Description

AGUSTARELLO AFFRE (SAINT-CHINIAN, 23 OCTOBER, 1858 – CAGNES-SUR-MER, FRANCE, 27 DECEMBER, 1931)

 

 

 

 

Discovered by Pierre Gailhard, he initially trained at the conservatories in Toulouse and Paris under Duvernoy. Affre made his debut in 1890 as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor, with Nellie Melba as his partner, marking the beginning of his long association with the Grand Opéra.

Throughout the 1890s, he appeared in prominent French cities such as Lyon, Marseille, and Aix-les-Bains, before making his international debut in Brussels at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in 1900. Among his notable performances at the Grand Opéra were his roles in J. Massenet’s Le Mage (1891) and the French premiere of R. Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci in 1902. His repertoire also included important roles like Raoul in Les Huguenots, Eleazar in La Juive, Faust, and Samson in Samson et Dalila.

Affre made guest appearances in London at Covent Garden in 1909 and later in San Francisco (1911), New Orleans (1912), and Havana (1913). His powerful, heroic voice earned him the nickname “The French Tamagno,” drawing comparisons to the famous Italian tenor. He remained active during World War I, giving concerts to French soldiers near the front lines. He passed away in his villa on the Côte d’Azur and was laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1890 Paris Grand Opera

1891 Paris Grand Opera

1902 Paris Grand Opera

1905 Paris Grand Opera

1909 London Covent Garden

1911 San Francisco Opera

1912 New Orleans Opera

1913 Havana Opera

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens 36682 XP2460 Odeon, Paris 1906

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens P7 7-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Sigurd (Reyer) Oui, Sigurd est vaniqueur 36642 XP2462 Odeon, Paris 1906

Sigurd (Reyer) Un souvenir poignant 36641 XP2461 Odeon, Paris 1906

Sigurd (Reyer) Un souvenir poignant Pathe-APGA P7 7-2 Pathe-APGA, Paris 1910

Stances (Flégier) 3495 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

Stances (Flégier) 97682 XP5109 Odeon, Paris 1910

Stances (Flégier) P2052 2052-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Statue (Reyer) Grand récit 2-32972 2418-CS G&T, Paris 1903

Thamara (Bourgault) Rêve de Nour-Eddin 60308 XP3330 Odeon, Paris 1907

Trovatore (Verdi) Exilé sur la terre 36509 XP2324 Odeon, Paris 1906

Trovatore (Verdi) Exilé sur la terre P5 5-2 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Trovatore (Verdi) Misérère 3506 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

Trovatore (Verdi) Misérère Pathé 3506 Pathé, Paris 1910 (with orchestra)

Trovatore (Verdi) Miserere X-82463 Zonophone Paris 1904

Trovatore (Verdi) O toi mon seul espoir 3-32187 3425-F G&T, Paris 1904

Trovatore (Verdi) Supplice infame X-82462 Zonophone Paris 1904

Vous êtes jolies (Delmet) 60083 XP3058 Odeon, Paris 19061907