Description

JAN VERBEECK (MERKSEM, BELGIUM APRIL 24, 1913 – ANVERS, BELGIUM JUNE 6, 2005)

He was trained by Mme de Prêter in Antwerp and made his debut in 1947 at the Antwerp Opera, where he worked until 1955. He remained connected to this theatre through a guest contract when he moved to the Ghent Opera in 1955. In Ghent, he sang the title role in the Belgian premiere of the opera Bánk Bán by F. Erkel in 1960. He appeared as a guest on French and West German stages, notably at the Opéra de Wallonie in Liège. He continued to perform on stage until the early 1970s and was also active as a concert soloist. His stage repertoire primarily included tenor roles from the heroic and Wagnerian repertoire. These roles included Florestan in Fidelio, Lohengrin, Tannhäuser, Siegmund in Die Walküre, the title roles in Otello and Don Carlo, Ismaele in Nabucco, Manrico in Il Trovatore, Radamès in Aida, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Canio in Pagliacci, Osaka in Iris, Jean in Hérodiade, the title role in Werther, and Samson in Samson et Dalila.

Chronology of some appearances

1947-1955 Antwerp Opera

1955-1960’s Ghent Opera

TRACKLIST

1. Aida (Verdi) Celeste Aida
2. Andrea Chenier (Giordano) Come un bel dì di Maggio
3. Andrea Chenier (Giordano) Un di all’azzurro spazio
4. Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Vicino a te (w. Bovy)
5. Ave Maria (Benoit)
6. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Brindisi
7. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Lo so che l torto
8. Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Mamma, quel vino è generoso
9. Der singende Traum (Tauber) Du bist die Welt für mich
10. Fidelio (Beethoven) Gott! welch’ Dunkel hier!
11. Iris (Mascagni) Apri la tua finestra
12. Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti) Di pescatore ignobile
13. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba
14. Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia