Robert Marvini

Marvini, born 1885, made a career centered around the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, but was one of the decidedly minor figures in the stunningly great panorama of French basses in the early 20th century. On record, he appears in two complete operas (La favorite and Il trovatore), which is why a lot of collectors know him; as far as solo sides, he recorded only a handful. The two interesting selections above may explain why: for listeners used to hearing Belhomme, Plançon, d'Assy, Dupré, Delmas, Nivette, Payan and so on, these recordings must have been devastating.