Antona Tesca

The review of that performance on "Les Nouvelles" is so incredible that it's worth being translated it in its entirety:

To call Mr. Tesca a strong tenor with a large range would obviously be an exaggeration. To assert that his gestures are grand and beautiful, that his stage acting is natural, his facial expressions studied and his gait noble and easy would also be an exaggeration.

It cannot be claimed either that Mr. Tesca delivered his role perfectly, that his lines came on time, that the measure in ensembles and duets was rigorously observed. Nor is it possible, after yesterday's audition alone, to state as an accepted truth that Mr. Tesca has a powerful organ.

One senses that his voice must be young and fresh; but what one senses even more is that stage fright – of the very highest order – completely paralyzes the artist.

This stage fright was, in short, inevitable. Yesterday, Mr. Tesca took to the stage for the first time. And in what a role!

Even supposing that Mr. Tesca had mastered the role perfectly – which is doubtful – it's fair to say that emotion deprived him of most of his resources, and caused him to have memory lapses.

We should have understood him. An artist singing for the first time in his life in front of an audience needs encouragement. Neither laughter nor shushing are appropriate to stimulate him.

A little more indulgence wouldn't have done harm to anyone.

Especially since Mr. Tesca could do better and, besides, he's not a member of the troupe.

It's true that the public doesn't like paying and not getting value for money.

Somehow, he must have made onto the stage of the Monte Carlo opera theater, because in April 1906, he participated in a "gala concert" at a well-known restaurant in Dijon, and was announced as "M. Tesca de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo"; he was successful with "Semailles" by Goublier, and in a duet from Mireille. He had not (yet?) been "de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo" two months earlier in the accompanying musical program of a photography exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris.

The last reference to Tesca that I can find is another accompanying program to a Grand Palais exhibition: September 1907, a sports exhibition, this time, again attributing Tesca to the Monte Carlo opera.

So we have six documented public appearances by Tesca, three of which are related to sports... strange and very unusual! So far, I've never seen any classical concerts organized by sports associations.