Description

GEORGES THILL (PARIS, FRANCE, 14 DECEMBER, 1897 – DRAGUIGNAN, FRANCE, 17 OCTOBER, 1984 DECEMBER)

The distinguished French tenor Georges Thill studied at the Paris Conservatoire and with Fernando De Lucia in Naples.  Returning to Paris, he sang at the Opéra-Comique. He made his first appearance at the Opéra as Nicias in Thaïs in February 1924, and continued to sing there regularly until 1940. He appeared at London’s Covent Garden in 1928 and 1937. He made his Metropolitan debut in New York as Romeo in March 1931, remaining on the company’s roster until 1932. His farewell appearance was as Canio at the Opéra-Comique in 1953. His outstanding roles included Don José, Romeo, Julien in Louise, Aeneas, and Samson. He was also a fine singer of Italian and German roles.

Chronology of  some appearances

Thaïs- Paris, Opéra, 24 February 1924 – Faust- Bécon-les-Bruyères, Municipal, August 1924 – Rigoletto- Paris, Opéra, 25 September 1924 – Le triomphe de l’amour (Composer Lulli) – Paris, Opéra, 6 January 1925 – Fleur de pêcher (Composer Simon) – Paris, Opéra, 24 February 1925 – Hérodiade- Paris, Opéra, 3 July 1925 – Aida- Paris, Opéra, 20 July 1925 – Werther, Nîmes, Municipal, 15 October 1925 – Le Jardin du paradis (Composer Bruneau) – Paris, Opéra, 13 november 1925 – Brocéliande (Composer Bloch) – Paris, Opéra, 23 November 1925 – Paillasse- Paris, Opéra, 8 January 1926 – Alceste- Paris, Opéra, 8 February 1926 – Roméo et Juliette- Paris, Opéra, 3 May 1926 – Manon (St. Sulpice) – Paris, Opéra, 1 june 1926 – Lohengrin- Paris, Opéra, 28 August 1926 – La Damnation de Faust- Amiens, Municipal, 14 December 1926 – La Traviata- Paris, Opéra, 24 December 1926 – Naïla (Composer Gaubert) – Paris, Opéra,6 April 1927 – Le Miracle (Composer Hue) – Paris, Opéra, 15 November 1927 – La Tour de feu (Composer Lazzari) – Paris, Opéra, 15 January 1928 – Turandot- Paris, Opéra, 29 March 1928 – Carmen- Paris, Opéra-Comique, 15 May 1928 – Samson et Dalila- Paris, Opéra, 26 May 1928 – Marouf- Paris, Opéra, 21 June 1928 – Parsifal- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 2 February 1929 – Martha- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 27 March 1929 – La Croisade des dames (Composer Schubert/Gunsbourg), 1 April 1929 – Tosca- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 9 April 1929 – Les Troyens- Paris, Opéra, 2 May 1929 – Andrea Chenier- Buenos Aires, Colón, 31 July 1929 – Guillaume Tell- Paris, Opéra, 21 October 1929 – La Fanciualla del West- Milano, Scala, 7 February 1930 – Satan (Composer Gunsbourg)- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 25 March 1930 – Tannhäuser, Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 5 April 1930 – Don Carlos-Buenos Aires, Colón, 25 May 1930 – Sadko- Buenos Aires, Colón, 1 july 1930 – Mefistofele- Buenos Aires, Colón, 26 September 1930 – Manon-Buenos Aires, Colón, 5 June 1931 – Fra Gherardo (Composer Pizzetti)- Buenos Aires, Colón, 17 July 1931 – Nazdah (Composer Palma)-Buenos Aires, Colón, 14 August 1931 – Esclarmonde- Paris, Opéra, 11 November 1931 – Le Prophète- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 26 January 1932 – Lakmé- New York, MET, 19 February 1932 – La Valse de Vienne- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 23 February 1933 – Vercingétorix (Composer Canteloube) – Paris, Opéra, 22 May 1933 – Die Meistersinger- Paris, Opéra, 8 November 1933 – La Belle Hélène- Monte-Carlo, Garnier, 17 February 1934 – Rolande et le mauvais garçon (Composer Rabaud) – Paris, Opéra, 22 May 1934 – Les Huguenots- Paris, Opéra, 20 March 1936 – Il Guarany- Rio de Janeiro, Municipal, 20 August 1936 – Ariane (Composer Massenet) – Paris, Opéra, 22 February 1937 – La Juive (Excerpts)- Paris, Chaillot, 22 October 1945.

