Jean Riddez (Baritone) (1875 – 1939)

Till 1897 he studied singing at the conservatoire of his hometown Lille, then from 1897 to 1900 additionally at the Paris Conservatoire. In 1900 he was engaged by the Grand Opéra in Paris and made his debut there as Rigoletto in Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’. Till 1910 he remained active in this opera house. He appeared there from 1908 to 1910 tenor parts like Faust and Lohengrin, but  then returned however again to his baritone repertoire. After guest performances in French theaters he went to USA and sang in the 1911-12 season at Boston Opera House among other things the role of Pelléas in ‘’Pelléas et Mélisande’’, Athanaël in ‘’Thaïs’’ of  Massenet, Escamillo in ‘’Carmen’’, Lescaut in ‘’Manon Lescaut’’ of Puccini, Scarpia in ‘’Tosca’’.. Then he also appeared as a member of the Montreal Opera Company, where he was to be heard in operas ‘’Hérodiade’’ and ‘’Le jongleur de Notre Dame’’ of Massenet. Returning to France, he sang during five seasons at the Opera House of Lyon and worked afterwards as a pedagogue at the conservatoire there. In 1920 he appeared in Montreal again as Athanaël in ‘’Thaïs’’ and remained active in the end as a pedagogue in Montreal. His daughter Juanita Riddez was a famous dramatic soprano.

Chronology of some appearances

1900-1910 Paris Grand Opéra  Rigoletto (Rigoletto) (Debut)

1911-1912 Boston Opera House

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Bettini Cylinders 1902?

Hamlet (Thomas): O vin dissipe la tristesse

Henri VIII (Saint-Saens): Qui donc commande

Charles VI (Halevy); C'est grand' pitié