56:
1129:
177:, "the one who is perhaps the most promising has not been the best rewarded." Again discouraged, Ansseau considered returning to the printing trade. However, Demest, hearing the ease with which Ansseau sang high notes, came to realize Ansseau was a tenor, and, after three more years of study as a tenor, he won "a brilliant first prize." As a reward, the conservatory's director,
1117:
157:, Belgium, the younger son of the organist at St. Joseph's parish church. He first attended St. Joseph's Convent School. At age 7 he moved to the boys' school of St. Charles de Bousseau-Bois. While a student at St. Charles, Monsieur Tellier, one of his teachers, recognized his voice and occasionally had him sing short solos in the children's choir.
160:
Upon leaving school
Ansseau became a typographer, though he still sang in church. Monsieur Laurent, the local priest, encouraged him to join the choir of the Institut musical de Dour. On the advice of "kindly persons" he auditioned for Jean Vanden Eede, director of the Mons Conservatory, who admitted
500:. After 1930 Ansseau decided not to travel abroad, and from then until the end of his career confined his activities to the principal Belgian and French opera houses. His last operatic appearances were in February 1939, at La Monnaie, in
252:
in August 1914 seriously threatened his career. During the war years, when
Germany occupied Belgium, he gave many charity concerts and theatrical performances in Brussels and the provinces. On 21 December 1918, after the
520:
He refused to perform again during the German occupation of 1940. He taught at the
Brussels Conservatory 1942–1944. Thereafter he spent a quiet retirement in Brussels, and passed away there on 1 May 1972 at age 82.
169:, where, at age 17, he was admitted and began to study voice "on trial" as a baritone with Désiré Demest. After two years of study Ansseau won only second prize, leading
211:. An unidentified critic wrote, "The great principal actor in this triumph is without doubt Fernand Ansseau...." Later in the 1913–1914 season he sang in
1169:
165:
but not singing or piano. Discouraged, Ansseau considered abandoning his musical studies, but
Monsieur Laurent encouraged him to apply to the
465:. At one of the performances he received twelve curtain calls after Act II. In the same 1923 season in San Francisco he also appeared in
416:. In the 1925–1927 season Ansseau participated in a cross-country tour that took him from San Francisco to Miami, by way of Los Angeles,
990:
As of 13 March 2022 the Kelly Online
Database lists 168 recordings made for His Master's Voice from 11 June 1919 through 5 June 1930.
406:
in the 1923–1924 through 1927–1928 seasons. It was in
Chicago, in the 1923–1924 season, that he first sang the part of Prinzivalle in
1055:
1159:
327:
with Louise Edvina, at which the audience called for encores of two sections. Later that season he performed
254:
1164:
248:
As a result of these successes, he received offers of engagements from many sources, but the eruption of
181:, asked Ansseau to sing in a "communion mass" Tinel had composed for the heir to the Belgian throne, the
1107:
453:
548:
because it was in these two operas that I was fully able to appreciate my qualities of 'bel canto.'"
379:
480:
At the end of 1928 Ansseau returned to Europe, where he appeared at Covent Garden, La
Monnaie, the
344:
55:
412:
458:
242:
1011:
829:
812:
601:
166:
973:
1154:
1149:
928:
745:
267:
349:
8:
625:
403:
272:
186:
1051:
958:
823:
437:
384:
320:
1121:
846:
806:
429:
407:
369:
1099:
840:
739:
675:
182:
1007:
952:
909:
595:
462:
358:
340:
328:
231:
219:
202:
1143:
565:
529:
Annseau performed twenty-nine roles in as many operas by nineteen composers.
225:
170:
154:
94:
27:
1133:
571:
425:
336:
262:
237:
207:
646:
481:
396:
249:
178:
451:
In
October 1923, with an opera company in San Francisco, he appeared in
354:
319:, for a total of thirty-eight performances. On 21 May 1919 he made his
258:
162:
640:
505:
489:
433:
309:
277:
509:
235:, among other works. In addition, he sang in the Dijon premiere of
111:
31:
497:
485:
374:
1071:
315:
421:
417:
392:
213:
150:
130:
90:
35:
23:
670:
493:
362:
295:
198:
133:
38:
1128:
1025:
Unless otherwise noted, information and quotations are from
365:
with Edvina; and other works already in his repertoire.
