Marcel Journet

Marcel Journet

Marcel Journet (July 25, 1867 – September 7, 1933), was a French, bass, operatic singer. He enjoyed a prominent career in England, France and Italy, and appeared at the foremost American opera houses in New York City and Chicago.

Journet was born in the town of Grasse, Alpes-Maritimes, and studied at the Paris Conservatory. He made his operatic debut at Montpellier in 1891. Journet went on to sing a wide range of roles in operas by Richard Wagner and major French and Italian composers during a distinguished, 40-year career.

The Royal Opera House at London's Covent Garden, Milan's La Scala, the Paris Opera and the New York Metropolitan Opera, were some of the famous venues graced by Journet's presence during the first quarter of the 20th century. Arturo Toscanini was just one of the celebrated conductors under whose baton he performed. Among singers, his great on-stage colleagues included Nellie Melba, Luisa Tetrazzini, Enrico Caruso, Giovanni Martinelli, Titta Ruffo, Giuseppe De Luca and Feodor Chaliapin.

Journet died in Vittel, of a heart attack, aged 66.

He possessed a beautiful, cultured voice and a fine technique—hitting the absolute peak of his powers as a singer and an actor during the 1915-1925 period, during which time he became La Scala's principal bass.

Numerous recordings of operatic arias testify to Journet's outstanding vocal attributes and the high standard of his interpretive powers. Many of these recordings have been re-issued on various CDs, most notably on the Marston and Preiser labels.

References

• Warrack, John and Rosenthal, Harold, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, London, second edition, 1980.
• Scott, Michael, The Record of Singing, Volume II, Duckworth, London, 1979.

External links

• Discography of Marcel Journet on Victor Records from the Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (EDVR)