Charles-Marie Wicart

11 September 1826 Tournai – 6 March 1882 Brussels


He studied at the Brussels conservatory and made his debut at La Monnaie as Edgardo in 1848. However, he decided to add further studies at the Paris Conservatoire National before continuing his career in France (Lyon, Toulouse, Nantes, among other places). For the 1854/55 season, he was at the Paris Opéra, then again at La Monnaie until 1861. In 1858, the Monnaie staged the very first performance of Rigoletto in French, and Warot sang the Duca.

In 1860, he made guest appearances in Lyon again (Raoul, Arnold), which led to a two-year contract at the opera theater there (1861– 63). Next, he was in Liège for one season, and at La Monnaie for another, where his career petered out with guest appearances until 1871.

His most successful roles were Edgardo, Fernand, Ernani, Manrico, Arrigo, Sélim (La statue by Reyer), Roland (Roland à Roncevaux by Mermet) and Alessandro Stradella (Stradella by Louis Niedermeyer).

Reference 1: Kutsch & Riemens; reference 2: La Monnaie archives
Picture source

Repertory

Lucia di Lammermoor – Liège, Royal, 1850
La Juive – Brussels, Monnaie, 31 August 1854
Guillaume Tell – Brussels, Monnaie, 30 May 1855
Il trovatore – Brussels, Monnaie, 20 May 1856
I vespri siciliani – Brussels, Monnaie, 18 November 1856
Sainte-Claire – Brussels, Monnaie
Rigoletto – Brussels, Monnaie, 22 November 1858
Stradella – Brussels, Monnaie, 7 March 1859
Ernani – Brussels, Monnaie, 14 November 1860
Herculanum – Brussels, Monnaie, 26 November 1860
L'assedio di Corinto – Brussels, Monnaie, 9 April 1861
La statue – Brussels, Monnaie, 20 March 1865
La reine de Saba – Antwerp, Royal Français, 1868/69
...and many more

Reference: Richard T. Soper Belgian opera houses and singers. The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1999

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