504:. His last public performance was at a gala concert at
1105:
1050:. Vol. I, columns 76–77. Bern: Francke Verlag.
378:. Exactly a year later he sang the tenor version of
1027:De Cock, Alfred (January 1954). "Fernand Ansseau".
536:because it was the opera in which I made my debut,
1141:
1045:
540:because it has always been my war horse; and
368:On 2 October 1920 he made his debut at the
284:
257:, he participated in the re-opening of the
192:
54:
149:Fernand Ansseau was born 6 March 1890 in
1021:
1019:
1170:20th-century Belgian male opera singers
1026:
1142:
1016:
343:, and Édouard Cotreuil, conducted by
1046:Kutsch, K.J.; Riemens, Leo (1987).
391:In 1922 Ansseau made his debuts at
13:
1039:
14:
1181:
1093:
289:In 1919 at La Monnaie he sang in
1127:
1115:
1064:
1000:
1:
993:
985:
515:
144:
261:by singing the first act of
259:Théâtre royale de la Monnaie
7:
550:
10:
1186:
532:His favorite operas were "
197:Ansseau made his debut in
1100:Biography and sound files
126:
118:
101:
77:
67:
62:
53:
46:
524:
285:Later career (1919–1940)
193:Early career (1913–1918)
1160:Belgian operatic tenors
440:, appearing chiefly in
353:, again with Melba and
1076:Kelly On-line Database
484:, and the theaters of
388:at the Opéra Comique.
63:Background information
1048:Grosses Sängerlexikon
830:The Tales of Hoffmann
602:La damnation de Faust
402:He appeared with the
167:Brussels Conservatory
161:him to the class for
1102:, Sydney Rhys Barker
1029:The Record Collector
929:La forza del destino
746:Cavalleria rusticana
586:La muette de Portici
459:Marguerite D'Alvarez
457:by Saint-Saëns with
268:La muette de Portici
189:gave him a tie pin.
404:Chicago Civic Opera
201:in 1913 as Jean in
1165:People from Boussu
900:Samson and Delilah
865:Mario Cavaradossi
813:L'amore dei tre re
538:Samson and Delilah
454:Samson and Delilah
1006:Anne Feeney.
983:
982:
891:RĂ´le du veilleur
717:Roméo et Juliette
691:Orfeo ed Euridice
385:Orfeo ed Euridice
350:Roméo et Juliette
245:to great praise.
185:. As a souvenir,
139:
138:
22:(6 March 1890 in
1177:
1132:
1131:
1120:
1119:
1118:
1111:
1087:
1086:
1084:
1082:
1072:"Search Results"
1068:
1062:
1061:
1043:
1037:
1036:
1023:
1014:
1004:
847:Madama Butterfly
551:
108:
87:
85:
70:
58:
44:
43:
34:) was a Belgian
30:– 1 May 1972 in
1185:
1184:
1180:
1179:
1178:
1176:
1175:
1174:
1140:
1139:
1138:
1126:
1116:
1114:
1106:
1096:
1091:
1090:
1080:
1078:
1070:
1069:
1065:
1058:
1044:
1040:
1024:
1017:
1008:Fernand Ansseau
1005:
1001:
996:
988:
947:Duke of Mantua
527:
518:
512:on 5 May 1940.
