Première-cast "L'Africaine" (4); Jean-Baptiste Faure as Nélusko by Erwin Hanfstaengl

Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914); French baritone. In 1852 he made his debut at the Opéra-Comique -where he remained until 1860- as Pygmalion in Massé’s “Galathée”. He made his debut at Covent Garden in 1860 and at the Grand Opéra Paris in 1861.He created numerous operatic roles. The most known are Le Marquis d’Hérigny in Auber’s “Manon Lescaut (1856), Hoël in Meyerbeer’s “Dinorah” (1859), Nélusko in Meyerbeer’s “L'Africaine” (1865), Rodrigo in Verdi’s “Don Carlos” (1867) and Hamlet in the eponymous opera from Ambroise Thomas (1868). He was also a composer of songs of which “Crucifix” and “Les rameaux” are well known (recorded by Enrico Caruso). He was married to the soprano Constance-Caroline Lefebvre (1828-1905) who was engaged at the Opéra-Comique from 1849-1859.

On the photo from 1865 he is seen as Nélusko in Meyerbeer’s “L’Africaine”.