A lack of a formal musical education was not a hindrance for an opera career at the time, and her natural singing and acting talent and prodigious memory compensated for her inexperience. Though she had no formal musical training, her pleasing voice, natural gift for music and physical attractiveness enabled her to take some roles at the recently founded Opéra de Marseille.
Julie d aubigny professional#
During this period of travel with Séranne, she had her first experience with professional opera singing. Since they both had good voices, they added singing to their performances. The couple traveled the countryside, making their living by giving fencing demonstrations, both dressed in male attire. After Séranne killed a man in a duel, she fled Paris with him, pursued by Nicolas-Gabriel de La Reynie, Lieutenant-General of Police, founder of the first modern police force. Accounts vary as to whether d'Armagnac became fed up with La Maupin's wild ways, or whether La Maupin herself became bored with d'Armagnac, but soon she became involved with a fencing master named Séranne. However, Maupin could not give her a traditional married life, as d'Armagnac promptly sent Maupin out of Paris to serve as a tax collector, while he and Julie continued their relationship. Maupin gave Julie the surname by which she was to be known professionally. Around 1687, after her father's death, Julie married a clerk, Sieur Jean de Maupin. She became the mistress of Count d'Armagnac, her father's employer at the age of 14 or 15. Julie took up her life-long practise of dressing in male attire at this time. Moreover, she was also known to be the best fencer of the group. Though this sport was not unheard of among women of the time, La Maupin was unusual for competing against men. Learning academic subjects alongside future court pages, she also excelled at fencing which she took up around the age of 12. Sieur d'Aubigny saw that Julie, his only child, received an education usually reserved for boys at the time. A master swordsman, as well as a habitual gambler, drinker and participant in other aspects of the nightlife, d'Aubigny passed on his skills as well as his vices to his daughter. Gaston, Sieur d'Aubigny, her father, was employed by the Count of Armagnac, King Louis XIV's Master of Horse.
She was born in Paris or its environs either in 1670 or 1673.
Apart from a few letters and legal papers, her opera career is perhaps the best-documented aspect of her life, through the notices and records of her performances. She is kown to history under all these names, but currently she is most often called by her maiden name, Julie d’Aubigny, or her common stage name, La Maupin. Her name is found under several variations including Julie, Émilie or Julie-Émilie, though on stage she was known as Mademoiselle Maupin. Many facts of La Maupin's life are not known with much certainty.
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