Description

FRANCISCO D’ANDRADE (LISBON, 11 JANUARY, 1859 – BERLIN, 8 FEBRUARY, 1921)

 

 

 

 

His full name was Francisco Augusto de Andrade E Silva, and he was the brother of the renowned tenor Antonio d’Andrade. He began his singing studies in Lisbon under Manuel Carreira, Luiz da Costa, and José Romano in 1881, before continuing his education in Milan with Miraglia and Ronconi.

He made his debut in 1882 in Sanremo as Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida. Over the following years, he enjoyed a successful career across Italy, Spain, and Portugal, performing at major venues including La Scala and the Teatro Costanzi in Rome.

He made notable guest appearances, including at Covent Garden in London from 1886 to 1890, where he achieved significant success in roles such as Renato in Ballo in Maschera, Germont in La Traviata, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. In 1887, he sang Telramund in Lohengrin in Moscow, and in 1889, he joined an opera troupe led by impresario Gardini in Berlin.

His success in Berlin, particularly in roles like Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia, Rigoletto, and Don Giovanni, led him to settle there. He performed frequently at the Berlin Court Opera from 1906 to 1916 and was a regular at the Opera House of Frankfurt am Main from 1891 to 1910, as well as at the Municipal Theatre of Zurich in 1894, 1896, 1901, and 1909.

He was acclaimed for his portrayal of Don Giovanni, a role in which he was considered unparalleled. This was exemplified by Max Slevogt’s painting of his Don Giovanni. His repertoire also included Figaro in Rossini’s Barbiere di Siviglia, and he sang in Salzburg in 1901 alongside Lilli Lehmann, Johanna Gadski, and Geraldine Farrar.

In addition to his work in German-speaking countries, he performed throughout Europe, including in Holland, Austria, Russia, England, and Scandinavia. His diverse repertoire included French opera roles such as Nevers in Les Huguenots, Escamillo in Carmen, Hoël in Dinorah, Zurga in Pêcheurs de perles, Nelusco in L’Africaine, Valentin in Faust, and Scindia in Le Roi de Lahore.

During World War I, he left Germany in 1916 due to Portugal’s involvement in the conflict and returned to Portugal. He made his final stage appearance in 1918 as Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia. He returned to Berlin in 1919 but died suddenly two years later.

 

 

TRACKLIST

  

 

1. Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Sohn, knie nieder (Gebet) Lyrophon d’A4
2. Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Ich bin das FaktotumLyrophon d’A5
3. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Wie TodesahnungLyrophon d’A9
4. Favorita (Donizetti) Arie des Alfonso Lyrophon d’A8
5. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Finch’han dal vino Lyrophon d’A12
6. Carmen (Bizet) Votre toast Lyrophon d’A7
7. Rigoletto (Verdi) Arie des Rigoletto d’A10