Roger Bourdin (14 June 1900 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

– 14 September 1973 in Paris) was a French

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

, particularly associated with the French repertory. His career was largely based in France. His daughter is Françoise Bourdin.

Life and career

Born in the

19th arrondissement of Paris The 19th arrondissement of Paris (''XIXe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''dix-neuvième''. The arrondissement, known as Butte-Chaumont, ...

, Bourdin studied at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, where he was a pupil of André Gresse and

Jacques Isnardon Jacques Isnardon (15 February 1860 – 14 November 1930) was a French bass-baritone, writer and voice teacher. After winning a competition at the Paris Conservatory, he made his debut as Baxter in Émile Paladilhe's ''Diane (Paladilhe), Diane'' ...

. He made his professional debut at the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris 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 ...

in 1922, as Lescaut in ''

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. It was first ...

''. His debut at the

Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...

took place in 1942, in

Henri Rabaud Henri Benjamin Rabaud (10 November 187311 September 1949) was a French conductor, composer and pedagogue, who held important posts in the French musical establishment and upheld mainly conservative trends in French music in the first half of t ...

's ''

Mârouf, savetier du Caire ''Mârouf, savetier du Caire'' (''Marouf, Cobbler of Cairo'') is an '' opéra comique'' by the French composer Henri Rabaud. The libretto, by Lucien Nepoty, is based on a tale from the '' Arabian Nights''. ''Mârouf'' was first performed at the ...

''. The major part of his career was to be spent between these two theatres, where he created some 30 roles, among them the title role in Milhaud's ''Bolivar''. Bourdin seldom performed outside France, but did a few guest appearances at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

in London (including Pelléas to the Mélisande of

Maggie Teyte Dame Maggie Teyte (born Margaret Tate; 17 April 188826 May 1976) was an English operatic soprano and interpreter of French art song. Early years Margaret Tate was born in Wolverhampton, England, one of ten children of Jacob James Tate, a succ ...

in 1930),Obituary - Roger Bourdin. ''

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

'', January 1974, Vol 25 No.1, p.74.

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

in Milan, and the

Teatro Colón The Teatro Colón (Spanish: ''Columbus Theatre'') is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. According to a survey carried out by the acousti ...

in Buenos Aires. He also sang in the first performance of surviving fragments of Chabrier's ''

Vaucochard et fils Ier is an unfinished by Emmanuel Chabrier of which only some numbers survive. The French libretto was by Paul Verlaine.Delage R. ''Emmanuel Chabrier''. Paris, Fayard, 1999 (Catalogue des Oeuvres). Background In the early 1860s Chabrier was a close ...

'' on 22 April 1941 at the Salle du

Conservatoire A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

with Germaine Cernay, conducted by

Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career Désormièr ...

. His most memorable roles were: Clavaroche in

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéra comique, opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage wo ...

's ''Fortunio'', Metternich in

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 to ...

and

Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first ...

's ''L'Aiglon'', Duparquet in

Reynaldo Hahn Reynaldo Hahn (; 9 August 1874 – 28 January 1947) was a Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor, music critic, and singer. He is best known for his songs – ''mélodies'' – of which he wrote more than 100. Hahn was born in Caracas b ...

's ''Ciboulette'', Lheureux in

Emmanuel Bondeville Emmanuel Bondeville was a French composer and music administrator, born 29 October 1898 in Rouen, and died 26 November 1987 in Paris. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Biography As a young man he was organist at the church of Sain ...

's ''

Madame Bovary ''Madame Bovary'' (; ), originally published as ''Madame Bovary: Provincial Manners'' ( ), is a novel by France, French writer Gustave Flaubert, published in 1856. The eponymous character lives beyond her means in order to escape the banalities ...

'', the lead in

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

's ''Bolivar'', but also standard roles such as Valentin, Athanael, Onegin, and Sharpless. In all he sang an estimated 100 roles throughout his long career. Bourdin was also active in

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs, and dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, length of the work, and at face value, subject matter. Apart from its s ...

, and as a recitalist. He was the dedicatee of the 'Chanson à boire' (the third song of Ravel's ''

Don Quichotte à Dulcinée Don Quichotte à Dulcinée is a song cycle by Maurice Ravel based on the story of ''Don Quixote''. It was first composed for voice and piano but later orchestrated. The songs are traditionally performed by a baritone or bass(-baritone). The cycle ...

''), and of 'C'est le joli printemps', one of Poulenc's ''Chansons villageoises FP 117'', of which he gave the premiere on 28 June 1943 in the

Salle Gaveau The Salle Gaveau, named after the French piano maker Gaveau, is a classical concert hall in Paris, located at 45-47 rue La Boétie, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. It is particularly intended for chamber music. Construction The plans for th ...

.Francis Poulenc. ''Journal de mes mélodies.'' Cicero editeurs, 1993, p93. After retiring from the stage in 1959, he became a teacher at the Paris Conservatory. He can be heard in two complete recordings, ''

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

'' and '' Thais'', opposite his wife, the soprano

Géori Boué Georgette "Géori" Boué (16 October 1918 – 5 January 2017) was a French soprano, particularly associated with the French repertory, especially Marguérite, '' Thais'' and Salomé (Massenet). She was born in Toulouse. Following her career in ...

, as well as in ''

Werther ''Werther'' is an opera (''drame lyrique'') in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe's epistolary novel ''The S ...

'', and Ravel's ''

L'heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same nameStoullig E. '' ...

''. He also appeared in the film of Messager's operetta ''

Coups de roulis ''Coups de roulis'' is an opérette in three acts with music by André Messager and a French libretto by Albert Willemetz, based on the 1925 novel by Maurice Larrouy. Performance history ''Coups de roulis'' was first performed at Théâtre Marigny ...

'', and ''

Le Barbier de Séville ''The Barber of Seville or the Useless Precaution'' (french: Le Barbier de Séville ou la Précaution inutile) is a French play by Pierre Beaumarchais, with original music by Antoine-Laurent Baudron. It was initially conceived as an opéra comi ...

'' as Don Bazile.

Selected filmography

* ''

Tossing Ship ''Tossing Ship'' (French: ''Coups de roulis'') is a 1932 French musical comedy film directed by Jean de La Cour and starring Max Dearly, Edith Manet and Pierre Magnier.Crisp p.391 It is an operetta film based on the stage work ''Coups de roulis'' ...

'' (Coups de roulis) (1932) - Kermao * '' Miss Helyett'' (1933) - Landrin * ''

Serenade In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honor of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Italian w ...

'' (1940) -

Johann Michael Vogl Johann Michael Vogl (August 10, 1768 – November 19, Michael Lorenz: ''Studien zum Schubertkreis'', Phil. Diss. Vienna, 2001 1840), was an Austrian baritone singer and composer. Though famous in his day, he is remembered mainly for his close ...

Sources

Alain Pâris Alain Pâris (born 22 November 1947) is a French conductor and musicologist. Biography Born in Paris, Alain Pâris was trained as a pianist and has a law degree. He studied conducting with Pierre Dervaux, Paul Paray and Georg Solti and won the ...

, ''Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l'interpretation musicale au XX siècle'' (2 vols), Editions Robert Laffont (Bouquins, Paris 1982, 4th Edn. 1995, 5th Edn 2004). * Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, (orig. H. Rosenthal and J. Warrack, French edition), ''Guide de l’opéra'', Les indispensables de la musique (

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

, 1995).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourdin, Roger 1900 births 1973 deaths musicians from Paris 20th-century French male opera singers French operatic baritones People from Levallois-Perret Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris