Maurice Renaud (Baritone) (Bordeaux, France 1861 † Paris, France 1933)

His real name was Maurice Croneau. He studied singing at the Conservatoire de Paris, then under Dupont and Gevaert in Brussels. He made his debut in 1884 at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and belonged to the ensemble of this opera house till 1890.

Here he appeared in the premieres of the operas:

1884 ‘’Sigurd’’ (Ernest Reyer)

1886 ‘’Les Templiers’’ (Henry Charles Litolff)

1890 ‘’Salammbô’’ (Ernest Reyer)

1890 ‘’Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’’ (Richard Wagner)

1890 he was engaged by the Opéra-Comique in Paris, where he sang in 1891 the part of Nelusco in G. Meyerbeer’s ‘’Africaine’’, then Karnac in ‘’Le roi d'Ys’’ of E. Lalo. Till 1902 he had in this opera houses a huge success. At the Grand Opéra he appeared in the following opera premieres:

1893 ‘’Deidamia’’ (Henri Maréchal)

1894 ‘’Djelma’’ (Charles Lefebvre)

1895 ‘’La Montagne Noire’’ (Augusta Holmès)

1895 ‘’Tannhäuser’’ (Richard Wagner)

1897 ‘’Lohengrin’’ (Richard Wagner)

1897 ‘’Der Ring des Nibelungen’’ (Richard Wagner)

1897 ‘’Messidor’’ (A. Bruneau)

1900 ‘’Lancelot’’ (F. L. R. Joncières)

1903 ‘’La damnation de Faust’’ (Hector Berlioz)

He made successful guest appearances in Milano (La Scala), London (Covent Garden, 1897-1904), St. Petersburg (Court Opera, 1889), Berlin (Court Opera, 1907), Brussels and Monte Carlo.

In North America already in 1893 he sang at the Opera in New Orleans.

His other appearances in opera premieres included:

1898 London Covent Garden ‘’Henri VIII’’ (C. Saint-Saëns)

1899 London Covent Garden ‘’Messaline’’ (Isidore De Lara).

18. 2. 1902 Opéra de Monte-Carlo ‘’Le jongleur de Notre-Dame’’ (J. Massenet)

1904 London Covent Garden ‘’Hérodiade’’ (English première).

14. 2. 1905 Opéra de Monte-Carlo ‘’Chérubin’’ (J. Massenet)

18. 3. 1905 Opéra de Monte-Carlo ‘’Amica’’ (P. Mascangni)

9. 11. 1905 Genoa Teatro Politeama ‘’Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle’’ (Spiro Samara)

24.6.1906 Opéra de Monte-Carlo ‘’Ancêtre’’ (C. Saint-Saëns)

1906 Paris Théâtre Nouveau ‘’Le clown’’ ( Isaac de Camondo)

2. 2. 1907 Opéra de Monte-Carlo ‘’Naïs Micculin’’ (A. Bruneau).
In the 1906-1910 seasons he had a huge success at the Manhattan Opera House in New York, where he made his debut as Rigoletto and appeared among other things in the American première of J. Massenet’s ‘’Thaïs’’ (1907). In 1909 he sang in this opera house in the première of J. Massenet’s ‘’Hérodiade’’ as Herodes. In the 1910-1912 seasons he was a member of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Here he made his debut as Rigoletto opposite Nellie Melba in the part of Gilda. He made guest appearances in North America, also in Chicago and Boston. In 1912 he came back to France and retired from the stage in Paris, where he appeared in 1919 again together with Mary Garden in the opera ‘’Cléopâtre’’ of J. Massenet. Around 1920 he appeared in French silent film. He was active in Paris as a vocal pedagogue.

Chronology of some appearances

Athanaël 11/24/1908, Boniface 12/3/1908, Coppélius 12/10/1908, Dr. Miracle 12/10/1908, Dapertutto 12/10/1908, Il barone Scarpia 2/2/1909, Rigoletto 2/18/1909, Il barone Scarpia 2/27/1909, Rigoletto 3/20/1909, Hérode 11/11/1909, Coppélius 12/31/1909, Dr. Miracle 12/31/1909, Dapertutto 12/31/1909, Coppélius 1/18/1910, Dr. Miracle 1/18/1910, Dapertutto 1/18/1910, Athanaël 1/25/1910, Dapertutto 3/26/1910, Hérode 3/26/1910, Athanaël 1/21/1911, 1/24/1911, Coppélius 2/4/1911, Dr. Miracle 2/4/1911, Dapertutto 2/4/1911, Coppélius 2/14/1911, Dr. Miracle 2/14/1911, Dapertutto 2/14/1911, Coppélius 2/20/1911, Dr. Miracle 2/20/1911, Dapertutto 2/20/1911, Rigoletto 2/24/1911, Boniface 3/6/1911, Il barone Scarpia 3/8/1911, Coppélius 3/10/1911, Dr. Miracle 3/10/1911, Dapertutto 3/10/1911, Boniface 3/14/1911, Nero 3/25/1911, Boniface 3/30/1911, Escamillo 2/13/1912, Coppélius / Dr. Miracle / Dapertutto 2/16/1912, Athanaël 2/21/1912, Le grand-prêtre de Dagon 2/26/1912, Boniface 2/27/1912, 2/28/1912, Coppélius 3/6/1912, Dapertutto 3/6/1912, Dr. Miracle 3/6/1912, Athanaël 3/12/1912 (Filadelfia)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

G&T, Paris 1901
Tannhäuser (Wagner): Jadis quand tu luttas 32078 713G
Le soir (Gounod) 32082 717G
Roi de Lahore (Massenet): Promesse de mon avenir (72) 32081 716G

G&T, London 1902
Carmen (Bizet): Air du Toréador 2-2705 2111b
Tannhäuser (Wagner): Romance de l'étoile 2-2702 2113b
Damnation de Faust (Berlioz): Sérénade 2-2713 2112b 
Noël Païen (Massenet) 2-2704 2116b 

G&T, Paris 1906
Fliegende Holländer (Wagner): Du temps passé 032039 5715p
Plaisir d'amour (Martini) 032046 5801p
Le rondel de l'adieu (de Lara) 3-32669 5716o