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Dumesnil (also known as Louis Gaulard Dumesny) (fl. 1677-1700 – 1702) was a French operatic tenor.^[1] His surname is sometimes found spelt Duménil, Dumény, du Mény, or Du Mesny.

Little is known about Dumesnil's early life; legend has it that he was working as a cook when Jean-Baptiste Lully heard him singing and was impressed by his natural and well focused voice, his vocal range was then known as haute-contre.

He made his stage debut in 1677,^[2] singing a small part in Isis, and then went on creating all roles within his range in a series of operas by Lully. After Lully's death he created several other roles in operas by different composers, notably Pascal Collasse, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, André Campra, and André Cardinal Destouches.

An excellent actor with a powerful voice, he seemed to have learned all his roles by memory as he did not know how to read music. Reputed as a libertine, and for his dispute with La Maupin.

Roles created

1682: The title role in Persée by Lully
1684: The title role in Amadis by Lully
1686: Renaud in Armide by Lully
1686; Acis in Acis et Galatée by Lully
1687: Achille in Achille et Polyxène by Lully and Collasse
1689: Pélée in Thétis et Pélée by Collasse
1690: Énée in Énée et Lavinie by Collasse
1693: Énée in Didon by Henri Desmarets
1693: Jason in Médée by Marc-Antoine Charpentier
1697: Octavio in L'Europe galante by André Campra
1697: Philémon in Issé by Destouches
1697: Adonis in Vénus et Adonis by Henri Desmarets
1699: in Amadis de Grèce by Destouches

References

^ Weller, Philip (1992), 'Dumesnil' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
^ In fact, Dumesny (spelt Du Mesnil) is already cited as a member of the chorus performing the Hours of the Day, in the 1676 libretto of Lully's Atys (accessible for free online at Gallica - B.N.F.).

Weller, Philip (1992), 'Dumesnil' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique, R.Mancini & J.J.Rouvereux, (Fayard, 1986), ISBN 2-213-01563-5

[1] Weller, Philip (1992), 'Dumesnil' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7

[2] In fact, Dumesny (spelt Du Mesnil) is already cited as a member of the chorus performing the Hours of the Day, in the 1676 libretto of Lully's Atys (accessible for free online at Gallica - B.N.F.).

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