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) Salut, ô mon dernier matin 3487, Pathé, Paris 1910 (with orchestra)

Faust (Gounod) Scène de la prison (w. Landouzy) 56122 XP3623 Odeon, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Seigneur Dieu, que vois-je (w. Demougeot, Agussol & Gresse) 34039 3158F G&T, Paris 1904

Favorite (Donizetti) Ange si pur  X-82526 Zonophone Paris 1904

Favorite (Donizetti) Ange si pur 3505 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

Favorite (Donizetti) Ange si pur 3505 Pathé, Paris 1910 (with orchestra)

Favorite (Donizetti) Un ange, une femme inconnue 2144 Grands Magasins du Louvre, Paris 1899-1901

Favorite (Donizetti) Va-t’en d’ici (w. Talexis) 60481 XP3684 Odeon, Paris 1907

Favorite (Donizetti) Viens, viens, je cède (w. Talexis) 60469 XP3685 Odeon, Paris 1907

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Asile héréditaire 2-32594 1150-F G&T, Paris 1902 (late)

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Asile héréditaire 3484 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Asile héréditaire 36412 XP2325 Odeon, Paris 1906

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Asile héréditaire 50385 Columbia, Paris 1904

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Duo (w. Noté) 34003 1181-F G&T, Paris 1902 (late)

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) O Mathilde (w. Rigaux) 97002 XP4259 Odeon, Paris 1908-06

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Ses jours (w. Albers & Belhomme) P1701 1701-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Ses jours qu’ils ont osé proscrire, pt 1 (w. Noté & Nivette) 36729 XP2585 Odeon, Paris 1906-08

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Ses jours qu’ils ont osé proscrire, pt 2 (w. Noté & Nivette) 36730 XP2586 Odeon, Paris 1906-08