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

 

 

Faust (Gounod) Cavatine 60065, XP3060 Odeon, Paris 19061907

Faust (Gounod) Divine pureté (w. Landouzy) 56124 XP3625 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Duo, act 1, pt 1 (w. Billot) 60328 XP3361 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Il se fait tard (w. Landouzy) 56127 XP3629 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Laisse-moi contempler (w. Demougeot) 34037 3159F G&T, Paris 1904

Faust (Gounod) Laisse-moi contempler (w. Tanésy) 730 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

Faust (Gounod) Laisse-moi contempler 2-32969 2288-F G&T, Paris 1903

Faust (Gounod) Ne permetterez-vous pas (w. Landouzy) 56123 XP3624 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) O nuit d’amour (w. Landouzy) 56156 XP3681 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Quatuor, pt 1 (w. Landouzy, Lauger-Dubois & Billot) 56160 XP3690 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Quatuor, pt 2 (w. Landouzy, Lauger-Dubois & Billot) 56158 XP3691 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure 2-32595 1182-F G&T, Paris 1902 (late)

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure 162 Grands Magasins du Louvre Paris, 1899-1901

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure 50386 50386-1 Columbia, Paris 1904

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure 150033 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Faust (Gounod) Salut o mon dernier matin 60137 XP3071 Odeon, Paris 19061907

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure P3 3-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Faust (Gounod) Salut, ô mon dernier matin 3-32968 2252-CS G&T, Paris 1903