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Léon David (1867-1962) was a lyric tenor whose three decade career was largely confined to the French speaking world. The son of a grocer, he was born in Les Sables d’Olonne and began his musical studies at the Conservatory in Nantes. It was during his student days that the 20 year old tenor made his unofficial debut at Saint Stanislas College in Méhul’s Joseph. The following year, he travelled to Paris to continue his studies, as well as to complete his compulsory military service. He enrolled in the Conservatoire de Paris where he was assigned to the vocal class of Belgian tenor Victor Warot (1834-1906). In the same class was another future opera star, Edmond Clément. Instead of becoming rivals, the two tenors formed an immediate bond, a close friendship which lasted until Clément’s death in 1928. Although David placed second in his final voice juries at the Conservatory, the young tenor made such an impression on Opéra-Comique director Léon Carvalho (who was among the judges) that he was offered a contract with the company in 1891. Before debuting at the Opéra-Comique, however, David was given permission to accept an engagement in Monte Carlo. It was here that the tenor made his professional debut in the local premiere of Noël Desjoyaux’s Gyptis on February 9, 1892. In June of that same year, David made his Opéra-Comique debut as Iopas in Les Troyens. This led to an artistically satisfying association with the company, which lasted until Carvalho’s death in December of 1897. Carvalho’s successor, Albert Carré, was not as accommodating towards artists as had been his predecessor, leading to great tension. David and Carré engaged in a very public feud which compelled the tenor to leave the Opéra-Comique in 1900. He returned as a guest artist only a handful of times between 1908 and 1920. Luckily, David’s issues with Carré and the Opéra-Comique did not damage his reputation, and he remained a very popular artist at the major theaters of Bordeaux, Nantes, Marseilles, Lyon, Nice and Brussels. Although the tenor preferred singing in the French speaking world, he made important appearances in Cairo, Alexandria, Istanbul, Lisbon, Antwerp, Bucharest and Sofia. His repertoire grew to include such roles as Don José in Carmen, Wilhelm Meister in Mignon, Georges Brown in La Dame Blanche, des Grieux in Manon, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Belmonte in Die Entführung aus dem Serail, Dimitri in Alfano’s Risurrezione, Don Luis de Vargas in Albéniz’s Pepita Gimenez, Paco in La Vida Breve, Vincent in Mireille, Rodolfo in La Bohème, Cassio in Otello, Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia, The Duke in Rigoletto, Gérald in Lakmé, and the title role in Werther. David also appeared in the world premieres of a pair of now forgotten works, Nicola Sinadino’s La Dogaressa and Gianni Galletti’s Radomir, in Alexandria and Cairo in 1904. Following the outbreak of WWI, David’s career began winding down. In May of 1918, he returned to the Opéra-Comique as Werther, and gave his final performance there in July of 1920. A series of farewell concerts followed, after which the tenor retired from public life in 1923. The following year, David accepted a position on the faculty of the Conservatoire de Paris, where he remained until 1938. He was invited to the Quebec Musical Competition Festival in March of that same year where he acted as an adjudicator for the French vocal solo and choral classes. After retiring from the Conservatory, the elderly tenor returned to his birthplace of Les Sables d’Olonne. It was here that Léon David passed away in October of 1962, just seven weeks shy of his 95th birthday. Léon David is a tenor who is unjustly forgotten today. There are many possible reasons for his obscurity, including a complicated personal and professional life. His contentious relationship with Albert Carré most certainly shortened his career at the Opéra-Comique. Another factor was the poor health of his first wife, Alice, who began exhibiting signs of mental illness shortly after their 1899 marriage. She was institutionalized in 1901 and died in an asylum in 1908. A coveted contract from Boston Opera came David’s way in 1910, which would have made for a significant American debut. The new Mrs. David, however, was suffering through an exceedingly difficult pregnancy, and the tenor, not wishing to leave her at such a crucial time, felt compelled to decline the offer. Needless to say, David never sang in North America. David’s paltry recorded output may also be a factor in his obscurity today. These ten discs were made in Paris and Brussels for Fonotipia and Odéon between 1904 and 1908. They showcase a full bodied and robust lyric tenor, with a highly developed sense of style.
