| Biography | After initial education at the Toulouse Conservatory he studied with the famous tenor Jean de Reszke in Paris. He made his stage deubt in 1911 at the opera house of Nimes as Des Grieux in Massenet's Manon - the beginning of a big career. From 1920-24 he was at the Opera-Comique in Paris and from 1923-35 was also at the Grand Opera. His roles were the title character in Gounod's Faust, the Duke in Rigoletto, title characters in Lohengrin and Don Carlos, Manrico in Il Trovatore and the title character in Pizzetti's Fra Gherardo (he had sung the world premiere at La Scala on May 16, 1928). He also participated in the world premieres of Charles-Marie Widor's Nerto (1924), and, at the Opera-Comique, Henri Busser's Les noces corinthiennes (May 10, 1922). He switch into the heroic roles of his fach [at this time]. Toscanini was fond of his voice and summoned him to La Scala, where he appeared until 1931. In 1926 he had the high point of his career when he sang the title role in Don carlo, and in 1927 he sang in Otello. He sang in Boito's Nerone and made several guest appearances (around Italy) in this role. In the 1929-30 season he sang at the Metropolitan Opera and at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. He gave up his stage career in 1935 and stayed in Marseille as a teacher. |