Description

ANDRÉ PERNET (RAMBERVILLERS/LES VOSGES, FRANCE, 6 JANUARY, 1894 – PARIS, FRANCE, 17 JUNE, 1966)

After serving as an officer in the French army during World War I, he pursued vocal studies in Jura, allowing his voice to develop naturally. He trained at the Conservatoire National de Paris, where he studied under André Gresse, among others. His operatic debut came in 1921 at the Nice Opera, where he performed the role of Vitellius in Massenet’s Hérodiade. Over the next several years, he sang on provincial stages in France, including Cannes, Strasbourg, Deauville, Toulouse, and Geneva.

In 1928, he was invited to perform at the Paris Grand Opéra, where he quickly rose to prominence as one of the leading French singers in his vocal category. His premieres at the Grand Opéra included roles in notable works such as Ibert’s Persée et Andromède (1929), Reynaldo Hahn’s Le marchand de Venise (as Shylock, 1935), George Enesco’s Oedipe (1936), Darius Milhaud’s Maximilien (1932), Canteloube’s Vercingétorix (1933), and Henri Rabaud’s Roland et le mauvais garçon (1934).

In 1931, due to disagreements over fees, he briefly left the Grand Opéra, performing exclusively at the Opéra-Comique for a season. His most celebrated roles included Massenet’s Don Quichotte, Méphisto in Gounod’s Faust, Boris Godunov, and Don Giovanni. He made renowned guest appearances internationally, including in Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Monte Carlo, and North America.

Pernet also appeared in a film adaptation of Charpentier’s Louise, where he was partnered with Grace Moore and Georges Thill, conducted by the composer himself. He remained a member of the Paris Grand Opéra and Opéra-Comique until 1948. After retiring in 1949, he resided in Paris and sadly became completely paralyzed later in life.

TRACKLIST

1. Faust (Gounod) Vous qui faites l’endormie Odeon 188.782 Ki-3840
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) La calomnie HMV DB5019 2LA1457
3. Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky) J’ai le pouvoir suprème Odeon 123.723 XXP7148
4. Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky) Je souffre, je succombe Odeon 123.723 XXP7149
5. Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Chanson de la puce HMV unpubl 2LA1828
6. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Sérénade & Pour cette fête HMV DA4850 0PG1451
7. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Viens, une voix t’appelle (w. Delmas) HMV DA4850 0PG1453
8. Don Quichotte (Massenet) C’est vers ton amour Odeon 188.783 Ki-3838
9. Don Quichotte (Massenet) Je suis le chevalier Odeon 188.783 Ki-3839
10. Faust (Gounod) Le veau d’or Odeon 188.782 Ki-3841
11. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Bénédiction HMV DB5044 2LA2257
12. Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Les troubles HMV DB5044 2LA1827
13. Lakmé (Delibes) Lakmé, ton doux regard se voile (Stances) Odeon 123.693 XXP7058
14. Louise (Charpentier) Berceuse Odeon 123.711 XXP7089
15. Mireille (Gounod) Si les filles d’Arles Odeon 188.716 Ki-3241
16. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Prologue HMV DB5019 2LA1460
17. Philémon et Baucis (Gounod) Au bruit des lourds Odeon 188.851 Ki-4980
18. Philémon et Baucis (Gounod) Que le songes heureux Odeon 188.851 Ki-4979
19. Thaïs (Massenet) Voilà donc la terrible cité Odeon 123.711 XXP7318
20. Boris Godounov (Moussorgsky) Mort de Boris HMV unpubl. 2LA2258