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Nourrit, Adolphe. (1803–1839). 1845 Portrait Medal. 1845 copper portrait medal by Mercier, commissioned by the friends of the great tenor. Bust portrait facing left, signed "Mercier 1845" and marked "cuivre" on the edge. The verso inscribed "A / LA MEMOIRE DE / A. NOURRIT / SES AMIS." 60.5 mm. A rare medal. Andorfer & Epstein 982.


Nourrit was a student of Garcia and was the leading first tenor at the Paris Opera where he created many important roles. "He was coached intensively by Rossini and created the roles of Néocles in "Le siège de Corinthe," Count Ory, Aménophis in "Moïse et Pharaon" and Arnold in "Guillaume Tell." Among the other roles he created were Masaniello ("La muette de Portici"), Robert ("Robert le diable"), Eléazar ("La Juive") and Raoul ("Les Huguenots"). From December 1826, when he succeeded his father as first tenor at the Opéra, until his resignation in October 1836, he created the principal tenor roles in all major new productions, generating an entire repertory for the acting tenor. His success in "Moïse" and "Le siège de Corinthe" was so great that in 1827 he was appointed professeur de déclamation pour la tragédie lyrique at the Conservatoire, where his most famous student was the dramatic soprano Cornélie Falcon." Soon after Gilbert Duprez came to the Opera, Nourrit resigned and for a time, he remained in Paris performing salon concerts and teaching. During this time, "he was the first to introduce Schubert’s lieder to Parisian audiences at the celebrated soirées organized by Liszt, Urhan and Alexandre Batta at the salons d’Erard in 1837." (Evan Walker/Sarah Hibbard, Grove Online) The following year, Nourrit transferred to Naples where Donizetti coached him and wrote "Poliuto" for his Naples debut. When the opera was forbidden by censors because of its Christian subject matter, Nourrit fell into deep depression and eventually jumped to his death from his hotel window. He was one of the GREAT singers of the century, wrote the words for Eleazar's "Rachel, quand du Seigneur" in "La Juive" and libretti for ballets created by Ellsler and Taglioni ("La Sylphide").

Nourrit, Adolphe. (1803–1839) 1845 Portrait Medal

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Nourrit, Adolphe. (1803–1839). 1845 Portrait Medal. 1845 copper portrait medal by Mercier, commissioned by the friends of the great tenor. Bust portrait facing left, signed "Mercier 1845" and marked "cuivre" on the edge. The verso inscribed "A / LA MEMOIRE DE / A. NOURRIT / SES AMIS." 60.5 mm. A rare medal. Andorfer & Epstein 982.


Nourrit was a student of Garcia and was the leading first tenor at the Paris Opera where he created many important roles. "He was coached intensively by Rossini and created the roles of Néocles in "Le siège de Corinthe," Count Ory, Aménophis in "Moïse et Pharaon" and Arnold in "Guillaume Tell." Among the other roles he created were Masaniello ("La muette de Portici"), Robert ("Robert le diable"), Eléazar ("La Juive") and Raoul ("Les Huguenots"). From December 1826, when he succeeded his father as first tenor at the Opéra, until his resignation in October 1836, he created the principal tenor roles in all major new productions, generating an entire repertory for the acting tenor. His success in "Moïse" and "Le siège de Corinthe" was so great that in 1827 he was appointed professeur de déclamation pour la tragédie lyrique at the Conservatoire, where his most famous student was the dramatic soprano Cornélie Falcon." Soon after Gilbert Duprez came to the Opera, Nourrit resigned and for a time, he remained in Paris performing salon concerts and teaching. During this time, "he was the first to introduce Schubert’s lieder to Parisian audiences at the celebrated soirées organized by Liszt, Urhan and Alexandre Batta at the salons d’Erard in 1837." (Evan Walker/Sarah Hibbard, Grove Online) The following year, Nourrit transferred to Naples where Donizetti coached him and wrote "Poliuto" for his Naples debut. When the opera was forbidden by censors because of its Christian subject matter, Nourrit fell into deep depression and eventually jumped to his death from his hotel window. He was one of the GREAT singers of the century, wrote the words for Eleazar's "Rachel, quand du Seigneur" in "La Juive" and libretti for ballets created by Ellsler and Taglioni ("La Sylphide").