436:, Detroit, and
287:
195:
183:Duke of Brabant
147:
142:
110:
106:
89:
83:
81:
73:Fernand Ansseau
68:
49:
48:Fernand Ansseau
20:Fernand Ansseau
17:
12:
11:
5:
1183:
1173:
1172:
1167:
1162:
1157:
1152:
1137:
1136:
1124:
1104:
1103:
1095:
1094:External links
1092:
1089:
1088:
1063:
1056:
1038:
1015:
998:
997:
995:
992:
987:
984:
981:
980:
977:
970:
966:
965:
962:
955:
949:
948:
945:
940:
936:
935:
932:
925:
921:
920:
917:
912:
906:
905:
902:
897:
893:
892:
889:
884:
880:
879:
876:
871:
867:
866:
863:
858:
854:
853:
850:
843:
837:
836:
833:
826:
820:
819:
816:
809:
803:
802:
799:
794:
790:
789:
786:
781:
777:
776:
773:
770:
766:
765:
762:
757:
753:
752:
749:
742:
736:
735:
732:
727:
723:
722:
719:
714:
710:
709:
706:
701:
697:
696:
693:
688:
684:
683:
680:
673:
667:
666:
663:
658:
654:
653:
650:
643:
637:
636:
633:
628:
622:
621:
618:
613:
609:
608:
605:
598:
592:
591:
588:
583:
579:
578:
575:
568:
562:
561:
558:
555:
526:
523:
517:
514:
463:Marcel Journet
372:in Massenet's
341:Miriam Licette
286:
283:
194:
191:
175:L'Étoile belge
146:
143:
141:Musical artist
140:
137:
136:
128:
124:
123:
120:
116:
115:
109:(aged 82)
103:
99:
98:
79:
75:
74:
71:
65:
64:
60:
59:
51:
50:
47:
16:Belgian singer
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1182:
1171:
1168:
1166:
1163:
1161:
1158:
1156:
1153:
1151:
1148:
1147:
1145:
1135:
1130:
1125:
1123:
1113:
1112:
1109:
1101:
1098:
1097:
1077:
1073:
1067:
1059:
1057:3-317-01638-8
1053:
1049:
1042:
1034:
1030:
1022:
1020:
1013:
1009:
1003:
999:
991:
978:
976:
975:
971:
968:
967:
963:
961:
960:
956:
954:
951:
950:
946:
944:
941:
938:
937:
933:
931:
930:
926:
923:
922:
918:
916:
913:
911:
908:
907:
903:
901:
898:
895:
894:
890:
888:
885:
882:
881:
877:
875:
872:
869:
868:
864:
862:
859:
856:
855:
851:
849:
848:
844:
842:
839:
838:
834:
832:
831:
827:
825:
822:
821:
817:
815:
814:
810:
808:
805:
804:
800:
798:
795:
792:
791:
787:
785:
782:
779:
778:
774:
771:
768:
767:
763:
761:
758:
755:
754:
750:
748:
747:
743:
741:
738:
737:
733:
731:
728:
725:
724:
720:
718:
715:
712:
711:
707:
705:
702:
699:
698:
694:
692:
689:
686:
685:
681:
679:
678:
674:
672:
669:
668:
664:
662:
659:
656:
655:
651:
649:
648:
644:
642:
639:
638:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
623:
619:
617:
614:
611:
610:
606:
604:
603:
599:
597:
594:
593:
589:
587:
584:
581:
580:
576:
574:
573:
569:
567:
564:
563:
559:
556:
553:
552:
549:
547:
543:
539:
535:
530:
522:
513:
511:
507:
503:
499:
495:
491:
487:
483:
478:
476:
472:
468:
464:
460:
456:
455:
449:
447:
443:
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
414:
409:
408:Henry FĂ©vrier
405:
400:
398:
394:
389:
387:
386:
381:
377:
376:
371:
370:Opéra Comique
366:
364:
360:
356:
352:
351:
346:
345:Albert Coates
342:
338:
334:
330:
326:
322:
321:Covent Garden
318:
317:
312:
311:
306:
302:
298:
297:
292:
282:
280:
279:
274:
270:
269:
264:
260:
256:
251:
246:
244:
240:
239:
234:
233:
228:
227:
222:
221:
216:
215:
210:
209:
204:
200:
190:
188:
187:King Albert I
184:
180:
176:
172:
171:Lucien Solvay
168:
164:
158:
156:
152:
135:
132:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
104:
100:
96:
92:
80:
76:
72:
66:
61:
57:
52:
