Description

LUCIEN MURATORE (MARSEILLE, FRANCE 29, AUGUST 1878 – PARIS, FRANCE, 16 JULY, 1954)

 

 

 

 

He was born and trained in Marseille, first as a cornist, and later as an actor. He made his debut at the Odeon theatre in Paris, where he played opposite such actresses as Sarah Bernhardt and Rejane. He then studied at the Paris Music Conservatory, and made his operatic debut in 1902, at the Opera-Comique, creating the King in Reynaldo Hahn’s La carmelite. He made his debut at La Monnaie in 1904, as Werther, and the following year at the Palais Garnier, as Renaud in Lully’s Armide. He created several Massenet operas such as Ariane and Bacchus, at the Opera, and Roma, in Monte Carlo. He also took part in the creation of La Catalane by Le Borne, Monna Vanna by Henry Fevrier, Dejanire by Camille Saint-Saens, and Pйnelope by Gabriel Faure. He became principal French tenor with the Boston Opera Company, the Chicago Grand Opera Company (1913–1914), the Chicago Opera Association (1915–1921), and the Chicago Civic Opera (1922). He also appeared at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Muratore retired from the stage in 1931. He was married first to soprano Marguerite Beriza, and later to soprano Lina Cavalieri, with whom he appeared in a silent movie, Manon Lescaut, in 1914. In 1944 Muratore was for a few weeks Director of the Opera-Comique but was removed on the Liberation of Paris. His art of singing was at times almost overshadowed by his immense talent as an actor and elegance on stage. His students included Kenneth Neate, to whom he gave some of his own costumes for Don Jose (Bizet’s Carmen).

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1914 Chicago Civic Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1914 Boston Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1915 Chicago Civic Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Kansas City Convention Hall Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Milwaukee Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Omaha Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Toledo Terminal Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Tulsa Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 Chicago Civic Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1916 St. Louis Teatro Coliseum Carmen (Don Jose)

1918 Boston Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1918 Chicago Civic Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

1919 Buenos Ayres Teatro Colon Carmen (Don Jose)

1919 Montevideo Teatro Solis Carmen (Don Jose)

1921 Chicago Civic Opera House Carmen (Don Jose)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

A quoi bon (Film La voix sans visage) (Arnoux-Lévine) X94398 204051 Pathé, Paris 1933-06

A quoi pensez-vous (Berger) 3158 E66129 Pathé, New York 1917-04

Africaine (Meyerbeer) Pays merveilleux! 54006 E67004 Pathé, New York 1918-10

Africaine (Meyerbeer) Pays merveilleux! 63012 E65494 Pathé, New York 1916-05-03

Ariane (Massenet) Arioso de Thésée 1490 A.P.G.A., Paris 1907-01

Ariane (Massenet) La folie de Thésée 1493 A.P.G.A., Paris 1907-01

Ariane (Massenet) Le bonheur qui t’est cher 1491 A.P.G.A., Paris 1907-01

Ariane (Massenet) O vierge guerrière 1492 A.P.G.A., Paris 1907-01

Armide (Gluck) Plus j’observe ces lieux 4918 Pathé, Paris 1909-05

Barbe-Bleue (Offenbach) Encore une… Ma première femme est morte 3-32121 3059F G&T, Paris 1904-03

Bonsoir Madame la Lune! (Bessière-Marinier)  X3478 Pathé, Paris 1931-01

Carmen (Bizet) Air de la fleur 17029 Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris 1904

Carmen (Bizet) Dût-il m’en coûter la vie 3984 Odeon, Paris 1904-0406

Carmen (Bizet) Entr’acte, no.1 17583 Edison 2-min cylinders, Paris 1905-07

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur (date) 64006 E65908 Pathé, New York 1917-01-03

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur 0485 Pathé, New York 1918-10

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur 1506 A.P.G.A., Paris 1907-01

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur que tu m’avais jetée 3983 Odeon, Paris 1904-0406