Description

MARCEL CLAUDEL (COURCELLES, BELGIUM, 1900 – CHARLEROI, BELGIUM, 1981)

 

 

 

  

His real name was Marcel Buydens. He received his musical education in Charleroi under Edgard Druine and at the Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles. In 1922, he made his debut at the Théâtre la Monnaie in Brussels as Wilhelm Meister in Ambroise Thomas’s Mignon. He remained at the Théâtre la Monnaie until 1927, after which he performed at the Opéra de Lyon and then joined the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where he sang from 1928 to 1937.

At the Opéra-Comique, his repertoire included roles such as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème, Hans in Bedřich Smetana’s The Bartered Bride, Paolino in Domenico Cimarosa’s Il Matrimonio Segreto, and George Brown in François-Adrien Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche. In 1931, he participated in the premiere of Roger Ducasse’s opera Cantegril at the Opéra-Comique.

In 1937, he rejoined the ensemble of the Théâtre la Monnaie, where he performed until 1958. During this time, he also made guest appearances at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, where he sang roles such as Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, Pelléas in Pelléas et Mélisande, and Dimitri in Boris Godunov alongside the legendary Fedor Chaliapin in the title role. His guest performances extended to cities like London (1928), Prague, Antwerp, Bordeaux, Marseille, Geneva, and Oran. He also gave recitals in London and North Africa.

Starting in 1938, he expanded his career to include stage direction. Later in his life, he served as the manager of the theater in Charleroi and became a professor at the Conservatoire Royal de Mons, contributing to the development of future generations of singers.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1923-1927 Brussels Théâtre la Monnaie

1928-1937 Paris Opéra-Comique

1928 London Covent Garden

1931 Paris Opéra-Comique Cantegril

1937-1958 Brussels Théâtre la Monnaie

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Frasquita (Léhar) Deux yeux très doux Polydor 522.675
2. Frasquita (Léhar) Ne t’aurais-je qu’une fois Polydor 522.675
3. Jocelyn (Godard) Berceuse Polydor 521.948 4279 BKP
4. Prodaná Nevěsta (Smetana) Fille cruelle (w. Feraldy) Columbia D15120 WLX609
5. La belle Helene (Offenbach) Le jugement Polydor 522.700
6. Les cloches de Corneville (R. Planquette) Je regardais en l’air HMV K5888 BF 2760
7. Les cloches de Corneville (R. Planquette) Va petit mousse HMV K5888 BF 2759
8. Mireille (Gounod) Duo de Magali (w. Corney) Polydor 516. 550
9. Sadko (Rimksy-Korsakov) Les diamants, chez nous, sont inombrables Polydor 521.946
10. Serenata (Toselli) Polydor 521.948 4278 BKP4
11. C’est là bas va mon coeur est Gramophone K 6051
12. Les dragons de Villars (Maillart) Ne parle pas Polydor 561.045
13. Boheme (Puccini): Duo (w. Cernay) Polydor 27362A 1955 BPM
14. Boheme (Puccini): Che gelida manina Polydor 27362B 1965 BPM½
15. Boheme (Puccini): O soave fanciulla (w. Corney) Polydor 27363A 1954 BPM
16. Boheme (Puccini): Ah, Mimi, tu piu non torni (w. Gaudin) Polydor 27364B 1977 BPM