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

 

 

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Tu l’as dit with Demougeot 34036 3161-F G&T, Paris 1904

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Tu m’aimes (w. Laute-Brun) 97513 XP4890 Odeon, Paris 1909

Juive (Halevy) Dieu que ma voix tremblante 60297 XP3331 Odeon, Paris 1907

Juive (Halévy) Dieu, que ma voix tremblante P4 4-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Juive (Halévy) Rachel, quand du Seigneur P4 4-2 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Le crucifix (Faure) (w. Noté) 34002 1149F G&T, Paris 1902

Le crucifix (Faure) (w. Noté) 50380 50380 Columbia, Paris 1904

Le lac (Niedermeyer)  X-82528 Zonophone Paris 1904

Le temps des cerises (Renard) P2002 2002-2 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Les violettes (Rameau) 3-32244 3582-F G&T, Paris 1904

Les violettes (Rameau) 3499 Pathé cylinders & discs, Paris 1903

L’insensé (Rupès) P2001 2001-1 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Lohengrin (Wagner) Mon cygne aimé 97681 XP5108 Odeon, Paris 1910

Lohengrin (Wagner) Mon cygne aimé P1 1-2 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Lohengrin (Wagner) Récit du Graal 36532 XP2397 Odeon, Paris 1906

Lohengrin (Wagner) Récit du Graal P2 2-2 Pathé-APGA, Paris 1910

Lohengrin (Wagner) Salut! héros aimé! 97151 XP4454 Odeon, Paris 1908

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Ah! que Dieu seul (w. Marchal) 97130 XP4417 Odeon, Paris 1908