Dumesnil (also known as Louis Gaulard Dumesny) (fl. 1677-1700 – 1702) was a French operatic tenor.Weller, Philip (1992), 'Dumesnil' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) His surname is sometimes found spelt Duménil, Dumény, du Mény, or Du Mesny.
Little is known about Dumesnil's early life; legend has it that he was working as a cook when Jean-Baptiste Lully heard him singing and was impressed by his natural and well focused voice, his vocal range was then known as haute-contre.
He made his stage debut in 1677,In fact, Dumesny (spelt Du Mesnil) is already cited as a member of the chorus performing the Hours of the Day, in the 1676 libretto of Lully's Atys (accessible for free online at Gallica - B.N.F.). singing a small part in Isis, and then went on creating all roles within his range in a series of operas by Lully. After Lully's death he created several other roles in operas by different composers, notably Pascal Collasse, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, André Campra, and André Cardinal Destouches.
An excellent actor with a powerful voice, he seemed to have learned all his roles by memory as he did not know how to read music. Reputed as a libertine, and for his dispute with La Maupin.
Roles created 1682: The title role in Persée by Lully 1684: The title role in Amadis by Lully 1686: Renaud in Armide by Lully 1686; Acis in Acis et Galatée by Lully 1687: Achille in Achille et Polyxène by Lully and Collasse 1689: Pélée in Thétis et Pélée by Collasse 1690: Énée in Énée et Lavinie by Collasse 1693: Énée in Didon by Henri Desmarets 1693: Jason in Médée by Marc-Antoine Charpentier 1697: Octavio in L'Europe galante by André Campra 1697: Philémon in Issé by Destouches 1697: Adonis in Vénus et Adonis by Henri Desmarets 1699: in Amadis de Grèce by Destouches
References
Weller, Philip (1992), 'Dumesnil' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) Le guide de l'opéra, les indispensables de la musique, R.Mancini & J.J.Rouvereux, (Fayard, 1986),