Charles Simon Favart - Reference

Playwright, born in Paris, France. He began writing libretti for comic opera while working as a pastry cook, and success led him to become stage manager (1743) and director (1758) of the Opéra-Comique. With his wife, Marie-Justine-Benoiste Duranceray (1727–71), he pioneered a new realism in costume. Among his best out of more than 100 comic operas are Les Amours de Bastien et Bastienne and Les Trois Sultanes.

Charles Simon Favart (November 13, 1710 – May 12, 1792), was a French dramatist.

Born in Paris, the son of a pastry-cook, he was educated at the college of Louis-le-Grand, and after his father's death he carried on the business for a time.

Among his most successful works were Annette et Lubin, Le Coq du milage (1743), Ninette a la cour (1753), Les Trois Sultanes (1761) and L'Anglais de Bordeaux (1763). Favart became director of the Opéra-Comique, and in 1745 married Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray, a beautiful young dancer, singer and actress, who as "Mlle Chantilly" had made a successful début the year before.

Favart, left thus without resources, accepted the proposal of Maurice, comte de Saxe, and became director of a troupe of comedians which was to accompany Maurice's army into Flanders. So popular were Favart and his troupe that the enemy became desirous of hearing his company and sharing his services, and permission was given to gratify them, battles and comedies thus curiously alternating with each other.

The marshal, an admirer of Mme Favart, began to pay her unwanted attentions.

Favart survived his wife twenty years. It was at this time that the abbé de Voisenon became intimate with him and took part in his labors, to what extent is uncertain.

His plays have been republished in various editions and selections (1763-1772, 12 vols.; His correspondence (1759-1763) with Count Durazzo, director of theatres at Vienna, was published in 1808 as Mémoires et correspondance littéraire, dramatique et anecdotique de CS Favart.

Favart's second son, Charles Nicolas Favart was an actor and dramatist.

Reference

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.