L. Meurant

(17**-1826?*) A composer and music teacher. (Occasionally also listed simply as Meurant by F.C.L. Bosman, 1928)

Possibly he may have been a Swiss immigrant and the father of Louis Henri Meurant (the later journalist and language activist) and Miss L. Meurant, both of whom performed in French and Dutch plays in Cape Town as children in 1825. It appear he may have arrived in the Cape round about 1809, and was certainly someone involved in French theatre in the Cape from that time on till his death round about 1826.

Contribution to South African theatre

According to Bosman (1928, pp. 49 & 84), he was one of four important figures in the French theatre in Cape Town in the first two decades of the 19th century (the others were Rouvière, Mr Riaux and Agron). A composer and music instructor at the Cape during the early 1800s, and appears to have worked with Charles Etienne Boniface and Riaux.

Specific productions mentioned include:

Les Plaideurs (Racine) on 22 February 1809, produced by

La Fantasmagorie, possibly with Riaux, on 2 December 1809, as afterpiece to Les Fourberies de Scapin (Molière).

Het Liefdesnest (Dutch version of Le Nid d'Amour) a new ballet and "Anacreontique", with new music composed by Meurant. Performed as an afterpiece to Le Somnambule ou Orgia (Pont-de-Vesle), by the pupils of M.J. Riaux on 13 October 1810, and repeated on and 27 October 1810 as an afterpiece to Le Baiser (Florian).

See also Miss L. Meurant and Louis Henri Meurant.

[TH]