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Edouard de Reszke
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Edouard de Reszke, born as Edward, (22 December 1853 - 25 May 1917) was a Polish operatic bass born in Warsaw.
Edouard de Reszke learnt singing first in Warsaw, then in Italy. Initially, he did not want to become an operatic singer, but persuaded by his sister, Józefina, he accepted an engagement with the Paris Opera. He was chosen by the composer Giuseppe Verdi to make his debut in the first Paris performance of Aida on 22 April 1876, appearing under Verdi's baton as the king of Egypt.
De Reszke's older brother was the celebrated tenor Jean de Reszke (1850-1925), with whom he sang often in Paris, London and New York.
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Edouard de Reszke, born as Edward, (22 December 1853 - 25 May 1917) was a Polish operatic bass born in Warsaw.
Edouard de Reszke learnt singing first in Warsaw, then in Italy. Initially, he did not want to become an operatic singer, but persuaded by his sister, Józefina, he accepted an engagement with the Paris Opera. He was chosen by the composer Giuseppe Verdi to make his debut in the first Paris performance of Aida on 22 April 1876, appearing under Verdi's baton as the king of Egypt.
De Reszke's older brother was the celebrated tenor Jean de Reszke (1850-1925), with whom he sang often in Paris, London and New York. In 1887, they performed together in the 500th performance of Gounod's Faust at the Paris Opera. His sister Josephine was also an opera singer of some note.
From 1880 to 1900, de Reszke appeared over 300 times at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing a wide range of bass roles in French, German and Italian operas, including works by Richard Wagner and Mozart. He was a huge favourite, too, with audiences at New York's Metropolitan Opera during the same era. De Reszke also sang in Chicago in 1891 and, in 1879-1881, at La Scala, Milan. He retired from the stage in 1903.
De Reszke taught singing for a while in London before returning to his estate in Poland, where he was adversely affected by the outbreak of World War I in 1914. He died in poverty on 25 May 1917 at his house in Garnek, near Czestochowa, Poland, and his grave is to be found at Borowno in that country. His fame lives on, however, as one of the greatest basses in operatic history.
A tall man, de Reszke possessed a big, smooth, flexible, ripe-toned voice and an imposing stage presence. He proved equally adept at dramatic parts and comedy. Unfortunately, he made only a few disappointing commercial discs for the Columbia record company in America in 1903, by which time his voice was in decline due to years of hard use.
Edouard de Reszke – Appearances at the Royal Opera House
- 1880 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 13 April to 17 July
- as Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (5, shared)
- as St. Bris in Les Huguenots (3, shared)
- as Giorgio in I puritani (3)
- as Indra in Roi de Lahore (3, debut at Covent Garden in this role 13 April 1880)
- as Count Rodolfo in La sonnambula (5, shared)
- 1881 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 April to 23 July
- 1882 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 April to 20 July
- 1883 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 1 May to 21 July
- as Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (2)
- as Dalando in Fliegende Hollander (2)
- as Walter in Guillaume Tell (2)
- as Alvise in Gioconda (7)
- as St. Bris in Les Huguenots (3)
- as Heinrich in Lohengrin (2)
- as Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (2)
- as Giorgio in I puritani (1)
- as Count Rodolfo in La sonnambula (3)
- 1884 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 29 April to 26 July
- as Don Basilio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (2)
- as Czar Peter in Etoile du Nord (3)
- as Méphistophélès in Faust (5)
- as Alvise in Gioconda (3)
- as St. Bris in Les Huguenots (4)
- as The Prefect in Linda di Chamounix (1)
- as (illegible data) in Lucrezia Borgia (2)
- as Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (4)
- as (illegible data) in Semiramide (1)
- as Hagen in Sigurd (3)
- 1888 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 15 May to 21 July
- 1889 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 May to 27 July
- 1890 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 May to 28 July
- 1891 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 6 April to 27 July
- 1892 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 16 May to 28 July
- 1893 - Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July
- 1894 - Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July
- as Ramfis in Aida (2)
- as L'Eremite in Elaine (2)
- as Méphistophélès in Faust (7, shared)
- as The Roundhead Colonel in Lady of Longford (2)
- as Heinrich in Lohengrin (4)
- as Frère Laurent in Roméo et Juliette (7)
- 1896 - Royal Opera Season from 11 May to 28 July
- 1897 - Royal Opera Season from 10 May to 28 July
- 1898 - Royal Opera Season from 9 May to 16 July
- 1899 - Royal Opera Season from 8 May to 24 July
- 1900 - Royal Opera Season from 14 May to 30 July
Gala performances by Jean and Edouard de Reszke at Covent Garden and Command Performances at Windsor Castle
- 2 July 1889 - Gala in honour of the Shah of Persia:
- Eduoard as Mephistofele in Act I of Mefistofele and as Mefistofele in Act 4 of Faust
- Jean as Faust in Act 4 of Faust
- 8 July 1891 - Visit of the Emperor and Empress of Germany
- 4 July 1893 - Gala in honour of the marriage of the Duke of York and Princess Mary of Teck
- 23 June 1897 - 60th Anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession
- 27 June 1898 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle (no data on programme)
- 24 May 1899 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle
- 16 July 1900 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle
- Edouard as Mefistofele in Faust
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