Description

CHARLES ROUSSELIÈRE (SAINT-NAZAIRE-D’AUDE, 17 JANUARY, 1875 – JOUÉ-LÈS-TOURS, 11 MAY, 1950)

 

 

 

 

Originally a blacksmith by trade, he studied with Albert Vaguet at the Paris Conservatoire and made his début at the Opéra as Samson in 1900. The following year he sang in the première of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Les barbares, and he remained with the company until 1905. Until 1919 he was a favourite at Monte Carlo, where he appeared first in La damnation de Faust; premières there included Pietro Mascagni’s Amica, Saint-Saëns’s L’ancêtre and Gabriel Fauré’s Pénélope. His début at the Metropolitan in Roméo et Juliette in 1906 coincided with that of Geraldine Farrar , who received more attention; his dramatic skill was appreciated but the power of his voice, sometimes strident, suggested that he should turn to more heroic roles. This he did on his return to France, adding Otello, Lohengrin, Siegfried and Parsifal to his repertory. He also appeared in Berlin, Buenos Aires and Milan, and in his later years sang mostly at the Opéra-Comique where in 1913 he created the title role in Gustave Charpentier’s Julien. His varied repertory is well represented in recordings made between 1903 and 1926: his voice is strong and clearly defined, his style authoritative in declamation and well mannered in more lyrical music.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1905 Montecarlo Teatro del Casinî Amica (Giorgio)

1906 New York Teatro Metropolitan Dannazione di Faust (Faust)

1907 New York Teatro Metropolitan Carmen (Don Jose)

1907 Montevideo Teatro Solis Don Carlo (Carlo)

1909 Roma Teatro Costanzi Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)

1911 Palermo Teatro Massimo Don Carlo (Carlo)

1911 Madrid Teatro Reale Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Ai cimitière (Saint-Saëns) 2-32758 1691F G&T, Paris 1903

Aida (Verdi) Mourir, ô toi si belle D9149 41305 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Aida (Verdi) O céleste Aida 2-32855 1887F G&T, Paris 1903

Aimons-nous (Saint-Saëns) 2-32817 1804F G&T, Paris 1903

Ariane (Massenet) Romance S 611 Soc. D’edition

Barbares (Saint-Saëns) Depuis longtemps 2-32857 1889F G&T, Paris 1903

Barbares (Saint-Saens) Divinités libératrices 2-32856 1888F G&T, Paris 1903

Bohème (Puccini) Ah Mimi s’en est allée (w. A Boyer) 34021 2137F G&T, Paris 1903

Carmen (Bizet) Halte-là! 2-32859 1893F G&T, Paris 1903

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Chanson à boire 2-32873 1998F G&T, Paris 1903

Cri de guerre (Trépard)

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Invocation à la nature 4710 Pathé, Paris 1907

Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Nature immense 2-32883 2064-P1 G&T, Paris 1903

Faust (Gounod) Il se fait tard… Laisse-moi (w. Agussol) 10118 Beka

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure 4713 Pathé, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure chaste et pure X 33072 Odeon, Paris 1903

Favorite (Donizetti) Un nage, une femme inconnue 2-32880 2071F G&T, Paris 1903

Götterdämmerung (Wagner) La mort de Siegfried 561011 3463BKP Polydor, Paris 1930

Herculanum (David) Je veux aimer toujours 2-32874 2000F G&T, Paris 1903

Hérodiade (Massenet) Air de Jean 2-32818 1805F G&T, Paris 1903

Hérodiade (Massenet) Air de Jean 7525 Beka, Paris 1906 (announcement 1907)

Hérodiade (Massenet) Air de Jean 33070 Odeon, Paris 19031904

Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck) Cavatine de Pylade 2-32808 1799F G&T, Paris 1903

Juive (Halevy) Dieu m’éclaire 2-32842 1813F G&T, Paris 1903

Juive (Halévy) Dieu que ma voix tremblante 7526 Beka, Paris 1906 (announcement 1907)

Juive (Halevy) Rachel, quand du Seigneur 2-32843 1814F G&T, Paris 1903

Le Crépuscule des Dieux (Wagner) Mort de Siegfried 561011 3463BKP Polydor, Paris 1930

