Description

ANDRÉ GRESSE (LYON, FRANCE, 23 MARCH, 1868 – PARIS, FRANCE, 19 FEBRUARY, 1937)

 

 

 

 

He was the son of the bass Léon Gresse, who was active at the Paris Grand Opéra. André Gresse originally wanted to become a painter and attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. However, in 1893, he began studying singing at the Paris Conservatory under Taskin, Melchissédec, and Duvernoy. He made his debut in 1896 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris as the Commendatore in Don Giovanni, with Victor Maurel singing the title role. At the Opéra-Comique, he performed roles such as Gaveston in Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche and Samba-Hamet in Lucien Lambert’s Le Spahi.

When his father retired from the Grand Opéra in 1900, André Gresse succeeded him, beginning with the role of Saint Bris in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots. He remained one of the most prominent singers at the Grand Opéra until 1930. On February 10, 1910, at the Monte Carlo Opera House, he created the role of Sancho Panza in the premiere of Massenet’s Don Quichotte, with Feodor Chaliapin as Don Quichotte. He also participated in the premieres of Massenet’s Sapho (Opéra-Comique, November 27, 1897, as Césaire), Camille Erlanger’s Le Juif Polonais (Opéra-Comique, April 11, 1900), Massenet’s Bacchus (Grand Opéra, May 2, 1909), Georges Hüe’s Le Miracle (Grand Opéra, December 30, 1910), and Alfred Bachelet’s Scemo (Grand Opéra, May 6, 1914).

At the Grand Opéra, Gresse also performed in the premieres of several Wagner operas, including the roles of Fasolt (Das Rheingold, 1909), Titurel (Parsifal, 1914), and King Marke (Tristan und Isolde, 1904, following the French premiere at the Nouveau Théâtre in Paris in 1899). He was especially renowned for his portrayal of Mephisto in Gounod’s Faust, a role he performed for about thirty years at the Grand Opéra. Gresse retired from the stage in 1930 and went on to teach at the Paris Conservatory, where one of his notable pupils was the baritone Martial Singher.

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Faust (Gounod) Retirez-vous!… voici la nuit (w. Campredon, Goulancourt & Beyle) 1635 Pathé, Paris 1912
2. Faust (Gounod) Seigneur Dieu, que vois-je (w. Campredon, Goulancourt & Beyle) 1634 Pathé, Paris 1912
3. Faust (Gounod) Seigneur Dieu, que vois-je (w. Demougeot, Agussol & Affre) 34039 3158F G&T, Paris 1904
4. Faust (Gounod) Seigneur, daignez permettre à votre humble servante (w. Campredon) 1639 Pathé, Paris 1912
5. Faust (Gounod) Sérénade 3-32472 4693o G&T, Paris 1905
6. Faust (Gounod) Sérénade X-82515 Zonophone, Paris 1905
7. Faust (Gounod) Singulier personnage! (w. Noté, Dupré & d’Elty) 1628 Pathé, Paris 1912
8. Faust (Gounod) Va-t’en! (w. Beyle & Campredon) 1648 Pathé, Paris 1912
9. Faust (Gounod) Voyons maintenant! (w. d’Elty & Beyle) 1630 Pathé, Paris 1912
10. Favorite (Donizetti) Duo du 1er acte (w. Vaguet) 3764 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903
11. Galathée (Massé) Aimons, il faut aimer (w. Morlet) 1577 Pathé, Paris 1912
12. Galathée (Massé) Allons à table (w. Morlet, Vaguet & Jouvin) 1583 Pathé, Paris 1912
13. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Bénédiction des poignards 2-32631 1299F G&T, Paris 1902-12
14. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Dans la nuit tout seul (w. Lafargue) 034183 02591v Gramophone, Paris 1912-11-26
15. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Je courais t’avertir (w. Lafargue) 034184 02592v Gramophone, Paris 1912-11-26
16. Juive (Halévy) Si la rigueur (Cavatine) 7212 Idéal Aspir, Paris 1914
17. La Marseillaise (de l’Isle) 0506 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1904
18. Les deux grenadiers (Schumann) 0504 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1904
19. Saisons (Massé) Chanson du blé 0503 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1904
20. Songe d’une nuit d’été (Thomas) Allons, que tout s’apprête 2-32692 1476F G&T, Paris 1903
21. Songe d’une nuit d’été (Thomas) Allons, que tout s’apprête 0508 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1904