TRACKLIST

1. Agnus Dei Chant liturgique (Bizet) Columbia LX1634-1 LFX275 24 09 1932
2. Air Ah! quel prodige d’amour (Bach) Columbia CLX1908-1 LFX441 27 04 1936
3. Air Prends mon coeur (Bach) Columbia CLX 1907-1 LFX441 27 04 1936
4. Aprés un rêve  (Fauré) Columbia L3877-1 LF125 26 09 1932
5. Cantique de Noël Minuit, Chrétiens (Adam) Columbia LX1633-1 LFX275 24 09 1932
6. Clair de Lune (Fauré) Columbia CL5894 LF154 10 10 1936
7. Elégie (Massenet) Columbia L3387-1 LF104 01 12 1931
8. En priére (Fauré) Columbia CL5896 LF152 10 10 1936
9. Herodiade (Massenet) Ne pouvant réprimer Columbia LX27-2 L1964 07 01 1927
10. La Bohème (Puccini) Que cette main est froide Columbia LX1440-2 LFX144 08 12 1930
11. La truite (Schubert) Lied (Die Forelle) Columbia CL5184-1 LF141 09 01 1935
12. Le chant du cygne (Schubert) N°4. Sérénade (Ständchen) Columbia CL5183-1 LF141 09 01 1935
13. Le réve Passe (Helmer-Krier) Columbia L3409-1 DF761 15 12 1931
14. Le roi des aulnes Lied (Der Erlkönig) (Schubert) Columbia CLX1747 LFX336 15 12 1933
15. Les Béatitudes 4e Béatitude (Franck) Columbia LX101-1 D15121 19 10 1927
16. Les oiseaux dans le soir Mélodie (Bird songs at eventide) (Coates) Columbia L3879-2 LF110 26 09 1932
17. Lohengrin (Wagner) Mon Cygne aimé Columbia LX1444-1 LFX144 12 12 1930
18. Lohengrin (Wagner) Récit du Graal Aux bords lointains Columbia LX1299 LFX39 07 03 1930
19. Medjé (Gounod) Columbia CLX1734-3 LFX333 09 10 1933
20. Messe en si mineur (Bach) Benedictus pt 1 and pt 2 Columbia CL5710, CL5711, LF151, LF151 27 04 1936
21. Noël (Fauré) Columbia CL5895 LF152 10 10 1936
22. Otello (Verdi) Desdémone coupable Pt 1, pt 2 and pt 3 with José Beckmans Columbia CLX2260, CLX2261, CLX2262, LFX654,  LFX655,  LFX656 29 05 1942
23. Paillasse (Leoncavallo) Pauvre Paillasse Columbia L674-1 7016 19 10 1927
24. Pensée d’automne Mélodie (Massenet) Columbia LX1300-1 LFX37 08 03 1930
25. Rêve d’amour (Liszt) Columbia CLX1748-1 LFX333 15 12 1933
26. Rigoletto (Verdi) Vois à tes pieds with Vina Bovy Columbia CLX1901 LFX472 05 03 1936
27. Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) L’amour, l’amour… Ah, leve-toi, soleil Columbia LX45 L1985 11 02 1927
28. Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Chant Hindou Columbia CLX1735 LFX336 09 10 1933
29. Sérénade (Ständchen) (Schubert) Columbia CL5183-1 LF141 09 01 1935
30. Sérénade Toscane (Fauré) Columbia CL5893 LF154 10 10 1936
31. Traviata (Verdi) Je suis aimé de toi Columbia LX29-2 L1964 08 01 1927