Description

CHARLES FRIANT (MONTMARTRE, DISTRICT OF PARIS, 12 JANUARY, 1890 – PARIS, 22 APRIL, 1947)

 

 

 

 

His real name was Auguste Charles Paul Friant. Like his father and grandfather, both of whom were dancers, he began his studies at the École de Danse de l’Opéra in Paris. He was also a pupil of Sarah Bernhardt, with whom he undertook a European tour during the 1908-09 season. Later, he studied singing under Léon Melchissèdec at the Conservatoire de Paris. His real debut as an opera singer came only after the First World War when he appeared as Spakos in the first French performance of Jules Massenet’s Cléopâtre at the Théâtre Lyrique du Vaudeville. Between 1918-1919, he sang at Grenoble’s Grand Théâtre.

In 1920, he was engaged by the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where he made his debut in Massenet’s Werther to great acclaim. Friant performed at the Opéra-Comique until 1939. Notably, on November 22, 1919, he appeared in the premiere of Samuel-Rousseau’s opera Taras Bulba. In 1920, he sang in the premiere of Alfred Bruneau’s opera Le Roi Candaule at the Opéra-Comique, and the following year in Dans l’ombre de la Cathédrale by Georges Hüe. In 1923, he performed in Le Hulla by Samuel-Rousseau, in 1927 in Le Bon Roi Dagobert by the same composer, in 1928 in Riquet à la houppe by Georges Hüe, and in 1929 in La Peau de Chagrin by Charles Lavadé.

Friant also made guest appearances at the operas in Brussels, Nice, and Monte Carlo, as well as on various French provincial stages. He retired from the stage in 1946.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1918-1919 Grenoble Grand Théâtre

1920 Paris Opéra-Comique Werther

1920 Paris Opéra-Comique Le Roi Candaule

1920 Paris Opéra-Comique Le Hulla

1927 Paris Opéra-Comique Le bon roi Dagobert

1929 Paris Opéra-Comique Le Peau de Chagrin

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Aimons-nous (Saint-Saëns) W524 CS547-2 Gramophone, Paris 1922-11-10
2. Attaque du Moulin (Bruneau) Le jour tombe W516 CE213-1 Gramophone, Paris 1922-02-01
3. Bon Roi Dagobert (Rousseau) Aria, act 2 188.671 Ki2456 Odeon, Paris 1929-07-03
4. Carmen (Bizet) Air de la fleur 0356 Pathé, Paris 1923
5. 6. Carmen (Bizet) Duo final, pt 1 and pt 2 (w. Vallin) 171.024 171.024 XXP6475 XXP6476, Odeon, Paris
6. Carmen (Bizet) Je suis Escamillo (w. Bourdin) 171.013 XXP6444 Odeon, Paris 1927
7. Carmen (Bizet) Je vais danser (w. Cernay) 188.593 Ki1747
8. Carmen (Bizet) La fleur 171.028 XXP6478 Odeon, Paris 1927-04
9. 11. Carmen (Bizet) Parle-moi de ma mère, pt 1 and pt 2 (w. Rolland) 123.807 123.807 XXP7322 XXP7323
10. Offrande (Hahn) P450 (4-32522) Gramophone, Paris 1922-11-21
11. Faust (Gounod) En vain j’interroge (Gounod) W467 (032407) Gramophone, Paris 1922-02-08
12. Faust (Gounod) Mais ce Dieu (w. Azéma) W496 CE237-2 Gramophone, Paris 1922-02-08
13. Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure chaste et pure 171.027 XXP6477-2 Odeon, Paris 1927-04
14. Faust (Gounod) Salut, ô mon dernier matin (w. chorus) W467 (032408) Gramophone, Paris 1922-02-08
15. Jongleur de Notre Dame (Massenet) Le miracle, pt 1 (w. Boudin & Dupré)… pt 2… Je ne vois rien, étrange mérveille… Spectacle radieux 188.799 188.799 188.800 188.800