Léon Melchissédec
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Léon Melchissédec (born Clermont Ferrand, 7 May 1843, died Neuilly-sur-Seine 23 March 1925) 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 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 ...
.Forbes E. Léon Melchissédec. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997.


Life and career

He played second violin in the Théâtre de Saint-Étienne before coming to Paris to study.Martin J. ''Nos artistes des théâtres et concerts.'' Paul Ollendorff, Paris, 1895. After classes with Alkan, Puget, Mocker and Levasseur at the Paris Conservatoire, where he won a first prize in 1865,Kutsch KJ, Riemens L. Léon Melchissèdec. In : ''Unvergängliche Stimmen: Sängerlexikon.'' Francke Verlag, Bern and Munchen, 1982. 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 ''Les dragons de Villars'' (''The Dragoons of Villars'') is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Lockroy and Eugène Cormon. The story of the opera was said to have been borrowed from ''La Petite Fadette'' by George ...
'', ''
Le pré aux clercs ''Le pré aux clercs'' (''The Clerks' Meadow'') 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.Pougin A. ...
'', '' Fantasio'', ''
Mireille Mireille () is a French given name, derived from the Provençal Occitan name ''Mirèio'' (or ''Mirèlha'' in the classical norm of Occitan, ). It could be related to the Occitan verb ''mirar'' "to look, to admire" or to the given names ''Miriam'' ...
'', ''
Richard Cœur de Lion Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...
'' and ''
Le caïd ''Le caïd'', also spelled ''Le kaïd'' (''The Qaid''), is a comic opera (' or ') in two acts composed by Ambroise Thomas to a libretto by Thomas Sauvage. It was premiered on 3 January 1849 by the Opéra-Comique at the second Salle Favart in Pari ...
''. In 1873 he became the first true baritone to sing the title role of ''
Zampa ''Zampa'','' ou La fiancée de marbre'' (''Zampa, or the Marble Bride'') is an opéra comique in three acts by French composer Ferdinand Hérold, with a libretto by Mélesville. The overture to the opera is one of Hérold's most famous works an ...
'' (as opposed to a singer of mixed voice).Soubies A, Malherbe C. ''Histoire de l'opéra comique — La seconde salle Favart 1840–1887.'' Flammarion, Paris, 1893. 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 The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
, making his debut as Nevers in ''
Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836. Composition history ...
'' on 17 November 1879. His repertoire there included ''
Guillaume Tell ''William Tell'' (french: Guillaume Tell, link=no; it, Guglielmo Tell, link=no) is a French-language opera in four acts by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Victor-Joseph Étienne de Jouy and L. F. Bis, based on Friedrich Sc ...
'', ''
L'Africaine ''L'Africaine'' (''The African Woman'') is an 1865 French ''grand opéra'' in five acts with music by Giacomo Meyerbeer and a libretto by Eugène Scribe. Meyerbeer and Scribe began working on the opera in 1837, using the title ''L'Africaine'', bu ...
'', ''
La Favorite ''La favorite'' (''The Favourite'', sometimes referred to by its Italian title: ''La favorita'') is a grand opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play ''Le com ...
'', ''
Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had co ...
'', ''
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 crossroa ...
'', and he created roles in ''
Le Tribut de Zamora is a grand 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 Giuseppe Verdi stalled. The premiere at the Paris Opera's Palais Garnier on 1 April 1881 ...
'', ''Tabarin'', and ''
Le Cid ''Le Cid'' is a five-act French tragicomedy written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 at the Théâtre du Marais in Paris and published the same year. It is based on Guillén de Castro's play ''Las Mocedades del Cid''. Castro ...
''. Having sung 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 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 ...
in 1894. In 1913, he published a treatise on singing entitled ‘Pour Chanter : ce qu’il faut savoir’. His recordings on Pathé, APGA, Zonophone and Odeon included La Marseillaise (de Lisle) and excerpts from ''
Les dragons de Villars ''Les dragons de Villars'' (''The Dragoons of Villars'') is an opéra-comique in three acts by Aimé Maillart to a libretto by Lockroy and Eugène Cormon. The story of the opera was said to have been borrowed from ''La Petite Fadette'' by George ...
'', ''Faust'' and ''L'Africaine''. The majority of his recordings is considered lost, a compilation of 18 surviving records was reissued on CD by
Marston Records Marston Records is an independent American record label. The label specializes in the remastering and reissuing of very early and rare recordings. It was founded in 1997 by Ward Marston and Scott Kessler. Releases on Marston Records Collecti ...
. According to Michael Scott, due to his age at the time of recording in the early 1900s these may only give a partial impression of his singing. However, an unusually well-recorded 1899 Berliner disc of the "Air du tambour-major" from
Ambroise Thomas Charles Louis Ambroise Thomas (; 5 August 1811 – 12 February 1896) was a French composer and teacher, best known for his operas '' Mignon'' (1866) and ''Hamlet'' (1868). Born into a musical family, Thomas was a student at the Conservatoire de ...
's ''
Le caïd ''Le caïd'', also spelled ''Le kaïd'' (''The Qaid''), is a comic opera (' or ') in two acts composed by Ambroise Thomas to a libretto by Thomas Sauvage. It was premiered on 3 January 1849 by the Opéra-Comique at the second Salle Favart in Pari ...
'', which can also be heard at the Bibliothèque nationale de France's website, shows that even in his mid-fifties he still had a ringing high baritone, a brilliant trill, and extremely precise passage-work that justifies his reputation. 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.Fonds Melchissédec
Accessed 10 May 2011.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Melchissedec, Leon 1843 births 1925 deaths French operatic baritones Musicians from Clermont-Ferrand Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris 19th-century French male opera singers