothing-stone.

It Marie in 1756 with Madeleine-Catherine Aubertin, widowed Franquet, of almost ten years its elder; this one dies one year later. One suspects it of having killed him and it is the occasion of the first of the long continuation of lawsuit and scandals which were to mark its existence.

Fortune and letters

Its direction of the intrigue and the businesses, its strong capacity of seduction, was to enable him to gain the favors of the Court. It becomes in 1759 professor of Harpe to Mesdames , of the girls of Louis XV. Benefitting from the favor which its talent gets to him, it binds with the financier of the Court, Joseph Paris Duverney, launches out in the commercial speculations and deploys such a genius in this kind that in few years it acquires a great fortune. It buys a load of Secrétaire of the king. He becomes then general lieutenant of huntings and starts to write small parade S for private theaters ( Boots of septs miles , Zirzabelle , Jean Bête with the fair ) which play on comic of words and body close to the joke. He at the time is also sponsored by the prince de Conti.

In 1768, it marries Genevieve-Madeleine Wattebled, widow of Lévêque, keeps general Menu-Pleasures, which dies in 1770, at 39 years, leaving an important fortune. Beaumarchais is shown of diversion of heritage.

The years 1770 - 1773, are for Beaumarchais, of the years of lawsuit and discredit: in addition to its contentions with the Count of Blache, it is occupied by the testamentary succession of Joseph Paris Duverney of which was to be confined the Affaire Goëzman. It expresses there an art consumed of the legal Mémoires, going until renewing the kind, but it loses fortune there, allied and civic right.

In 1774, it becomes acquainted with Marie-Therese Willermaulaz who becomes his third wife in 1786. In March of the same year, it is first once sent to London to negotiate the suppression of the Libelle directed against Madam of Barry, the Mémoires secrecies of a public woman of Théveneau de Morande, mission where it hopes to regain the favors of the Court.

April 8th 1775, under the councils of Sartine, it is charged by the new sovereign with preventing the publication of new a Pamphlet, the Avis with the Spanish branch on its rights to the crown of France in the absence of heirs , of certain Angelucci, which claims that the king has “the tied aglet”.

This mission which led Beaumarchais in England, in the Netherlands, in the German States and in Austria, where it was for a time imprisoned under reason for espionage, becomes under its feather a picaresque adventure.

The same year, it is charged in London to recover secret documents held by the knight of Éon.

The war of independence of the United States of America

As from June, it launches out in a new adventure and is made lawyer of a French intervention in the Guerre of independence of the United States of America. It then starts a correspondence ignited with the count of Vergennes, where it defends the cause of the Insurrectionists. As of September 1775, Beaumarchais plays a political role as an intermediary between the Insurgents and France, and it frequently meets Arthur Lee, appointed secret of Insurgents.

The June 10th 1776, the secretary of foreign affairs entrusts an important sum to him to support the Americans secretly. Initiated secretly by Louis XVI and Vergennes, Beaumarchais receives the authorization to sell powder and ammunition for nearly a million books tournaments under cover of the Portuguese company Rodrigue Hortalez and Compagnie which it assembles of all parts. The company Rodrigue Hortalez and Co., will allow him to grow rich by selling weapons and ammunition and by sending a fleet deprived to support the Insurrectionists.

Factums

It is made at the same time a great reputation in the world by its factums , memories legal full with mischievousness and interests, which had an extraordinary success, and by plays full with livelinesses and originality, but with an amazing boldness, which obtained an extraordinary vogue. It gives the first edition of works of Voltaire, edition of Kehl, and spends in this company of the considerable sums.

The French revolution

It militates within the Société of the authors and dramatic type-setters, founded in 1777 with its initiative, and obtains with the Révolution the recognition of the royalty . Those are automatic with the creation of a work. They guarantee to its author his patrimonial and moral rights (recognition of the paternity of work in particular).

In 1790, it adopts the French revolution, and it is named provisional member of the Commune of Paris. But it leaves soon the public affairs to be devoted to new speculations; less happy this time, it is ruined almost while wanting to provide of weapons the troops of the Republic. It becomes suspect at Convention and is imprisoned with the Abbey under Terror. He escapes the scaffold however and is held a few years hidden. He exiles himself with Hamburg (in Germany) then returns to France in 1796. He writes his Mémoires , masterpiece of Pamphlet, and dies in Paris the May 18th 1799 of Apoplexie. He is buried with the Cimetière of the Father-Lachaise (division 28) to Paris.

