Urgent message about Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. Pierre Beaumarchais: short biography and review of creativity

The resounding success of The Barber of Seville (Le Barbier de Sville, 1775) made Beaumarchais the leader of the national theater. Staged at the Theater France on February 23, 1775, the play was Spanish in setting, but completely French in spirit. It acquired outstanding significance not so much thanks to its sparkling humor and brilliant dialogues, but to the image of Figaro - a cunning, inexhaustible, insightful servant. On its basis, the libretto of G. Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1816) was written.

The largest French playwright of the second half of the 18th century. Born on January 24, 1732 in Paris, in the family of a wealthy watchmaker. He learned the family trade, but his father removed him from business for his extravagant antics. Having become a music teacher to the daughters of Louis XV, he later acquired the position of secretary to the monarch and, thanks to court connections, accepted active participation in various financial transactions that brought him a huge fortune and at the same time involved him in a number of high-profile lawsuits. Beaumarchais had to spend several days in prison; to justify himself, he published his brilliant Memoires (Memoires, 1774), where he sarcastically ridiculed judicial arbitrariness.

His love for the theater prompted him to write two dramas - Eugenie (Eugnie, 1767) was received favorably, Two Friends (Les Deux amis, 1770) was a crushing failure. The resounding success of The Barbier of Seville (Le Barbier de Seville, 1775) made Beaumarchais the leader of the national theater. Staged at the Theater France on February 23, 1775, the play was Spanish in setting, but completely French in spirit. It acquired outstanding significance not so much thanks to its sparkling humor and brilliant dialogues, but to the image of Figaro - a cunning, inexhaustible, insightful servant. On its basis, the libretto of G. Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1816) was written.

The same character would appear in Beaumarchais's next play, The Marriage of Figaro (Le Mariage de Figaro, 1784), where feudal privilege was so violently attacked that the king would not allow it to be shown in public. With his usual dexterity, Beaumarchais used the king's censorship ban to arouse even greater interest in the play. When it was finally staged at the Théâtre Français on April 27, 1784, three people died, crushed in the doorway by the maddened crowd. The Barber's democracy in Marriage is filled with revolutionary fervor. Figaro no longer embodies the image of a faithful servant, as Moliere created him - now he is a free man, he competes with a noble master and is clearly aware of his place in new circumstances. Appearing on stage almost on the eve French Revolution, Figaro symbolizes the triumph of trends that have matured over decades in the works of Voltaire, J. J. Rousseau, D. Diderot and other philosophers. Figaro's biting remarks and clear hints earned the comedy unfading fame on the theatrical stage. On its basis, the libretto of W. A. Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro (1786) was written. Beaumarchais tried to use the same characters for the third time, but the ponderous melodrama The Criminal Mother (La Mere coupable, 1792) was not successful.

The revolution added another touch to Beaumarchais's biography: sent by the revolutionary government to Holland, he carried out a number of assignments, but then was thrown into prison. Upon his release, he became an agent of the Committee of Public Safety and was persecuted as an emigrant. His property was confiscated, his family was arrested. In 1796 he was allowed to return to France. Beaumarchais died in Paris on May 18, 1799.

(1732-1799) French writer

Beaumarchais's life was as hectic and eventful as his comedies. True, the problems that occupied him were by no means comic: Beaumarchais went down in the history of French diplomacy as one of the most intelligent and far-sighted politicians of the 18th century.

The writer's biography will seem even more significant if we consider that he was born into an ordinary, by no means aristocratic family. His father was a famous watchmaker in Paris and owned a workshop where they not only repaired watches, but also made various precision instruments. Therefore it is not surprising that Pierre Augustin, only son of ten children of a watchmaker, was supposed to inherit the family business.

As was expected in the families of artisans, the future playwright received only primary education. At the age of thirteen he began working in his father's workshop. Within a few years, Pierre not only became an excellent watchmaker, but also came up with a number of improvements to watch mechanisms. At twenty-one, Beaumarchais was granted a privilege for his inventions by the French Academy of Sciences.

