Rosemonde Gérard
Louise-Rose-Étiennette Gérard, known as Rosemonde Gérard (April 5, 1871, Paris – July 8, 1953, Paris) was a French poet and playwright. She was the wife of Edmond Rostand (1868–1918, author of Cyrano de Bergerac), and was a granddaughter of Étienne Maurice Gérard, who was a Marshal and a Prime Minister of France. Gérard is perhaps best known today as the author of the lines:
This couplet is taken from a poem, variously known as "L'éternelle chanson" ("The Eternal Song") or "Les Vieux" ("The Old Ones"), that she wrote to Rostand in 1889. The poem was published in 1890, but did not enjoy immediate success. The phrase became celebrated as an expression of ever-growing love when, in 1907 (17 years after its publication), a Lyonnais jeweler, Alphonse Augis, had the idea of making a medallion with the core portion of the verse engraved on it. The medallions became quite popular, and led to the production of other, similarly decorated jewelry items, such as earrings and matchboxes; many older examples include Augis' name. A very common variation on the design presents the line with the words "plus" and "moins" replaced by the mathematical + and − signs, respectively. The mathematical signs are frequently rendered in tiny gemstones, often in contrasting colors. Among Gérard's other works is the play “A Good Little Devil” (1913), co-written with Maurice Rostand. It was made into a movie of the same name in 1914. Mary Pickford starred in both the play and the movie; she later opined that the movie was one of the worst—if not the worst—she had ever made. Gérard also subtitled a number of films including Alexis Granowsky's Das Lied vom Leben (1931) and Nikolai Ekk's film The Road to Life (1931). Gérard and Rostand were married on April 8, 1890; they had two sons, Maurice (1891–1968) and Jean Rostand (1894–1977). In later years, Gérard and Maurice Rostand frequented an intellectual circle that included Jean-Paul Sartre and Gilbert Martineau. It has been said that Gérard "doubtless would have been famous had not her husband's star so far eclipsed her own." After 35 years of widowhood, she died in 1953 and is buried at Cimetiere de Passy, in Paris, as is her son Maurice. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edison | 7554 | 10-in. | 10/1/1920 | L'anneau d'argent | Paul Dufault | Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra | author | |
Gramophone | 5528h | 10-in. | 1908 | L’anneau d’argent | Lucile Panis | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | author | |
Columbia (U.K.) | WL1020 | 10-in. | 4/13/1928 | L'anneau d'argent | Élie Cohen ; Lucien Fugère | Baritone vocal solo, with piano | author | |
Columbia (U.K.) | CL4848 | 10-in. | 5/2/1934 | Polka | Pierre Chagnon ; Le Petit Mircha | Vocal solo with instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
Columbia (U.K.) | CL5736 | 10-in. | 5/30/1936 | L'hôtel du clair de lune | Lucienne Boyer ; Iza Volpin | Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | author |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gérard, Rosemonde," accessed November 16, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106503.
Gérard, Rosemonde. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 16, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106503.
"Gérard, Rosemonde." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 16 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Rosemonde Gérard
Discogs: Rosemonde Gérard
IMSLP: Rosemonde Gérard
IMDb: Rosemonde Gérard
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gérard, Rosemonde, 1871-1953 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92031537
Wikidata: Rosemonde Gérard - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q440779
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/73046991
MusicBrainz: Rosemonde Gérard - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/fca1f75d-c71a-41c2-93ce-760f6b4661d1
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