Description

CÉSAR VEZZANI (BASTIA, CORSICA, 8 AUGUST, 1888 – MARSEILLE, 11 NOVEMBER, 1951)

 

 

 

 

He was born in Bastia, Corsica, and arrived in Paris in 1908. At first, he could barely read or write and spoke very little French. His voice was discovered by the soprano Agnès Borgo (1879-1958), who became his first teacher and later sent him to the Conservatoire National de Paris. The two married in 1913.

He made his debut in 1912 at the Opéra-Comique, performing in Grétry’s Richard Cœur de Lion. The couple was invited to sing in Boston and Chicago, but the outbreak of World War I forced them to cancel these engagements. After a disagreement with the management of the Opéra-Comique, his career was largely confined to performing at operas in Nice, Marseille, Toulon, Toulouse, and Brussels, and he never returned to Paris.

During World War II, he lived in exile and performed at the opera in Algiers, where he was highly admired. In 1947, he signed a three-year contract with La Monnaie in Brussels. However, during a rehearsal in Toulon, he suffered a stroke that left him completely paralyzed. He passed away in 1951.

Vezzani was a dramatic tenor of great brilliance, known for his ringing top notes and vibrant vitality in his singing. He was particularly admired in roles such as Otello (in excellent French—a rare skill today), and his renditions of Di quella pira from Il Trovatore, Reyer’s Sigurd, and Corentin in Dinorah showcase him at his finest.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens P624 4-32670 Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-18

Sigurd (Reyer) J’ai garde mon ame ingenue P624 4-32669 Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-20

Tosca (Puccini) Elle est bonne ma Tosca (w. Payan) 111558 xP5974 Odéon, Paris, April 1913

Tosca (Puccini) Et peste, et diantre! (w. Payan) 111588 xP6096 Odeon, Paris 19121913

Tosca (Puccini) Le ciel luisait P848 BN311-II Gramophone, Paris, 20 February 1929

Tosca (Puccini) O de beautés égales (Recondita armonia) (w. Payan) 111557 XP5973 Odeon, Paris 19121913

Tosca (Puccini) Ô des beautés égales P848 BN302-I Gramophone, Paris, 19 February 1929

Trovatore (Verdi) Mere, tu dors…  Oui, la fatigue with Charbonnel  W706 034280, P2 W706 034281 Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-23

Trovatore (Verdi) Supplice infame (Di quella pira) U72 4-32597 Gramophone, Paris 1924-07-11

U banditu d’onore (trad, in Corsican) K7152 50-3465 Gramophone, Paris 1933-10-30

U trenu di Bastia (Marchetti) (in Corsican) K7152 50-3466 Gramophone, Paris 1933-10-30

Walkure (Wagner) O glaive promis de mon pere (Ein schwert verhieß mir der vater) W755 032471 Gramophone, Paris 1925-02-26

Walküre (Wagner) O glaive promis par mon père (Ein Schwert verhieß) DB4857 52-1088 Gramophone, Paris 1932-01-28

Walküre (Wagner) Plus d’hiver, déjà le printemps (Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond) DB4857 52-1088 Gramophone, Paris 1932-01-28

Werther (Massenet) Lorsque l’enfant révient 111881 xP6420 Odéon, Paris, 1914

Werther (Massenet) Oui, ce qu’elle m’ordonne… Lorsque l’enfant Revient P844 52-1256 Gramophone, Paris 1929-02-28

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller 111882 xP6421 Odéon, Paris, 1914

Werther (Massenet) Un autre est son epoux… J’aurais sur ma poitrine P808 4-32848 Gramophone, Paris 1929-02-26