Description

JOSÉ LENS (ARDENNES MOHIVILLE, 1897 – BOIS-BOURSU, 1964)

 

 

 

 

He received his first musical education at the Music Academy of Ciney in Belgium and later continued his studies in Liège under Jules Massart. He made his debut in 1926 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels as Nicias in Massenet’s Thaïs. He remained a member of this leading Belgian opera house until 1952.

At the Théâtre de la Monnaie, he appeared in several French-language premières, including Puccini’s Turandot (1926, as Pang), Max von Schillings’ Mona Lisa (1928, as Alessio), Pizzetti’s Debora e Jaele (1929), Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos (1930, as Brighella), Alban Berg’s Wozzeck (1932, as the Captain), and Riccardo Zandonai’s Der Liebestrank (1933, as Renzo). On April 29, 1929, he also sang the role of Alexis in the Belgian premiere of Prokofiev’s Der Spieler (Le Joueur).

His repertoire further included the Steersman in Der fliegende Holländer, Walther von Stolzing in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Assad in Goldmark’s Die Königin von Saba, Herod in Strauss’s Salome, Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana, Julien in Charpentier’s Louise, Canio in Pagliacci, and Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly. He also made guest appearances in France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. He probably retired from the stage around 1955.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1926-1952 Brussels Théâtre de la Monnaie

 

TRACKLIST

 

Polydor

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur A 521938

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Bientôt, l’herbe des champs croîtra A 522030

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Addio fiorito asil B 521937

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vest la giubba B 522030

Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia A 521937

Werther (Massenet) Un autre est son epoux B 521938