45:
42:
40:
37:
33:
29:
25:
21:
1079:. Retrieved
1075:
1066:
1047:
1041:
1032:
1028:
1002:
989:
972:
957:
942:
927:
914:
899:
896:Saint-Saëns
887:Les barbares
886:
883:Saint-Saëns
873:
860:
845:
828:
811:
796:
783:
759:
744:
729:
726:Leoncavallo
716:
703:
690:
676:
665:Prinzivalle
660:
645:
630:
615:
600:
585:
572:Risurrezione
570:
545:
541:
537:
533:
531:
528:
519:
501:
479:
474:
470:
466:
452:
450:
445:
441:
426:Philadelphia
411:
401:
390:
383:
373:
367:
361:conducting;
348:
337:Nellie Melba
332:
324:
314:
308:
304:
300:
294:
290:
288:
276:
266:
247:
238:Les barbares
236:
230:
224:
218:
212:
206:
196:
174:
173:to write in
159:
148:
131:lyric-spinto
107:(1972-05-01)
88:6 March 1890
36:lyric-spinto
19:
18:
1155:1890 births
1150:1972 deaths
979:Tannhäuser
788:Des Grieux
661:Monna Vanna
647:La favorite
626:Charpentier
590:Masaniello
482:Paris Opera
424:, Chicago,
413:Monna Vanna
397:Monte Carlo
347:; Gounod's
273:Leoncavallo
250:World War I
243:Saint-Saëns
179:Edgar Tinel
153:-Bois near
93:-Bois near
26:-Bois near
1144:Categories
994:References
986:Recordings
974:Tannhäuser
964:Lohengrin
852:Pinkerton
807:Montemezzi
772:HĂ©rodiade
516:Retirement
430:Washington
355:Dinh Gilly
145:Early life
127:Occupation
105:1 May 1972
84:1890-03-06
69:Birth name
1122:Biography
1035:(1): –16.
959:Lohengrin
943:Rigoletto
835:Hoffmann
824:Offenbach
793:Massenet
780:Massenet
769:Massenet
760:Griseldis
756:Massenet
730:Pagliacci
641:Donizetti
620:Don José
554:Composer
546:Paillasse
534:HĂ©rodiade
506:Frameries
502:Pagliacci
490:Charleroi
471:Pagliacci
434:Cleveland
323:debut in
310:Rigoletto
305:Pagliacci
278:Pagliacci
255:Armistice
208:HĂ©rodiade
163:solfeggio
114:, Belgium
97:, Belgium
1081:13 March
1012:AllMusic
919:Radames
857:Puccini
801:Werther
751:Turiddu
740:Mascagni
657:FĂ©vrier
652:Fernand
577:Dimitri
510:Borinage
203:Massenet
112:Brussels
32:Brussels
1108:Portals
969:Wagner
934:Alvaro
904:Samson
878:Sigurd
841:Puccini
797:Werther
713:Gounod
700:Gounod
682:Admete
677:Alceste
635:Julien
596:Berlioz
508:in the
486:Antwerp
438:Buffalo
375:Werther
359:Beecham
357:, with
1054:
953:Wagner
939:Verdi
924:Verdi
874:Sigurd
870:Reyer
818:Avito
764:Alain
734:Canio
721:Roméo
708:Faust
695:Orfeo
687:Gluck
631:Louise
616:Carmen
612:Bizet
607:Faust
582:Auber
566:Alfano
557:Opera
496:, and
473:, and
446:Carmen
442:Louise
422:Boston
418:Denver
393:Cannes
329:Gounod
313:, and
301:Louise
291:Carmen
232:Louise
229:, and
220:Sigurd
214:Carmen
151:Boussu
119:Genres
91:Boussu
24:Boussu
1134:Opera
910:Verdi
861:Tosca
784:Manon
775:Jean
704:Faust
671:Gluck
560:Role
542:Tosca
525:Roles
498:Liège
494:Ghent
467:Tosca
380:Gluck
363:Tosca
335:with
333:Faust
325:Manon
296:Manon
263:Auber
226:Faust
199:Dijon
134:tenor
122:Opera
39:tenor
1083:2022
1052:ISBN
915:AĂŻda
544:and
475:AĂŻda
461:and
444:and
395:and
316:AĂŻda
271:and
155:Mons
102:Died
95:Mons
78:Born
28:Mons
1010:at
410:'s
382:'s
331:'s
275:'s
265:'s
241:by
205:'s
1146::
1074:.
1033:IX
1031:.
1018:^
492:,
488:,
477:.
469:,
448:.
432:,
428:,
420:,
399:.
339:,
307:,
303:,
299:,
293:,
281:.
223:,
217:,
41:.
1110::
1085:.
1060:.
86:)
82:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.