A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Jullienne, Madame Dejeun
JULLIENNE, MADAME DEJEUN,
The date of whose birth we have not been able to ascertain, was born at Rouen, and not originally intended for the stage; but her singing-master, M. Molliot, being struck with her magnificent voice, by his persuasions overcame the scruples of her family, and gained their consent to her appearance as a public singer; this occurred for the first time at a charitable benefit as Alice, in Meyerbere's "Robert le Diable," and as Leonora, in Donizetti's "Favourita." So decided was her success, that she was induced to prosecute her professional studies with great seventy, which led to her engagement at the Academie Royale de Musique. In September, 1845, she came out at the Grand Opera as the successor of the celebrated Falcom, in such characters as Rachel, in Halevy's "Juive;" Valentine, in Meyerbere's "Huguenots;" and Alice, in "Robert le Diable." From Paris she went to Marseilles, and by her popularity there raised the affairs of the theatre from a precarious to a flourishing condition; then after performing at the principal towns of France with decided success, she returned to Paris, and took her place as prima donna on the boards of the Grand Opera. At the conclusion of her engagement there, in 1850, she went to Florence, and studied under the best Italian professors of singing. In May, 1852, she came to England, and performed for the first time before the Queen and Prince Albert, as Rachel, in "La Juive," and completely established her fame as a great lyric artiste. "In all operas," says a contemporary critic, "in which a powerful soprano is required for strong passions, Madame Jullienne is invaluable. She is never fatigued, or, at all events, she has the ars celare artem, for, at the conclusion of a long and trying work, her voice seems to be as fresh and as vigorous as at the opening. She is yet but young in the profession, and her coming in contact with the refined school of Italian vocalisation cannot fail to develop ultimately the liberal gifts with which she has been endowed by nature, in a still higher degree. It has been already remarked, that, since her first night of singing at the Royal Italian Opera, her method has been much improved. We have heard her in all the characters of the French Grand Opera, Alice, Valentine, &c, and in Verdi's 'Jerusalem,' ('I Lombardi,') but we understand that her Norma has been also highly successful in the great towns in France. With the noble voice she possesses, and with the disposition to study and improve, a brilliant future presents itself to Madame Jullienne on the Italian lyric stage."