Works

the New lady of Marlisou Dramatic 1785

Theater

  • Eugenie , drama in 5 acts in prose with a test on the serious drama. First representation: January 29th, 1767.

  • Two Friends, or the Trader of Lyon , drama in 5 acts and prose, Vve Duchesne, Paris, 1770. First data with the Comédie-Française on January 13rd, 1770.

  • Winnowing machine , melodrama in 5 acts, P. of Lormel, Paris, 1787. First data with the royal Academy of music on June 8th, 1787. Booklet of Beaumarchais, music of Salieri.

Trilogy of Barber , or the novel of the family Almaviva , according to the name given by Beaumarchais in a foreword of the guilty Mother :

  • '' the Barber of Seville or the useless Precaution '', comedy in 5 acts, Ruault, Paris, 1775. First data with the Comédie-Française on February 23rd, 1775 and 2nd representation of the Barber of Seville in 4 acts on February 25th, 1775.

  • '' the Insane day, or the Marriage of Barber '', comedy in 5 acts and prose, Ruault, Paris, 1778. First data with the Comédie-Française on April 27th, 1784.
  • '' the Other Sanctimonious hypocrite, or the guilty Mother '', moral in 5 acts, Woodland drama, Paris, year II (sic). First data on June 6th, 1792.

Factums

Concerning the Business Goëzman:

on July 17th, 1770, the financier Joseph Paris Duverney dies and the provisions which it took in his will in favor of Beaumarchais are disputed by the count of Blache, his sole legatee. A lawsuit follows and the goods of Beaumarchais are finally seized when in 1773 it publishes in connection with the intrigues of the rapporteur to his lawsuit, judge Goëzman, four memories whose spirit and dialectical one have a considerable repercussion and make condemn the judge, on February 26th, 1774. (Michaud)

  • Request of attenuation for the sior Charon de Beaumarchais, has Nosseigneurs from Parliament, the assembled rooms , Knapen, Paris, 1773

  • Supplément with the report to be consulted for Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais , Quillau, Paris, 1773.
  • Addition with the supplement of the report to be consulted for Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais (...) being used as answer to Mrs Goëzman (...) to the sior Bertrand d' Airolles, (...) with the sior Marin, (...) and Darnaud-Baculard (...) , P. - D. Stones, Paris, 1774.
  • Quatrième memory to be consulted for Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais… against Mr. Goëzman, (...) Madam Goëzman and the sior Bertrand, (...) the sieurs Sailor, (...) Darnaud-Baculard (...) and consorts (...) , J. - G. Clousier, Paris, 1774.

Work (editions)

  • complete Works of Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais , published by P. - P. Gudin of Brenellerie, L. Hake, Paris, 1809. 7 volumes in-8° with engravings. III. Theater; III-IX. Memories; V. Times; VI-VII. Correspondence.
  • the Tartar with the Legion , edition established, presented and annotated by Marc Cheynet de Beaupré, Astral Beaver, Collection " Inattendus" , 1998,232 pp. (This little book recalls the bonds between Beaumarchais and Joseph Paris Duverney, detailing the phases of the lawsuit which opposed Beaumarchais to the count of Blache, relating to the succession of the financier. In addition to the text annotated of the last report to consult business, it gives an interesting lighting on the circumstances having governed the drafting of the Mariage of Barber and the Barbier of Seville ).

Opera

Its two most famous parts were put in opera by Rossini, Paisiello and Mozart:

  • '' Nozze di Figaro '', Vienna, Burgtheater, May 1st, 1786, by Mozart, booklet of Lorenzo da Ponte, according to the Marriage of Barber .

  • It Barbiere di Siviglia of Giovanni Paisiello, Saint-Pétersbourg, September 26th, 1782.
  • '' It Barbiere di Siviglia '', Rome, Teatro Argentina, 1815, by Rossini. According to the Barber of Seville . To note that this opera carried at the origin the title Almaviva .

Cinema

Among the parts of Beaumarchais, the Marriage of Barber and the Barber of Seville were the subject of many film adaptations in several languages, for television primarily. The historical character itself was carried to the screen, in particular in following films:

Partial source

See too

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