Charles Morati
A French record dealer once spread the rumour that Morati died during the First World War as the singer had disappeared from view in France. Algiers Opéra, 1904
Sigurd
Paris, Opéra-Comique
Cavalleria rusticana on 7 October 1904 with Cazaux, Mme Duchène (Lucia), Mme Vallandri (Lola)He also sang in La traviata.
Bruxelles, Monnaie
Season 1906/07Les amaryllis on 8 February 1907 with Mme Korsoff, Mme Bourgeois, Sylvain Dupuis (total 8) Prodaná nevěsta on 27 February 1907 with Belhomme, Dua, Danlée, François, Caisso, Delaye, Mme Korsoff, Mme Eyreams, Mme Bourgeois, Mme Paulin, François Rasse (total 6) Season 1907/08 Fortunio on 4 January 1908 with Declery, Bourbon, Dua, La Taste, Caisso, Dorgeles, Delaye, Mme Grenville, Mme Symiane, Mme de Bolle, S. Dupuis (total 6) Season 1908/09 Katharina (by Edgar Tinel) on 27 February 1909 with Lestelly, Petit, Artus, Galinier, Hiernaux, Nandès, La Taste, Delaye, Delrue, Colin, Mme Croiza, Mme Bourgeois, Mme Lucey, Sylvain Dupuis (total 17) Lakmé with Mme de Tréville, de Clery; Werther with Mme Sylva, Mme Eyreams, de Clery, Belhomme
Spa, 1908
Concert
Nice, 1910
La glu (by Gabriel Dupont), world premiere on 26 January with Claire Friché, Geneviève Vix (total 8)
New Orleans
Prior to the start of the season "L'Abeille" reported on some of the artists engaged. Morati, born 3 July 1880 in Paris,
had studied at the Conservatoire under Edmond Duvernay and with Melchissédec. He had sung in Bordeaux
(Damnation de Faust), at the Monnaie, and in Nice for one season where he sang Pinkerton.
His debut came at a matinee performance of "Manon", 27 Nov 1910, in the role of des Grieux. "L'Abeille" (29 Nov 1910):
"impossible to find a more charming des Grieux..." "L'Abeille" generally liked him, the English language papers less so.
Apparently he had some health problems while here as well – perhaps our damp winter climate??
1910 27 Nov - des Grieux 29 Nov - Faust 6 Dec - Don José 10 Dec - Alfredo 15 Dec - Nicias 24 Dec - Nicias 29 Dec - Nicias 1911 1 Jan - Don José (matinée) 10 Jan - Jean (in "Hérodiade" 21 Jan - Faust 22 Jan - Jean (matinée) 28 Jan - Nicias 31 Jan - Gérald 16 Feb - Rodolfo) 12 Feb - Rodolfo (matinée) 19 Feb - Faust (matinée) 20 Feb - Alfredo 2 Mar - Gérald 3 Mar - Don José 4 Mar - Nicias
The season ended on 5 March 1911. "L'Abeille" reported that the troupe had departed the morning of 7 March 1911 for Mobile,
Alabama where they would open a brief season with "La bohème". No word on whether Morati might have sung Rodolfo in that
performance or what else they staged in Mobile. From Mobile they were to visit other cities – mentioned were Louisville,
KY; St. Louis, MO; Washington, DC; and the tour would end in Canada in May, after which the entire troupe would depart from
New York and return to France. So presumably Morati went along on this tour of over two months.
Not only did Morati change his date of birth from 1875 to 1880, but also confused everybody by using the first name André.
He also claimed to have sung Faust in "Damnation de Faust" 32 consecutive times!! He originally had been mentioned as coming to New
Orleans with the French opera
troupe in the 1903/04 season. "L'Abeille" on 11 August 1903, when listing the artists who had been signed, included Morati
and identified him as a laureate of the conservatoire "this year". He didn't come, and there was no further mention of him
by the time the season began later that year.
I wish to thank Jack Belsom for the New Orleans information. References: Jules Salès: Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie; Le Petit Niçois, Le Guide Musical, Europe Artiste, Albert Soubies: Almanach des spectacles; S. Wolff: Opéra-Comique. 
Discography Pantophone, Paris, 1905 1727 Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles 1727 2039 Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni): Vive le vin 1727 Odeon, Paris, August 1906 xP2778 Romeéo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah lêve-toi, soleil X36824 xP2779 Sigurd (Reyer): Esprits gardiens X36825 Columbia cylinders, Paris, 1904 25778 Aida (Verdi): Ô céleste Aïda 25778 25779 Africaine (Meyerbeer): Ô paradis 25779 25805 Faust (Gounod): Salut, demeure 25805 25810 Favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur 25810 25831 Huguenots (Meyerbeer): Plus blanche que la blanche hermine 25831 25843 Juive (Halévy): Rachel, quand du Seigneur 25843 25868 Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 25868 25888 Tannhäuser (Wagner): Ô douce étoile 25888 25893 Trovatore (Verdi): Misérère 25893 25915 Carmen (Bizet): Air de la fleur 25915 25936 Dragons de Villars (Maillart): Ne parle pas, Rose 25936 26026 Si j'étais roi (Adam): J'ignore son nom 26026 27345 Cloches de Corneville (Planquette): Je regardais en l'air 27345 Emerson, New York City, 1917 2475-1 Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 7167 (7") 2484-2 Pour un baiser (Tosti) 7218 (7") 2485-3 Obstination (de Fontenailles) 7229 (7") 2531 L'Africaine (Meyerbeer): Ô paradis 7182 (7") 2579-2 Adorable tourments (Barthélemy) 7217 (7") 2620-1 Martha (Flotow): M'apparì 7247 (7") 2659-2 Manon (Massenet): Ah fuyez, douce image 7247 (7") 2727=3 Délivrance (Leoncavallo) 7271 (7")Source: Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien I want to thank Carlo Ciabrini for the portrait. |
