Belgian-French bass-baritone, 1870 - 1951
Dufranne as the High Priest in Samson et Dalila
BORN: Hector Dufranne , 25 October 1870, Mons. DIED: 3 May 1951, Paris. FAMILY: As a young man he had worked in a local tannery and belonged to several choral societies.
STUDIED: He was discovered by Achille Tondeur, and after a year he was handed over to the well-known teacher Désiré Demest at Brussels Conservatoire. DEBUT:
As Valentin in Gounod’s Faust, Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, Brussels (1896) ROLES: Dufranne’s vast repertoire embraced widely different styles. Above all, he has been
associated with the role of Golaud in Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande which he created at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, but he also created roles in various French operas which have now been
virtually forgotten. He was an excellent singer in Wagner’s operas which he performed in French as well as in German.
The following quite impressive list includes all the operas in which he was involved:
COMPANIES & VENUES: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie (1886-1990); Opéra-Comique (1899-1939); Grand Opéra (1907-?); Chicago Opera (1910-1922); Met (1907-1910); Monte Carlo Opera (1907-?); Covent Garden (1897/98 and 1914); Théatre Champs-Elysée (1924). Guest performances: Dieppe, Ghent, Wimereux, Béziers, Aix-les-Bains, Vichy, Ostende, Amsterdam. Tours to Boston, Washington and Pittsburgh with Oscar Hammerstein’s Company. ALSO NOTEWORTHY: It is difficult nowadays to imagine the hectic schedule at the Opéra-Comique. In the month of March 1902, for instance, 36 different performances were put on in repertoire by the regular company. While rehearsing Pelléas Dufranne was already involved in Louise and Le Roi d’Ys. The normal time-span for rehearsing a new production was about three months!
As Golaud, the role he created at the Opéra-Comique in 1902
“I do beg you to bring out the sad and poignant grief of Golaud... Convey the impression that he regrets all the things he has failed to say or do... and all the joy which he has lost for ever.” (Claude Debussy in a letter to Hector Dufranne in December, 1906)
Hector Dufranne (Golaud) and Félix Vieuille (Arkel)
In the title role of Leroux’s Le Chemineau
Lucienne Bréval and Hector Dufranne in Massenet’s beautiful opera Grisélidis
COMMENT:
According to Michael Scott Dufranne’s singing belonged to the ‘old school’ of the 19th century in which the language was not allowed to compromise vocal quality. Dufranne’s
voice extended from G at the bottom of the bass clef to the G above middle C. It was a well-placed, finely produced voice (resonance!) combining a clean attack with a ‘forward’
production. His fine technique served him a long career. In my opinion, he is best represented in his Columbia recordings.The following sample has
preserved his warm and mellow voice as well as his perfect enunciation, an art almost completely lost today.
As Jochanaan in Strauss’ Salome in the first French performance, Grand Opéra, 1910
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