Description

VICTOR MAUREL (MARSEILLES, 17 JUNE, 1848 – NEW YORK CITY, 22 OCTOBER, 1923)

 

 

 

 

He was a French operatic baritone who enjoyed an international reputation as a great singing-actor. Educated in music and stage craft at the Paris Conservatory, he made his debut in opera at the city of his birth, Marseilles, in 1867. The following year, he performed on stage in Paris for the first time. The city of New York first heard him in 1873, when he performed at the Academy of Music. Later, he would sing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House (in 1894-96 and 1898–99). Other famous venues at which he appeared included London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden—in 1873-79, 1891–95 and 1904—and the Paris Opera, where he was on the roster of singers from 1879 through to 1894. Maurel was renowned in Europe and the United States for his vivid stage presence and exceptional acting and make-up skills; but his voice, while well trained and of good quality, was not considered to be as impressive as that of his chief French baritone rivals, Jean Lassalle (1847–1909) and Maurice Renaud (1861–1933). In 1887, Maurel created the role of Iago in Otello at La Scala, Milan, and then, in 1893, he created the title role in Falstaff, again at La Scala. These were the final two operatic masterpieces composed by Giuseppe Verdi, and it was Verdi who selected Maurel to perform in the premieres. Maurel made operatic history for a third time in 1892 when he was chosen to be the first Tonio in Ruggero Leoncavallo’s enduringly popular verismo opera, Pagliacci. Like many Paris-trained singers of his day, Maurel was equally adept at performing roles in Italian and French. He appeared, too, in several German operas by Richard Wagner and was a famous Don Giovanni in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera of the same name. After retiring from opera, Maurel taught singing in New York City, where he died at the age of 75. One of his pupils was contralto Frances Ingram.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1871 Vicenza  Teatro Eretenio Favorita (Alfonso)

1871 Vicenza  Teatro Eretenio Ruy Blas (Sallustio)

1872 Venezia  Teatro Malibran Ballo in Maschera (Renato)

1872 Venezia  Teatro Malibran Linda di Chamonix (Prefetto)

1872 Livorno  Teatro Avvalorati Ruy Blas (Sallustio)

1875 Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1875 Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Trovatore (Conte)

1879 Londra  Covent Garden Ernani (Don Carlo)

1880 Firenze  Teatro Della Pergola Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1881 Montecarlo  Opera Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1885 Barcellona  Teatro Liceo Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1887 Milano  Teatro La Scala Otello (Jago) creator

1887 Roma  Teatro Costanzi Otello (Jago)

1887 Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Otello (Jago)

1888 Bologna  Teatro Comunale Otello (Jago)

1889 Milano Teatro La Scala Otello (Jago)

1889 Milano  Teatro Dal Verme Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1889 Londra  Lyceum Theater Otello (Jago)

1889 Trieste  Teatro Comunale Otello (Jago)

1890 Buenos Ayres  Teatro dell’Opera Otello (Jago)

1891 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Ernani (Don Carlo)

1891 Napoli  Teatro San Carlo Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1891 Nice  Casinò Municipal Otello (Jago)

1891 Londra  Covent Garden Otello (Jago)

1891 Palermo  Politeama Otello (Jago)

1892 Milano  Teatro La Scala Otello (Jago)

1892 Milano Teatro Dal Verme Pagliacci (Tonio) creator

1894 Lisbona  Teatro San Carlos Otello (Jago)

1894 Brooklyn  Opera House Otello (Jago)

1894 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Otello (Jago)

1894 Philadelphia  Opera Otello (Jago)

1895 Baltimora  Opera Otello (Jago)

1895  Boston  Opera House Otello (Jago)

1895 Washington  Opera Otello (Jago)

1895 Chicago  Auditorium Otello (Jago)

1895 St.Louis  Teatro Odeon Otello (Jago)

1895 Londra Covent Garden Otello (Jago)

1897 Montecarlo  Palais Garnier  Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1899 Boston  Opera House Ugonotti (Nevers)

1903 Lisbona  Teatro San Carlos Otello (Jago)

1904 Londra  Covent Garden Otello (Jago)

1904 Londra  Covent Garden Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1905 Londra  Covent Garden Barbiere di Siviglia (Figaro)

1905 Londra  Covent Garden Don Pasquale (Malatesta)

1907 Barcellona  Teatro Novedades Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1907 Philadelphia  Academy of Music Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

1908 Washington  Teatro Belasco Rigoletto (Rigoletto)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. Chanson de printemps (Gounod) 2-32815 11626F G&T, Paris 1903
2. Iphigénie en Tauride (Gluck): Récit et Air de Thoas 2-32809 1627F G&T, Paris 1903
3. Marquise (Massenet) 2-32810 1628F G&T, Paris 1903
4. L’heure exquise (Hahn) 2-32811 1629F G&T, Paris 1903
5. Le rondel de l’adieu (de Lara) 2-32812 1630F G&T, Paris 1903
6. Fédia (Erlanger) 2-32813 1631F G&T, Paris 1903
7. Otello (Verdi): Le rêve de Jago (CR) 2-32814 1632F G&T, Paris 1903
8. Otello (Verdi): Era la notte 39042 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-10/11
9. Marechiare (Tosti) 39032 XPh65 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
10. Don Giovanni (Mozart): Deh! vieni alla finestra 39041 XPh66 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
11. Le rondel de l’adieu (de Lara) 39246 XPh67 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
12. Mandolinata (Paladilhe) 39245 XPh68 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
13. Ninon (Tosti) 39247 XPh69 Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
14. Falstaff (Verdi): Quand’ero paggio 62016 XPh2332 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-08
15. A year ago (d’Hardelot) 62018 XPh2333 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-08
16. Au temps du grand roi (Tosti) 62017 XPh2334 Fonotipia, Milano 1907-01-08