In addition to mechanics, Pierre was seriously interested in music, especially playing the harp. Thanks to his abilities, he managed to become the court watchmaker of King Louis XV. After successfully completing several royal orders Beaumarchais was presented to the king's daughters. He so charmed them with his playing of the harp and viol that the princesses and the queen began to take lessons from Beaumarchais.

Taking advantage of his position at court, Beaumarchais met the influential French financier Paris-Duvernay. He was the tax farmer general of France and, as a thank you for his services, he helped Beaumarchais buy two prestigious positions that were usually reserved only for aristocrats - royal secretary and keeper of the royal hunting grounds.

In 1756, at the age of twenty-four, Pierre married favorably to a wealthy widow and received a noble title. But the marriage turned out to be unhappy, and the couple soon separated. And ten months later, Beaumarchais’s wife suddenly died.

To enter into inheritance rights, he had to endure a lengthy trial with his mother-in-law. It is curious that one of the intercessors in his case was Voltaire. However, having won the case, Beaumarchais and remained in the eyes of the courtiers as a craftsman and an upstart. The only thing that saved him from numerous ridicule was his enormous wealth, which allowed him to lend money.

Beaumarchais continued to enjoy the favor royal family, as well as the all-powerful Madame Pompadour. On behalf of his patron Paris-Duvernay, he made a business trip to Spain, from which he brought his first literary work- melodrama “Eugenie, or Unhappy Virtue.” It was staged at the court theater, but was not successful.

True, Beaumarchais was not disappointed and a few months later he wrote a second play - the romantic comedy “Two Friends”, which, however, was also not successful.

An unsuccessful debut in the literary field coincided with Beaumarchais's second marriage. This time he married a rich and beautiful widow. But after the wedding, he began a streak of misfortunes: his wife died during childbirth, and soon close friend Paris-Duvernay.

Having lost his influential patron, Beaumarchais immediately became the object of persecution by his debtors, Count Lablache was especially active. He refused to pay the debt and went to court, accusing Beaumarchais of fraud.

At that time, the playwright was preparing a production of his new comedy “The Barber of Seville.” She was supposed to perform on the stage of the country's leading theater, the Comédie Française.

The trial ended in favor of Count Lablache because the judge received large bribes. The playwright was sentenced to pay a fine. Because he refused to pay, he was sent to prison.

After being imprisoned for a month, Beaumarchais was released from prison and a few weeks later took revenge on his offender by releasing a book called “Memoirs.” In it, he not only made his story public, but also provided irrefutable evidence of the corruption of the judge who passed the sentence.

At first they tried to ban Beaumarchais's book, but it sold out so quickly that the king himself had to intervene. He ordered that all debts be returned to Beaumarchais, and also that he be sent to London as an adviser to the French ambassador.

He stayed in London for several months and was summoned to France by the new king, Louis XVI, who also needed his diplomatic dexterity and ingenuity. He simply knew how to conduct a conversation masterfully. Is this not the art of intrigue of his future works and their brilliant dialogues?

As a thank you, the king allowed the comedy “The Barber of Seville” to be staged. Despite the fact that the comedy failed at the first performance, Beaumarchais found a way out. He rewrote the text with lightning speed, removed lengthiness and removed some particularly transparent hints. The Barber of Seville, remade in this way, was an amazing success.

Beaumarchais becomes one of the most popular people in France. His Memoirs and the texts of his comedies were published and sold out in 1778 within a few days. It is noteworthy that Beaumarchais donated all his fees to charity.

At the end of the seventies, he also showed himself as a talented financier. It was thanks to him that a campaign was launched to pass a law on the protection of copyrights and rights to royalties for writers. Beaumarchais organized a joint-stock bank, its profits, in particular, were used to publish full meeting works of Voltaire.

In 1781, the writer presented another comedy - “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro.” It was also accepted for production at the comedy theater, but was soon banned due to allusions to some influential courtiers. However, this increased the popularity of the comedy even more, and soon all of Paris was telling the jokes contained in its text.

