Guillaume Ibos (Tenor) (Muret, a town near Toulouse 1860/1862 - ? 1952)

He was trained till 1885 at the Conservatoire National de Paris. In 1882/1885 he made his debut at the Grand Opera, Paris singing the role of  Fernando in Donizetti’s ‘’La Favorita’’. His career at the Grand Opera lasted till the years after the turn of the 20th century. He sang there roles like Duke in Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’, Don Ottavio in ‘’Don Giovanni’’, Vasco in Meyerbeer’s ‘’L’Africana’’, Raoul in ‘’Gli Ugonotti’’, Romeo in ‘’Romeo et Juliette’’  and Don Gomez in ‘’Henry VIII’’ of Saint-Saens. He appeared also at the Opera-Comique with signified success. Here he sang among other things the title part in the French premiere of Massenet’s ‘’Werther’’ on 16. 1. 1893 (after the premiere of the opera in Vienna on 16. 2. 1892 and the first performance into French language at the Grand Theatre at Geneva). He guested in Russia, Brussels and Madrid. Ibos also made a tour in 1897-98 in America. His La Scala debut happened in 1904. He sang the role of Duke in Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’. In Italy and Spain he appeared as Guillermo Ibos.

As he could also sing Wagner perfectly, he was nicknamed the king of Lohengrin. Some people thought he had extraordinary vocal cords, so much so that after his death, surgeons carried out the autopsy of his larynx. To everyone’s surprise, they could only see but a very plain piece of anatomy, which could in no way explain his marvellous voice.

Chronology of some appearances

1895 Madrid  Teatro Reale Lohengrin (Lohengrin)
1897 Madrid  Teatro Prince Alfonso Gioconda (Enzo)
1899 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos Lohengrin (Lohengrin)
1904 Milano  Teatro La Scala Rigoletto (Rigoletto)
1905 Oporto  Teatro S. Joao Lohengrin (Lohengrin)
1905 Oporto  Teatro S. Joao Rigoletto (Rigoletto)
1905 Oporto  Teatro S. Joao Werther (Werther)
1913 Barcellona Teatro Liceo Werther (Werther)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Edison
Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me reveiller Unpubl. 
Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna e mobile Unpubl. 

Gaumont cylinders, Paris 1900?
Werther (Massenet): Pourquoi me reveiller AFG9A

Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna e mobile Unpubl. 

Columbia

Richard Coeur de Lion (Grétry): O Richard, O mon roi 25046