Edouard de Reszke

Edouard de Reszke, born as Edward, (22 December 1853 - 25 May 1917) was a Polish operatic bass born in Warsaw.

Edouard de Reszke learnt singing first in Warsaw, then in Italy. Initially, he did not want to become an operatic singer, but persuaded by his sister, Józefina, he accepted an engagement with the Paris Opera. He was chosen by the composer Giuseppe Verdi to make his debut in the first Paris performance of "Aida" on 22 April 1876, appearing under Verdi's baton as the king of Egypt.

De Reszke's older brother was the celebrated tenor Jean de Reszke (1850-1925), with whom he sang often in Paris, London and New York. In 1887, they performed together in the 500th performance of Gounod's "Faust" at the Paris Opera. His sister Josephine was also an opera singer of some note.

From 1880 to 1900, de Reszke appeared over 300 times at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing a wide range of bass roles in French, German and Italian operas, including works by Richard Wagner and Mozart. He was a huge favourite, too, with audiences at New York's Metropolitan Opera during the same era. De Reszke also sang in Chicago in 1891 and, in 1879-1881, at La Scala, Milan. He retired from the stage in 1903.

De Reszke taught singing for a while in London before returning to his estate in Poland, where he was adversely affected by the outbreak of World War One in 1914. He died in poverty on 25 May 1917 at his house in Garnek, near Częstochowa, Poland, and his grave is to be found at Borowno in that country. His fame lives on, however, as one of the greatest basses in operatic history.

A tall man, de Reszke possessed a big, flexible, ripe-toned voice and an imposing stage presence. He proved equally adept at dramatic parts and comedy. Unfortunately, he made only a few commercial discs for the Columbia record company in America in 1903, by which time his voice was in decline due to years of hard use.