Having learned about the ban on comedy, Empress Catherine II offered to stage the play in Russia. Only after this was it allowed to present the comedy on the stage of the court theater at the Château de Gennevilliers. The success of the premiere exceeded all expectations, and soon a performance took place on the stage of the Comedy Theater. The popularity of the play led to the fact that the king not only granted the playwright an honorary pension, but also ordered the comedy to be staged at Versailles. The role of Rosina was to be played by Queen Marie Antoinette.

Soon a revolution broke out in France. Beaumarchais greeted her victory and the establishment of the republic with the melodrama “Mad Mother, or the Second Tartuffe.” She completed the Figaro trilogy, but did not have great success. As a close associate of the king and an aristocrat (Beaumarchais had the title of count), he was persecuted after the revolution. His house was looted, his family was taken into custody, and the writer himself was expelled from the country.

Until 1796 he lived in Hamburg almost without means. Beaumarchais returned to France already seriously ill and died of a stroke two years later.

During his lifetime, his comedies caused a scandal almost every time and often failed. But he did not remain among the playwrights who sunk into oblivion. His comedies were not forgotten, and after Mozart and Rossini wrote operas based on their plot, they gained European fame. Replies and couplets from them turned into proverbs and songs, and the name Figaro itself became a household name.

2.035 Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
(1732-1799)

Any writer is a priori an adventurer. Well, the king of adventurers among writers is undoubtedly Beaumarchais. “If they hang him, the rope will probably break,” contemporaries joked affectionately. Those who said about him that the writer’s main work is his life are right.

Born in Paris on January 24, 1732, in large family successful watchmaker Andre Charles Caron.

Having received the initial school education, the boy at the same time perfectly mastered playing the harp, flute and viol. At the age of 13, he began studying to become a watchmaker in his father’s workshop, since it was he who was to continue the family business.

At 20 years old, Pierre-Augustin is the best watchmaker in Paris. He came up with a mechanism, later called the “Beaumarchais escapement,” which reduced the inaccuracy in the operation of watches to zero - it is now installed in all wristwatch. When a Parisian watchmaker appropriated this invention, Pierre-Augustin initiated proceedings against him at the Academy of Sciences and won the case. Thanks to this, he gained fame, and Louis XV himself ordered a watch from him.

At the age of 24, Caron profitably married a rich widow, having previously bought her terminally ill husband life annuity. Ten months later, the wife died suddenly. A long trial began between Caron and his mother-in-law for the inheritance, and rumors spread that the death of his wife and her first old husband was caused by poison. Nothing, however, was proven, the entire fortune of the deceased passed to her relatives, and Caron was left with a “consolation prize” - the name of de Beaumarchais (after the name of one of his wife’s personal estates). Later he acquired the title of nobility.

Leaving the profession of a watchmaker, Beaumarchais set about improving the harp, and finally made an invention there too! The inventor was introduced to the daughters of Louis XV, and he did not miss the opportunity to show off his wit and extraordinary musical abilities.

Having charmed the princesses and the queen, the young man began to give them lessons in playing the harp. The musician was entrusted with organizing home concerts in Versailles, thanks to which he made many profitable acquaintances and quickly made a fortune.

The banker Paris-Duvernay drew attention to the successful trickster. Beaumarchais helped the banker gain the support of the king, and he himself became a participant in many financial speculations of Duvernet, thanks to which he bought the positions of royal secretary and caretaker of the royal hunting grounds, acquired a rich house and retreat.

Having gone to Spain on Duvernay’s instructions, Beaumarchais quickly settled in Madrid and first of all settled a family matter related to the refusal of the Spanish writer José Clavijo to marry his sister. Pierre-Augustin forced the “refusenik” to write a statement in which he pleaded guilty to breaking his word, and found another groom for his sister.

He himself experienced many more adventures, participating in various financial speculations, court entertainment and musical exercises. He composed five projects alone for the Spanish government, although none of them were ever implemented. The Spaniards were delighted with his inexhaustible gaiety and wealth of imagination. At the same time, gossip spread throughout Europe that Beaumarchais killed the unfortunate Clavijo in a duel, and Goethe took advantage of it by writing the tragedy “Clavigo.”

