Michel Roux (opera singer)
Encyclopedia
Michel Roux was a French
baritone
, an established principal at the Paris Opéra who also enjoyed an international career. He was born in Angoulême
on 1 September 1924 and died in Paris
on 4 February 1998.
Roux studied at the Bordeaux
Conservatoire and in Paris, making his operatic debut on 5 October 1949 in Lakmé
at the Opéra-Comique
, going on to sing in Les Contes d'Hoffmann
, Manon
and Pelléas and Mélisande
, creating l'Aveugle in Madame Bovary in 1951, and remaining a principal singer there until 1955.
His debut at La Scala
came in 1953 as Golaud, a role that became central to his repertory. From 1956 to 1970 Roux sang annually at Glyndebourne
, making his debut as Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. His American debut was at the Lyric Opera of Chicago
in 1959; he also appeared at the Vienna Staatsoper and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, as well as in Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon.
Roux was known as an intelligent singer and a vivid stage actor. During the 1950s he appeared in a series of comic French films directed by Julien Duvivier
and in later life he taught at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
. In 1983 he took the title role in a revival of Christiné's Phi-Phi
at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
.
His many recordings include: Raimbaud (Le Comte Ory
), Escamillo (Carmen
), Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande), Mizgir (The Snow Maiden
), Gondremarck (La vie parisienne
), Calchas (La belle Hélène
) and Mephistophélès (La damnation de Faust).
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
baritone
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...
, an established principal at the Paris Opéra who also enjoyed an international career. He was born in Angoulême
Angoulême
-Main sights:In place of its ancient fortifications, Angoulême is encircled by boulevards above the old city walls, known as the Remparts, from which fine views may be obtained in all directions. Within the town the streets are often narrow. Apart from the cathedral and the hôtel de ville, the...
on 1 September 1924 and died in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 4 February 1998.
Roux studied at the Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
Conservatoire and in Paris, making his operatic debut on 5 October 1949 in Lakmé
Lakmé
Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. Delibes wrote the score during 1881–82 with its first performance on 14 April 1883 at the Opéra Comique in Paris. Set in British India in the mid 19th century, Lakmé is based on the 1880 novel...
at the 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...
, going on to sing in Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
, Manon
Manon
Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost...
and Pelléas and Mélisande
Pelléas et Mélisande (opera)
Pelléas et Mélisande is an opera in five acts with music by Claude Debussy. The French libretto was adapted from Maurice Maeterlinck's Symbolist play Pelléas et Mélisande...
, creating l'Aveugle in Madame Bovary in 1951, and remaining a principal singer there until 1955.
His debut at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
came in 1953 as Golaud, a role that became central to his repertory. From 1956 to 1970 Roux sang annually at Glyndebourne
Glyndebourne Festival Opera
Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an English opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England.-History:...
, making his debut as Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro. His American debut was at the Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1952, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicolà Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria Callas's American debut in Norma...
in 1959; he also appeared at the Vienna Staatsoper and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, as well as in Amsterdam, Brussels and Lisbon.
Roux was known as an intelligent singer and a vivid stage actor. During the 1950s he appeared in a series of comic French films directed by Julien Duvivier
Julien Duvivier
Julien Duvivier was a French film director. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930-1960...
and in later life he taught at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
. In 1983 he took the title role in a revival of Christiné's Phi-Phi
Phi-Phi
Phi-Phi is an opérette légère in three acts with music by Henri Christiné and a French libretto by Albert Willemetz and Fabien Solar. The piece was one which founded the new style of French comédie musicale, the first to really use the latest rhythms of jazz along with a plot which emphasised...
at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens
The Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens is a Parisian theatre which was founded in 1855 by the composer Jacques Offenbach for the performance of opéra bouffe and operetta. The current theatre is located in the 2nd arrondissement at 4 rue Monsigny with an entrance at the back at 65 Passage Choiseul. In...
.
His many recordings include: Raimbaud (Le Comte Ory
Le comte Ory
Le comte Ory is an opéra written by Gioachino Rossini in 1828. Some of the music originates from his opera Il viaggio a Reims written three years earlier for the coronation of Charles X...
), Escamillo (Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
), Golaud (Pelléas et Mélisande), Mizgir (The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale is an opera in four acts with a prologue by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, composed during 1880–1881. The Russian libretto, by the composer, is based on the like-named play by Alexander Ostrovsky .The first performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera took place at the...
), Gondremarck (La vie parisienne
La vie parisienne
La vie parisienne is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, composed by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.This work was Offenbach's first full-length piece to portray contemporary Parisian life, unlike his earlier period pieces and mythological subjects...
), Calchas (La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène , opéra bouffe in three acts, is an operetta by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...
) and Mephistophélès (La damnation de Faust).