Louis Antoine Eléonore Ponchard (1787-1866), Tenor
1st image: Soirée; 2nd: litho Aumont & Leroux (1850); 3rd: litho Bretonnier (1845); 4th: litho Ducler (1848).
Louis Ponchard (not to be confused with his father, composer Antoine Ponchard (1758 – 1827)) was the most celebrated tenor of the Opéra-Comique in Paris, renowned for his impeccable musical diction and expressive versatility.
A frequent performer at de Nieuwerkerke's16 vendredi-soirées from their inception in 1850, Ponchard made several notable appearances.
by Chalon (1830)
On April 4, 1851, he sang alongside his student Gustave Roger04a on an evening featuring a lecture on Daguerreotype photography. Later that year, on December 19, he caused a stir with his rendition of “Ah! Quel plaisir d’être soldat!” from Boïeldieu’s La Dame Blanche (libretto by Scribe74), a performance witnessed by architects Duban60 and Viollet-le-Duc40a.
Ponchard continued to perform at these soirées throughout 1852, 1853, and 1854 —often singing with Roger, as well as with Nadaud14 and Duprez21a. One memorable evening, February 3, 1854, featured Ponchard performing during a lecture by Gounod70b on 'his' Bach’s Prelude.
Despite his numerous performances, no caricatures of Ponchard by Eugène Giraud11 have been found.
He played central roles in many operatic triumphs by Auber56 and Meyerbeer76. Meyerbeer even crafted the introduction of Robert le Diable (1831) specifically to suit Ponchard’s voice—leading to an immense success. Auber’s Le Maçon (1825), another work showcasing Ponchard’s talents, remained so popular that it exceeded 500 performances by the century’s end.
Both audiences and his students —including Gustave Roger— revered and idolized him. A modest man, Ponchard (married to soprano Marie Sophie Collault) was known for his friendly nature and relentless dedication to his craft, entirely unfamiliar with envy or rivalry.
In 1856, at age 69, he announced his resignation from the Conservatoire due to health concerns. He passed away in January 1866 after a brief illness.