Upon returning to Paris, Beaumarchais made his debut in 1767 with the mediocre play Eugenie, and three years later he released the drama Two Friends, which failed. By this time, the playwright again found a beautiful, rich widow, who did not remain his wife for long: she died in childbirth. Two years later his son also died.

After Paris-Duvernay's death, a long litigation began with the banker's heirs. At one of the intermediate stages of the proceedings, Beaumarchais was declared civilly dishonest by Parliament and sentenced to branding. Beaumarchais wrote “Memoirs” in his defense, where he ridiculed judicial arbitrariness and left no stone unturned against the then judicial order of France.

The memoirs had the effect of a bomb exploding and brought the author incredible popularity. The trial ended with the deprivation of the judge's position, and parliament was dissolved by the will of the king.

Although the king ordered the “Memoirs” to be burned, he brought the hero closer to him and sent him to London on an assignment concerning the royal family, which he completed with honor.

The deceased Louis XV was replaced by Louis XVI, who also needed Beaumarchais's dexterity in resolving scandals in the royal family. Beaumarchais traveled throughout Europe, carrying out secret orders from the monarch. Intimate services made him richest man France. The king allowed Beaumarchais to stage his new play “The Barber” at the Comedy Theater.

At the first performance, the comedy failed. Beaumarchais remade the play overnight and it was a stunning success. Later, the playwright gave it the title “The Barber of Seville, or a Vain Precaution.”

When the following year France secretly supported North American colonies In their war for independence from England, Beaumarchais bought weapons and uniforms for the rebels for three million livres.

In the public sphere, Beaumarchais achieved approval of copyrights and rights to royalties for playwrights; founded an association of dramatic authors; organized a joint-stock bank; bought up and returned to the Royal Library stolen archival historical documents; participated in the creation of the Paris Water Company, which introduced the first steam engine in Paris.

In 1779, Beaumarchais undertook the publication of the first complete works of Voltaire, who had died a year earlier. Over the course of 8 years, two editions were published: in 72 and 92 volumes with a total circulation of 15 thousand copies, of which no more than 4 thousand were sold by subscription. Parliament and the clergy achieved a ban on the sale of publications, which brought Beaumarchais a million in losses, which he never regretted.

After the first reading of the comedy “Crazy Day” in Versailles, the king banned its showing, but Beaumarchais read the play in salons and also published individual fragments. The aristocrats, admiring the play, forced the king to agree to the Paris production, convincing him that “Crazy Day” would fail miserably. They themselves chopped off the branch on which they hung over the abyss!

On the day of the premiere, the whole city of Paris took seats in the theater in the morning, counts and marquises stood in the stalls mixed with shopkeepers. Three people died, crushed in the doorway by the crowd. They became the first victims in the future meat grinder of the revolution, the “trigger mechanism” of which was set in motion by Beaumarchais.

The unprecedented success of the play prompted the writer's enemies to organize a whole conspiracy against him. Beaumarchais was threatened by the Bastille, but the king ordered the playwright to be imprisoned not in the Bastille, but in the Saint-Lazare correctional prison for minors. There, the offended Beaumarchais wrote “Memo to the King,” from which Louis XVI became emotional and forgave the punished man, allowing him to also stage “The Barber of Seville” at Versailles.

The Marriage of Figaro ran for 100 performances in a row. Napoleon once remarked that with this play the curtain of revolutionary drama rose.

In 1787, Beaumarchais staged the lyrical and philosophical opera “Tarar” (composer A. Salieri), and five years later the melodrama “The Criminal Mother, or the Second Tartuffe.” Both productions were not very successful.

When the Republic won, Beaumarchais purchased 60 thousand guns for its army in Holland. Deliveries were delayed, and he was immediately accused of hiding weapons in anticipation of revenge from the “enemies of the people.”

The writer's house was searched, bundles of Voltaire's unsold volumes were found, and he was arrested. A week later, the writer was released, thanks to which he miraculously escaped the guillotine. All of Beaumarchais' property was in once again described. But he managed to gain the confidence of the revolutionary authorities again, and he was instructed to secure the delivery of weapons from The Hague through London.

