Against the advice of his parents, he tried to devote himself to opera, but failed to obtain admission to the Conservatoire de Paris.

[3] According to Fragerolle, fumisme is to wit what operetta is to opéra-bouffe, caricature to cartoon, prunes to castor oil.

He composed arrangements of work by contemporary poets such as Jean Richepin, and sang them to his own accompaniment.

[5] On 6 January 1890 Fragerolle produced a Nativity play, La Marche à l'Étoile, with an impressive set of paintings by Henri Rivière.

[7] Fragerolle set to music Si vous voulez Madame by Émile Goudeau.