Léon Melchissédec
Encyclopedia
Léon Melchissédec was a French baritone
who enjoyed a long career in the French capital across a broad range of operatic genres, and later made some recordings and also taught at the Paris Conservatoire.
before coming to Paris to study.
After classes with Alkan, Puget, Mocker and Levasseur at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a first prize in 1865, he made his debut at the Paris Opéra-Comique
on 16 July 1866 in Cohen's José Maria.
Remaining at the Opéra-Comique until 1877, Melchissédec’s repertoire included Les Absents, Le premier jour de bonheur
, Lalla-Roukh, Robinson Crusoé
, Les dragons de Villars
, Le pré aux clercs
, Fantasio
, Mireille
, Richard Cœur de Lion and Le Caïd. In 1873 he became the first true baritone to sing the title role of Zampa
(as opposed to a singer of mixed voice).
He moved next to the Théâtre-Lyrique
, singing in Dimitri, Le capitaine Fracasse and the premieres of Paul et Virginie and Le timbre d’argent
. In 1879 he joined the Paris Opéra
, making his debut as Nevers in Les Huguenots
on 17 November 1879. His repertoire there included Guillaume Tell, L'Africaine
, La Favorite
, Rigoletto
, Faust
, and he created roles in Le Tribut de Zamora
, Tabarin, and Le Cid
. Having sang Capulet in the first performance of Roméo et Juliette
at the Opéra-Comique in 1873, he sang Mercutio when it transferred to the repertory of the Opéra.
Melchissédec left the Opéra in 1891 but rejoined from 1905-12, having become a professor of déclamation lyrique at the Paris Conservatoire in 1894. In 1913 he published a treatise on singing entitled ‘Pour Chanter : ce qu’il faut savoir’.
His recordings on APGA, Zonophone and Odeon included La Marseillaise (de Lisle) and excerpts from Les dragons de Villars
, Faust and L'Africaine. However, due to his age at the time of recording, these may only give a partial impression of his singing.
Grove commends his “fine voice and magnificent technique”. After his death his wife left his archive to the Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot in Clermont Ferrand.
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
who enjoyed a long career in the French capital across a broad range of operatic genres, and later made some recordings and also taught at the Paris Conservatoire.
Life and Career
He played second violin in the Théâtre de Saint-ÉtienneSaint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
before coming to Paris to study.
After classes with Alkan, Puget, Mocker and Levasseur at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a first prize in 1865, he made his debut at the Paris Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
on 16 July 1866 in Cohen's José Maria.
Remaining at the Opéra-Comique until 1877, Melchissédec’s repertoire included Les Absents, Le premier jour de bonheur
Le premier jour de bonheur
Le premier jour de bonheur is an opera or opéra comique in 3 acts by composer Daniel Auber. The French language libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery and Eugène Cormon is based on Joseph François Souque's Le chevalier de Canolle...
, Lalla-Roukh, Robinson Crusoé
Robinson Crusoé
Robinson Crusoé is an opéra comique, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach.The French libretto was written by Eugène Cormon and Hector-Jonathan Crémieux, which was loosely adapted from the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, though the work owes more to British pantomime than to the book...
, Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Joseph-Philippe Lockroy.-Performance history:...
, Le pré aux clercs
Le Pré aux clercs
Le pré aux clercs is an opéra comique in three acts by Ferdinand Hérold with a libretto by François-Antoine-Eugène de Planard based on Prosper Mérimée's Chronique du temps de Charles IX of 1829.-Performance history:...
, Fantasio
Fantasio (opera)
Fantasio is an 1872 opéra comique in 3 acts, 4 tableaux with music by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was by Paul de Musset closely based on the play of the same name by his brother Alfred de Musset...
, Mireille
Mireille (opera)
Mireille is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Michel Carré after Frédéric Mistral's poem Mireio.-Composition history:...
, Richard Cœur de Lion and Le Caïd. In 1873 he became the first true baritone to sing the title role of Zampa
Zampa
Zampa, ou La fiancée de marbre is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold...
(as opposed to a singer of mixed voice).
He moved next to the Théâtre-Lyrique
Théâtre de la Ville
The Théâtre de la Ville is one of the two theatres built in the 19th century by Baron Haussmann at Place du Châtelet, Paris; the other being the Théâtre du Châtelet...
, singing in Dimitri, Le capitaine Fracasse and the premieres of Paul et Virginie and Le timbre d’argent
Le timbre d’argent
Le timbre d’argent is an opéra fantastique in four acts by composer Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré. Although completed in 1865, the opera did not receive its premiere performance until 23 February 1877, when it was presented by Albert Vizentini's Théâtre...
. In 1879 he joined the Paris Opéra
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
, making his debut as Nevers in Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. The opera is in five acts and premiered in Paris in 1836. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps....
on 17 November 1879. His repertoire there included Guillaume Tell, L'Africaine
L'Africaine
L'africaine is a grand opera, the last work of the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer. The French libretto was written by Eugène Scribe. The opera is about fictitious events in the life of the real historical person Vasco da Gama...
, La Favorite
La favorite
La favorite is an opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud...
, Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, Faust
Faust (opera)
Faust is a drame lyrique in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play Faust et Marguerite, in turn loosely based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust, Part 1...
, and he created roles in Le Tribut de Zamora
Le tribut de Zamora
Le tribut de Zamora is an opera in four acts by Charles Gounod, his last work for the stage. The libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery was offered to Gounod after negotiations with Verdi stalled, and involves a young couple on their wedding day, a forced tribute of twenty virgins, a slave auction at which...
, Tabarin, and Le Cid
Le Cid (opera)
Le Cid is an opera in four acts and ten tableaux by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Louis Gallet, Édouard Blau and Adolphe d'Ennery. It is based on the play of the same name by Pierre Corneille....
. Having sang Capulet in the first performance of Roméo et Juliette
Roméo et Juliette
Roméo et Juliette is an opéra in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It was first performed at the Théâtre Lyrique , Paris on 27 April 1867...
at the Opéra-Comique in 1873, he sang Mercutio when it transferred to the repertory of the Opéra.
Melchissédec left the Opéra in 1891 but rejoined from 1905-12, having become a professor of déclamation lyrique at the Paris Conservatoire in 1894. In 1913 he published a treatise on singing entitled ‘Pour Chanter : ce qu’il faut savoir’.
His recordings on APGA, Zonophone and Odeon included La Marseillaise (de Lisle) and excerpts from Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars
Les dragons de Villars is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Joseph-Philippe Lockroy.-Performance history:...
, Faust and L'Africaine. However, due to his age at the time of recording, these may only give a partial impression of his singing.
Grove commends his “fine voice and magnificent technique”. After his death his wife left his archive to the Musée d'Art Roger Quilliot in Clermont Ferrand.