Marcel Journet

A rare exemplory case of the classically defined bass-baritone, Marcel Journet’s sinuous and powerful tone of voice encompassed both bass and baritone registers. Journet was among the last of this elegant college of French bass performing that largely vanished with his loss of life. Journet came near matching the outstanding polish of his forerunner Pol Strategyçon while wielding adequate capacity to excel in the heaviest Wagnerian parts. He was an exemplary Méphistophélès in Gounod’s Faust aswell as an authoritative exponent of such Italian baritone jobs as Scarpia and Tonio, aswell as the Wagnerian heroic baritone depths of Hans Sachs and Wotan. Counter-top to many voices, Journet’s lightened relatively in timbre and increased in tonal middle as he aged. As his documenting of Faust reveals, he was still in wonderful tone of voice in his mid-sixties. After vocal research with Seneghetti and Vittel on the Paris Conservatoire, Journet produced his debut in Béziers in 1891, performing the function of Balthasar in Donizetti’s La preferred. He was involved with the Monnaie in Brussels from 1894 to 1900, also showing up in various other theaters, including Paris. In London, he presented himself in 1897 as the Duke of Mendoza in Inez Mendo, whose composer was Baron Frédéric d’Erlanger, though it was publicized as if by Frederic Regnal. The opera received blended testimonials, but Journet gained positive notices within a London period which also provided famous brands Eduard de Reszke and Pol Programçon. He also provided his Landgraf in Tannhäconsumer and, following period added the Ruler in Aida, Sparafucile, Colline, as well as the Commendatore, raising his profile and attaining even more positive press. By 1901, Journet was alternating Méphistophélès with Programçon and writing the stage with the fantastic bass in three operas, including Les Huguenots. In 1902, the entire year of Caruso’s London debut, Journet sang Raimondo towards the tenor’s Edgardo. Journet’s following Wagner function in London was Heinrich within a 1904 Lohengrin. On the other hand, Journet acquired initiated a romantic relationship using the Metropolitan Opera in NY. On Dec 22, 1900, he made an appearance as the Ruler in Aida and continuing for eight periods, essaying no less than 38 jobs. During his initial period, he was applauded for his “clean, sonorous, considerable and well-placed tone of voice.” Although Journet’s involvement in Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète in Dec of 1902 didn’t excite the critics (just Schumann-Heink’s Fidès do), the bass-baritone continuing make benefits in the estimation of critics and viewers as well. In November 1904, he was a virile Escamillo to Olive Fremstad’s bewitching Carmen. THE DADDY in Mascagni’s Iris demonstrated a splendid automobile for him in 1907. In the time after Journet’s Metropolitan association, he came back to NY using the Chicago Opera to sing an excellent Bishop in Février’s Monna Vanna in the Lexington Theatre. His Frère Laurent in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette was seen as a model of gorgeous, modulated, masterful performing. During his Chicago months with the business, Journet sang Lothario in Mignon, Colline, Méphistophélès, Ennius in Massenet’s Cléopâtre, Phanuel in Hérodiade, Gondebaud in Grisélidis, the Comte in Manon, the last in Le jongleur de Notre-Dame, Leporello, Zacharie in Le prophète, and Zuniga. After departing Chicago, Journet sang principally in European countries, regularly at La Scala (1917 to 1928) where in 1924 he produced the role from the sorcerer Simon Mago in Boito’s Nerone. He also made an appearance in the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires from 1916 to 1918 and once again in the 1920s.