André Balbon

André Balbon was a French bass opera singer, born in Paris, in 4 June 1902 and dead in Alicante (Spain), in 30 March 1984. He was principally active in France in character roles.

In 1924 he appeared in Les Burgraves by Léo Sachs at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, before working in the French provinces for several years.

Balbon made his debut at the Paris Opéra-Comique on 1 November 1928 as un Officier in Lorenzaccio by Moret. From then until the 1940s he was a regular member of the Opéra-Comique company with an extensive repertoire. He sang in the Paris premieres of Bourgeois de Falaise by Thiriet (Sottencourt), Comme ils s'aiment by Lavagne (Lustrac), Esther de Carpentras by Milhaud (Cacan), Fou de la Dame by Delannoy (Cavalier noir), Frasquita by Lehar (Aristide), Georges Dandin by d’Ollone (Sottenville), Nuit Embaumée by Hirschmann (Ali), Mon Oncle Benjamin by Bousquet (Pontcassé), Rayon de Soieries by Rosenthal (Monsieur Loyal), Riquet à la Houppe by Hue (Marquis de Carabas), le Roi d'Yvetot by Ibert (Renaud), le Testament de Tante Caroline by Roussel (Maître Corbeau), Tout Ank Amon by Pérez (Hapousend), Vieux Garçons by Urgel (von Petersboom), and Zadig by Duperrier (Arimage).

He also appeared in Angélique (le Nègre), le Barbier de Séville (Basilio), la Bohème (Colline) le Bon roi Dagobert (Éloi), les Brigands (Chef des Carabiniers), Carmen (Zuniga), les Contes d’Hoffmann (Lindorf), l'Étoile (Sirocco), Gargantua (three roles), Gianni Schicchi (title role), la Habanéra (le Vieux), Louise (Bricoleur, Chiffonnier), Madame Butterfly (Sharpless), Manon (le Comte), Mariage Secret (Comte Robinson), le Médecin malgré lui (Sganarelle), Mignon (Lothario), Philémon et Baucis (Vulcain), le Roi malgré lui (Villequier), la Rôtisserie de la Reine Pédauque (d'Astarac), le Roi d'Ys (le Roi), Tosca (Angelotti), la Traviata (Docteur), and Werther (Bruhlmann).

In 1933 Balbon created the title role in Marc Berthomieu’s opérette Robert Macaire, at the Grand Théâtre in Le Havre.

...
Wikipedia