While Beaumarchais was in England, his name was included in the lists of emigrated aristocrats - “enemies of the people.” He could no longer enter France. The British took possession of the purchased weapons. Beaumarchais's wife, daughter and sister were imprisoned, and he himself remained alone in Hamburg until 1796, surviving on bread and water. Under the Directory, his Parisian house was returned to him, but his fortune could not be returned. The writer did not achieve the return of huge sums from the governments of the United States and the French Republic.

The writer’s works were translated into Russian by N. Lyubimov, L. Zonina, L. Lungina and others.

P.S. It is with a feeling of gratitude that I illustrate this essay about Beaumarchais with a beautiful poetic arrangement:
Nina Samogova (https://www.stihi.ru/avtor/timoscha1)

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais

“You have a very bad reputation! - What if I’m better than my reputation?”
"Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro"
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http://www.stihi.ru/2014/06/23/1786

Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais
Adventurer, writer, watchmaker.
I apologize for the cliché
But he erected a monument to himself.

He was the best watchmaker in Paris.
Having invented the “Beaumarchais Escapement” in a watch,
Woke up famous at the same moment,
And he took the very first step towards fame.

Having married a rich widow,
He only lived with her for nine months,
Named after the Beaumarchais estate
I inherited the prefix “de”.

Then he invented something for the harp,
In finance he became a notorious liar,
Then I found the second widow
And for some reason he became a widower again.

For cheating in financial matters,
He was sentenced to be branded
But the French court accused of sins,
He was able to send the judge to trial.

The failure of the first two plays embarrassed him,
But having gathered the will of the Author into a fist,
He soon created The Barber.
This was his second step towards immortality.

And with Figaro he took the third step,
Melpomene loved Beaumarchais.
She knows a lot about such things
Again, I apologize for the cliché.

Biography

1780-1799

When the American War of Independence began, Beaumarchais became involved in military supplies to the States, making millions from it. In 1781, a certain Kornman started trial against his own wife, accusing her of infidelity (adultery at that time was a criminal offense). Beaumarchais represented the interests of Madame Cornman at the trial and brilliantly won the trial, despite the fact that the lawyer Bargass, who represented the interests of her husband, was a very strong opponent. However, this time the sympathy of the public was predominantly not on the side of Beaumarchais.

He released Memoirs again, but without the same success. In addition, the opera “Tarare” () shook his fame as a writer [ specify], and the comedy “La mère coupable” (), which completed the Figaro trilogy, met with a very cold reception.

The luxurious edition of Voltaire's works, very poorly executed, despite the enormous funds spent on it (Beaumarchais even set up a special printing house for this edition in Calais), brought Beaumarchais almost a million in losses. He also lost significant sums in, taking upon himself an unfulfilled obligation to supply 60,000 guns American army. He escaped punishment only by fleeing to London and then to Hamburg, from where he returned only in 1796. In connection with this case, Beaumarchais tried to justify himself in “Mes six époques,” a suicide essay, which, however, did not return him the sympathy of the public. He died on May 18, 1799.

Bibliography

Collected works of his were published by: Beauquier, “Thêatre de V.”, with notes (Par., 1872, 2 vols.), Molan (Par., 1874), Fournier (“Oeuvres compl è tes”, Par., 1875). His memoirs were published by S. Boeuf (Par., 1858, 5 vols.).

1765(?) - Le Sacristain, interlude (predecessor to The Barber of Seville)
1767 - “Eugenia” ( Eugenie), drama
1767 - L'Essai sur le genre dramatique sérieux.
1770 - “Two Friends” ( Les Deux amis ou le Négociant de Lyon), drama
1773 - “The Barber of Seville” ( Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile), comedy
1773-1774 - Memoirs ( Memoires contre Goezman)
1775 - “A modest letter about the failure and criticism of The Barber of Seville” ( La Lettre modérée sur la chute et la critique du “Barbier de Sérville”)
1778 - “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro” (La Folle journée ou Le Mariage de Figaro), comedy
1784 - Preface du mariage de Figaro
1787 - “Tarar” ( Tarare), drama, libretto for the opera by Antonio Salieri
1792 - “The Guilty Mother, or the Second Tartuffe” ( La Mère coupable ou L'Autre Tartuffe), drama, third part of the Figaro trilogy
1799 - Voltaire et Jesus-Christ.

