Rachel

Rachel, Madame (Elisa Rachel Felix), the great actress, was born in Aargau, Switzerland, in 1820 or 1821, her parents being Alsatian Jews. She and her sister sang in the streets of French cities, and were taken up by Choron, a well-known teacher of music. Elisa gained her first great success in 1838 at the Theatre Francais, in Les Horaces, after which she carried all before her. Her chief roles were taken from the tragedies of Corneille and Racine, Phedre (first played by her in 1843) being a magnificent example of the pathetic. She also acted with great success in some modern plays, particularly in Adrienne Lecouvreur. In 1810 Rachel was well received in London, and she afterwards appeared in the chief Continental. cities. She died near Cannes in 1858.