Le rêve du prisonnier (Rubinstein) 032001 2349F G&T, Paris 1903

Lohengrin (Wagner) Ah, respirons tous deux 2-32992 2343F G&T, Paris 1903

Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) O bel ange 2-32986 2265F G&T, Paris 1903

Lydia (Fauré) 561022 3780BKP Polydor, Paris 1930

Manon (Massenet) Ah fuyez, douce image 2-32807 1798F G&T, Paris 1903

Manon (Massenet) Ah fuyez, douce image D9157 38788-R-3 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Manon (Massenet) En fermant les yeux (w. J Rousselière, not on label) 2-32806 1796F G&T, Paris 1903

Manon (Massenet) En fermant les yeux 3327 Odeon, 1903

Manon (Massenet) Et je sais votre nom (w. J Rousselière) 34011 1794F G&T, Paris 1903

Manon (Massenet) Nous vivrons à Paris (w. J Rousselière) 34012 1795F G&T, Paris 1903

Martha (Flotow) Lorsqu’à mes yeux 2-32854 1886F G&T, Paris 1903

Mireille (Gounod) Anges du Paradis 2-32816 1802F G&T, Paris 1903

Mireille (Gounod) O Magali with J. Rousselière  34009 1712F G&T, Paris 1903

Mon petit Pierrot (Leoncavallo) 2-32919 2135F G&T, Paris 1903

Noël Païen (Massenet) 566065 1950½BMP Polydor, Paris 1930

Nuit devant la mer (Nerini) 561022 3777BKP Polydor, Paris 1930

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Pauvre Paillasse D9154 72585 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Paillasse (Leoncavallo) Pauvre Paillasse 2-32752 1673-P1 G&T, Paris 1903

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Au fond du temple saint (w. A Boyer) 34022 2351F G&T, Paris 1903

Pensée d’automne (Massenet) 566065 1904BMP Polydor, Paris 1930

Rappelle-toi (Rupès) 2-32998 2474F G&T, Paris 1903

Reine de Chypre (Halévy) Duo (w. A Boyer) 34024 2352F G&T, Paris 1903

Richard Coeur de Lion (Grétry) Une fièvre brûlante (w. A Boyer) 34023 2350F G&T, Paris 1903

Roi d’Ys (Lalo) Aubade 4711 Pathé, Paris 1907

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) Ah, lève-toi, soleil D9153 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Salammbô (Reyer) Ne détourne pas ces regards 2-32753 1678F G&T, Paris 1903

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Arrêtez, ô mes frères 3326 Odeon, 1903

Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) Vois ma misère 7533 Beka

Siegfried (Wagner) La forge 561011 3128BKP Polydor, Paris 1930

Siegfried (Wagner) Murmures de la forêt 566043 Polydor, Paris 1930

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens 2-32846 1817F G&T, Paris 1903

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens 4712 Pathé, Paris 1907

Sigurd (Reyer) J’ai gardé mon âme ingénue 7529 Beka, Paris 1906 (announcement 1907)

Sigurd (Reyer) Un souvenir poignant 7528 Beka

Soir d’hiver (Holmès) 2-32984 2185F G&T, Paris 1903

Stances (Flégier) 2-32847 1818F G&T, Paris 1903

Sur les flots bleus (Trépart) Barcarolle 9160 Dutreih, Paris 1905

Tannhauser (Wagner) Adorez Dieu 2-32987 2266F G&T, Paris 1903

Tendresse (Bachelet) 2-32982 2183F G&T, Paris 1903

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 610 Société d’Edition de Disques Artistiques

Walküre (Wagner) Chant du Printemps 566043 Polydor, Paris 1930

Walkure (Wagner) Lied du printemps 2-32845 1816F G&T, Paris 1903

Walküre (Wagner) Siegmund suis-je 2-32995 2346F G&T, Paris 1903

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller 2-32920 2136F G&T, Paris 1903

Werther (Massenet) Rêve! Extase! Bonheur! 2-32990 2269F G&T, Paris 1903