André Baugé

André Baugé (1892–1966), the impersonation of vocal charme, the great master of the lighter side of French classical music, sings four tenor pieces from Viennese operettas; the Paganini excerpt is transposed down a full tone, the three others are in original tenor key. Particularly enjoyable: the Walzertraum rendition.

The Barbiere aria was used as a mock love serenade in one of Baugé's films. It is in original key, and the phrasing is so much better than in a great number of non-mock versions...

The aria from Richard Coeur de Lion is a special case: it exists in both a tenor and baritone version, and while the original one is for tenor, it's customary to hear it by baritones. Baugé, though a baritone of course, recorded the tenor version!