Description

LOUIS ARNOULT (PARIS, FRANCE, MARCH 28, 1901 – PARIS, FRANCE, DECEMBER 4, 1993)

He received his first singing lessons from pedagogues G. Paulet and Mme. Fourestier, and from 1924 to 1928, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won several prizes in 1928. He began his career as a concert singer and made his operatic debut in 1929 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, singing the role of Noctambule in Louise by G. Charpentier, and continued performing there until 1956. Between 1934 and 1954, he also appeared at the Paris Grand Opéra, performing roles such as Tamino in The Magic Flute, Dimitri in Boris Godunov, Nicias in Thaïs, and Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice.

He made guest appearances at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 1935 and at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona, where he sang roles like Faust, performing alongside Victoria de los Ángeles. He also performed at numerous prestigious opera houses across the French provinces. In 1933, he created the role of Gonzalve in the Dutch premiere of Maurice Ravel’s L’Heure espagnole under the baton of Pierre Monteux. At the Opéra-Comique, he participated in the premieres of E. Bondeville’s L’École des Maris (1935) and D. Milhaud’s Esther de Carpentras (1938).

His repertoire included a wide range of roles, such as Belmonte in Entführung aus dem Serail, Wilhelm Meister in Mignon, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Werther, Des Grieux in Manon, Mylio in Le Roi d’Ys, Gérald in Lakmé, Alfredo in La Traviata, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Jean in Sapho, as well as numerous operetta roles. After retiring from the stage, he worked as a vocal pedagogue at the Conservatoire International de Musique in Paris.

Chronology of some appearances

1929-1956 Paris Opéra-Comique

1934-1954 Paris Grand Opéra

TRACKLIST

1. Brummel (Hahn) Je vous aimais sans le savoir Odeon 238317
2. Brummell (Hahn) Ce sont les dandys de Brummell Odeon 238318
3. Brummell (Hahn) Etre un dandy Odeon 238318
4. Brummell (Hahn) Les bergers Watteau (w. Morlet) Odeon 238322
5. Brummell (Hahn) L’on dira c’qu’on voudra (w. Sim-Viva) Odeon 238317
6. Frasquita (Lehár) Act I Final (w. Supervia) Ultraphone P76398-2
7. Frasquita (Lehár) Connais-tu donc l’âme (w. Supervia) Ultraphone AP1021
8. Frasquita (Lehár) Deux yeux très doux Ultraphone AP1021
9. Frasquita (Lehár) Ne T’aurais-je qu’une fois Ultraphone AP1021
10. Frasquita (Lehár) Quand un cœur veut parler le langage d’amour (w. Supervia) Ultraphone AP1023
11. La Belle Hélène (Offenbach) Au Mont Ida Orchestre de la Radio-Lyrique dir. Jules Gressi
12. La Belle Hélène (Offenbach) Le jugement de Pâris Orchestre de la Radio-Lyrique dir. Jules Gressi
13. La Tulipe noire (Richepin) La fleur qui me devra le jour Ultraphone AP622
14. La veuve joyeuse (Lehár) Viens dans ce joli pavillon (w. Regelly) Odeon 250060
15. La Veuve joyeuse (Lehár) Je proclame que les femmes Odeon 250060
16. L’Heure Espagnole (Ravel) Un financier, et un poète (with Gilles, Dufranne, Aubert & Krieger) Columbia D15149-55
17. Mignon (Thomas) Adieu Mignon Live Concert
18. Passionnément (Messager) (w. Koval) Ultraphone AP821