Notes

Literature

Grandel's Memories of Beaumarchais / Frederic Grendel BEAUMARCHAIS OU LA CALOMNIE FLAMMARION PARIS 1973; Translation from French by L. Zonina and L. Lungina; M., “Book”, 1985
R. Zernova. Ch. “Pierre Augustin Beaumarchais” - from “Writers of France”, M. Publishing house “Prosveshchenie”, 1964.
Salieri and Beaumarchais. Opera and revolution / Boris Kushner. In defense of Antonio Salieri
Foxes in the vineyard. Lion Feuchtwanger. Historical novel.

Lyrics

La Folle journée ou Le Mariage de Figaro (French) - original text of the 1785 edition.

Links

August, 18 2011

Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais - an outstanding French playwright, an unsurpassed polemicist and wit, author of the great comedies “The Barber of Seville” and “Crazy Day, or The Marriage of Figaro”

Caron de Beaumarchais

Writing was never the main thing in his life, and the talents and adventures that befell him were more than enough for several people!

Beaumarchais was born on January 24, 1732 in the family of watchmaker Andre Charles Caron in Paris. At first he followed in his father's footsteps, but at the same time studied music with great interest. Musical talents and a magnificent gift as an orator gave the young Beaumarchais (then Caron) access to high society. Here he acquired great connections that were useful to him later. Caron took the surname “de Beaumarchais” after his first marriage. This was the name of the estate belonging to his wife.

Pierre Beaumarchais “from a young age” did everything possible to achieve wealth and a high position in society. At the age of twenty-one, he created a revolutionary watch mechanism - an anchor escapement, which ensures the even movement of the watch mechanism. And at twenty-two, Beaumarchais was accepted into the Royal Society of London (thus becoming an academician) and received the position of royal watchmaker. At the same time, he was teaching princesses music - playing the harp.

In addition, Beaumarchais was engaged in the slave trade with America, creating the “Portuguese company” Rodrigo Ortales and Co., began supplying the rebel North American colonies with weapons, carried out secret missions for the kings, at one time was considered the richest man in France, and then ended up in prison as a debtor.

He was sent to prison and royal power, and after her overthrow. Thanks to three profitable marriages (all three times he married rich widows), as well as cooperation with the banker Duvernay, Beaumarchais became the owner of a very significant fortune.

Beaumarchais first composed his “The Barber of Seville” as an opera, and only a few years later (in 1775) it premiered on the stage of the Comédie Française, which ended in a resounding failure. In just two days (!), the author completely remade the play - and the second performance turned into a triumph, making him the most beloved writer in France at that time.

A year later he wrote “The Marriage of Figaro” - the pinnacle of his work, but he had to wait eight years for the premiere. He gave his famous hero the non-existent name Figaro, under which he hid his own - from Ficaro (son of Caro), as he wrote in his drafts. The Marriage of Figaro ran for 100 performances in a row. Beaumarchais in this play is the herald of the revolution. Napoleon spoke of it as “a revolution in action.” And before him, King Louis XVI said this: “To be consistent, then by allowing this play to be staged, the Bastille should be destroyed. This man laughs at everything that should be respected famous image reign..." The king turned out to be a good predictor, and on Beaumarchais's grave the words are inscribed:

Easy to everyday life, proud in misfortune, he never compromised his freedom

“The main thing is to want!”

✓ When the American War of Independence began, Beaumarchais began supplying military supplies to the States, making millions from it.

✓ In 1781, a certain Cornman started a lawsuit against his own wife, accusing her of infidelity. Beaumarchais represented the interests of Madame Cornman and brilliantly won the case, although the lawyer Bargass, who represented the interests of her husband, was a very strong opponent.

✓ When Beaumarchais was once denied satisfaction of his own claim, he, without thinking twice, sued... his judges. The act was unprecedented, the scandal was incredible, the public was seriously intrigued, and, against this background, Beaumarchais won again!