Edouard de Reszke – Appearances at the Royal Opera House

* 1880 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 13 April to 17 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (5, shared)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (3, shared)
** as "Giorgio" in "I puritani" (3)
** as "Indra" in "Roi de Lahore" (3, debut at Covent Garden in this role 13 April 1880)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (5, shared)
* 1881 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 April to 23 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (2)
** as "Gudal" in "The Demon" (4)
** as "Walter" in "Guillaume Tell" (3)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (3)
** as "The Prefect" in "Linda di Chamounix" (2)
** as "Giorgio" in "I puritani" (1)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (2)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (2)
* 1882 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 April to 20 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (4)
** as "Walter" in "Guillaume Tell" (2)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (1)
** as "Giorgio" in "I puritani" (1)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (1)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (2)
** as "Senon" in "Velléda" (3)
* 1883 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 1 May to 21 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (2)
** as "Dalando" in "Fliegende Hollander" (2)
** as "Walter" in "Guillaume Tell" (2)
** as "Alvise" in "Gioconda" (7)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (3)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (2)
** as "Almaviva" in "Le nozze di Figaro" (2)
** as "Giorgio" in "I puritani" (1)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (3)
* 1884 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 29 April to 26 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (2)
** as "Czar Peter" in "Etoile du Nord" (3)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (5)
** as "Alvise" in "Gioconda" (3)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (4)
** as "The Prefect" in "Linda di Chamounix" (1)
** as (illegible data) in "Lucrezia Borgia" (2)
** as "Almaviva" in "Le nozze di Figaro" (4)
** as (illegible data) in "Semiramide" (1)
** as "Hagen" in "Sigurd" (3)
* 1888 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 15 May to 21 July
** as "Don Pedro" in "L'Africaine" (2)
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (1)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (7, shared)
** as "Walter" in "Guillaume Tell" (2)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (4)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (6)
** as "Sarastro" in "The Magic Flute" (1)
** as "Mefistofele" in "Mefistofele" (1)
* 1889 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 18 May to 27 July
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (7, shared)
** as "Walter" in "Guillaume Tell" (2)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (3)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (6, shared)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (7)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (2)
* 1890 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 19 May to 28 July
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (6, shared)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (6, shared)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (5)
** as "Zacharie" in "Le Prophète" (5)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (5)
** as "Count Rodolfo" in "La sonnambula" (1)
* 1891 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 6 April to 27 July
** as "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni" (5, shared)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (12, shared)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (8)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (9)
** as "Plumketto" in "Martha" (2)
** as "Mefistofele" in "Mefistofele" (2)
** as "Zacharie" in "Le Prophète" (3)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (8, shared)
* 1892 - Royal Italian Opera Season from 16 May to 28 July
** as "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni" (2)
** as "L'Eremite" in "Elaine" (5)
** as "Dalando" in "Der fliegende Holländer" (1)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (1)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (5, shared)
** as "Almaviva" in "Le nozze di Figaro" (2)
** as "Zacharie" in "Le Prophète" (1)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (3)
* 1893 - Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (6, shared)
** as "Dalando" in "Der fliegende Holländer" (2)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (2)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (6, shared)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (7, shared)
* 1894 - Royal Opera Season from 15 May to 29 July
** as "Ramfis" in "Aida" (2)
** as "L'Eremite" in "Elaine" (2)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (7, shared)
** as "The Roundhead Colonel" in "Lady of Longford" (2)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (4)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (7)
* 1896 - Royal Opera Season from 11 May to 28 July
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (6, shared)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (5, shared)
** as "Plumketto" in "Martha" (2)
** as "Mefistofele" in "Mefistofele" (2, shared)
** as "Hans Sachs" in "Die Meistersinger" (5)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (8, shared)
** as "King Mark" in "Tristan und Isolde" (4)
* 1897 - Royal Opera Season from 10 May to 28 July
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (7)
** as "Marcel" in "Les Huguenots" (5, shared)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (7)
** as "Hans Sachs" in "Die Meistersinger" (3)
** as "Almaviva" in "Le nozze di Figaro" (2)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (6, shared)
** as "Der Wanderer" in "Siegfried" (4)
** as "King Mark" in "Tristan und Isolde" (3)
* 1898 - Royal Opera Season from 9 May to 16 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (1)
** as "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni" (1)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (7, shared)
** as "Hagen" in "Götterdämmerung" (3)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (7, shared)
** as "Hans Sachs" in "Die Meistersinger" (4)
** as "Almaviva" in "Le nozze di Figaro" (2, shared)
** as "King Mark" in "Tristan und Isolde" (4, shared)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (at least once)
* 1899 - Royal Opera Season from 8 May to 24 July
** as "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni" (3)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (8, shared)
** as "St. Bris" in "Les Huguenots" (2, shared)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (6, shared)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (5, shared)
** as "King Mark" in "Tristan und Isolde" (4)
* 1900 - Royal Opera Season from 14 May to 30 July
** as "Don Basilio" in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" (1)
** as "Leporello" in "Don Giovanni" (2)
** as "Méphistophélès" in "Faust" (8, shared)
** as "Marcel" in "Les Huguenots" (2)
** as "Heinrich" in "Lohengrin" (6, shared)
** as "Frère Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette" (5, shared)
** as "Ramfis" in "Aida" (at least once)

Gala performances by Jean and Edouard de Reszke at Covent Garden and Command Performances at Windsor Castle

* 2 July 1889 - Gala in honour of the Shah of Persia:
**Eduoard as "Mephistofele" in Act I of "Mefistofele" and as "Mefistofele" in Act 4 of "Faust"
**Jean as "Faust" in Act 4 of "Faust"
* 8 July 1891 - Visit of the Emperor and Empress of Germany
**Edouard as "Enrico" in Act 1 of "Lohengrin", as "Laurent" in Act 4 of "Roméo et Juliette" and as "San Bris" in Act 4 of "Les Huguenots"
**Jean as "Lohengrin" in Act 1 of "Lohengrin", as "Romeo" in Act 4 of "Roméo et Juliette" and as "Raoul" in Act 4 of "Les Huguenots"
*4 July 1893 - Gala in honour of the marriage of the Duke of York and Princess Mary of Teck
**Edouard as "Laurent" in "Roméo et Juliette"
**Jean as "Romeo" in "Roméo et Juliette"
*23 June 1897 - 60th Anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession
**Edouard as "Laurent" in Act 3 of "Roméo et Juliette"
**Jean as "Romeo" in Act 3 of "Roméo et Juliette"
*27 June 1898 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle (no data on programme)
*24 May 1899 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle
**Edouard as "Enrico" in "Lohengrin"
**Jean as "Lohengrin" in "Lohengrin"
*16 July 1900 - Command Performance at Windsor Castle
**Edouard as "Mefistofele" in "Faust"

References

* "List of appearances after the Royal Opera House database."