Leon David (Tenor) (Les Sables d'Olonne, Vendee 1867 - Les Sables d'Olonne 1962)

French tenor Leon David studied in Nantes and in Paris, making his début in February 1892 at Monte Carlo as Euxenos in Noël Desjoyeaux's ‘’Gyptis’’. In June the same year he began a long engagement at the Opéra-Comique, Paris, by singing Iopas in ‘’Les Troyens’’. His repertory included Almaviva, George Brown (‘’La dame blanche’’), Gerald (‘’Lakmé’’), Des Grieux (‘’Manon’’), Wilhelm Meister (‘’Mignon’’), Nadir, Vincent (‘’Mireille’’), Werther and Don José. Between 1900 and 1907 he sang at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, where his roles included Belmonte and Dimitri in Franco Alfano's ‘’Risurrezione’’. In 1913 he created Paco in Manuel de Falla's ‘’La vida breve’’ at Nice. His voice, a lyric tenor, was of beautiful quality. He retired from the Opéra-Comique in 1920 and was professor of singing at the Paris Conservatoire from 1924 to 1937.

Chronology of some appearances

1892 Monte Carlo Opera House
1892 Paris Opéra-Comique
1900-1907  Brussels  Théâtre de la Monnaie
1913 Nice Opera House

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

Fonotipia, Paris 1904/1905

Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent   39221 XPh 515

Mignon (Thomas): Elle ne croyait pas   39094 XPh 545

La veritable: Manola (E. Bourgeois) 39069 XPh 546

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod): L'amour...Ah!, leve-toi, soleil   39095 XPh 549

La muette de portici (Ober): Du pauvre seul ami fidele   39220 XPh 550

Carmen (Bizet): La fleur que te m'avais jetee   39219 XPh 551

Odeon, Paris 1908

Mignon (Thomas): Elle ne croyait pas   97175 XP 4291

Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me reveiller    97176 XP 4291

Manon (Massenet): Ah! fyez douce image   97178 XP 4292

Le barbier de Seville (Rossini): Des rayons de l’aurore Serenade 97177 XP 4293