Description

RAOUL JOBIN (QUEBEC, APRIL 8, 1906 – QUEBEC, JANUARY 13, 1974)

 

 

 

 

He first studied in Canada at Laval University with Louis Gravel and Émile Larouchelle (1924–1928) and performed as a concert singer while still a student. He continued his education with Mrs. d’Estainville-Rousset and later at the Conservatoire National de Paris. In 1930, he made his first performance in France at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, singing in Liszt’s oratorio Christus. That same year, he debuted at the Paris Grand Opéra as Tybalt in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and, on 24 April 1931, participated in the first performance of Albéric Magnard’s Guercœur.

In 1934, he returned to Canada for family reasons but continued his career as a concert and opera singer, performing with the San Carlo Opera Company. That same year, he began a successful period at the Paris Grand Opéra, where in 1939 he sang Fabrice in the world premiere of Henri Sauguet’s La Chartreuse de Parme. In 1937, he joined the Opéra-Comique and made his debut at Covent Garden as José.

From 1940 to 1950, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera, debuting as des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon alongside Grace Moore. On 20 February 1942, he performed the role of Luca in the premiere of Menotti’s The Island God. He sang 14 roles in over one hundred performances at the Met, including Tonio in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment, Canio in Pagliacci, and the title role in Gounod’s Faust. He also appeared as a guest artist at the operas of Chicago (debut 1941 as José), San Francisco (debut 1940 as Gérald in Lakmé), Rio de Janeiro, and at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.

In 1946, he returned to Europe, resuming successful performances at both the Grand Opéra and the Opéra-Comique in Paris. There, he expanded into heldentenor roles while excelling in the French repertoire, including Werther, Roméo, Hoffmann, Gérald in Lakmé, Nicias in Thaïs, Pelléas, and Faust. His repertoire also included Cavardossi, Radamès, Canio, Lohengrin, and Walther von Stolzing. In 1952, he performed at the Grand Opéra in Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes, and in 1957 at the Opéra-Comique in the French premiere of Richard Strauss’s Capriccio. His final stage role came in 1958 at Vichy as Ulysse in Gabriel Fauré’s Pénélope.

Later, he returned to Canada, performing in concert until 1960. In 1957, he founded a school for singers in Montreal. He was married to soprano Thérèse Drouin, and their son André Jobin (b. 1933) also became a beloved opera singer.

He made recordings for Decca (Roméo et Juliette, Gluck’s Alceste), RCA (excerpts from Carmen), and Columbia (José in Carmen, Les Contes d’Hoffmann). He can also be heard on HRE as Faust in Gounod’s opera, on EJS in Charpentier’s Louise, in Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment at the Met (1940, with Lily Pons), and on Forlane in H. Tomasi’s Don Juan de Mañara.

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Africaine (Meyerbeer) O paradis 72135-D xCo36395- Columbia, New York 1946-06-06

Carmen (Bizet) Final duet (w. Stevens) 71743-D, XCO 35628, 35629 Columbia, New York 1946

Carmen (Bizet) Flower song 71741-D XCO 35632 Columbia, New York 1946

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur que tu m’avais jetée LFX 827 CLX 2595-1 Columbia 1948

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Nature immense 72135-D xCo36394- Columbia, New York 1946-06-06

Hérodiade (Massenet) Adieu, donc 72136-D xCo36396 Columbia, New York 1946-06-06

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Allons! courage et confiance LFX 797 Columbia 1948

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) L’amour dans le bruit et le vin LFX 801 Columbia 1948

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) C’est une chanson d’amour (w. Boué) LFX 805, LFX 806 Columbia 1948

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Il était une fois à la cour d’Eisenach LFX 795 Columbia 1948

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) O Dieu de quelle ivresse LFX 802 Columbia 1948

Lohengrin (Wagner) Aux bords lointains LFX 844 CLX 2597-2 Columbia 1948

Manon (Massenet) Je suis seule… Ah fuyez, douce image 72137-D xCo36373-1 Columbia, New York 1946-05-31

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) L’amour… Ah, lève-toi, soleil 72137-D xCo36375-1 Columbia, New York 1946-05-31

Siegfried (Wagner) Air de la forge LFX 844 CLX 2598-1 Columbia, 1948

Tosca (Puccini) Le ciel luisait d’etoiles LF 270 Columbia 1948

Tosca (Puccini) O de beautés égales LF 270 Columbia 1948

Werther (Massenet) J’aurais sur ma poitrine LFX 827 CLX 2596-1 Columbia 1948

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller 72136-D xCo36374- Columbia, New York 1946-05-31