He studied voice at the Conservatoire National in Paris, where he graduated with a prize in 1913. He must have started
his career in the provinces, since it took him until 1917 to arrive at a Paris stage, the Opéra, where he was to
spend almost his entire career (into the early 1950s). After 1939, he sang also at the Opéra-Comique a few times.
His repertory included Belmonte, Pedrillo, Don Basilio, Don Ottavio, Tamino, David, both Mimes, Italienischer Sänger,
Narraboth, Bischof von Budoja (Palestrina, Jacquino, Admète (Alceste), Castor (Castor et Pollux),
Roméo, Gounod's Faust, Mârouf, Léopold, Shahabarim (Salammbô), Nicias, Joseph, Duca, Alfredo,
Fenton, Canio, Simpleton, Shujskij, Grigorij, Astrologer (Zolotoj petushok/The golden cockerel), and lots of roles in world or
local premieres of long since forgotten operas, the best-remembered of which is Hahn's Marchand de Venise (21 March 1935).
Rambaud was so hugely popular in Paris that he made almost no guest appearances elsewhere; his greatest successes were
Tamino, Joseph and David.
Reference 1, reference 2: Kutsch & Riemens
Source for the portrait: Forgotten Opera Singers
In RA format
Discography
Pathé, Paris, June 1927
200764 Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 0629
200765 Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah, lève-toi soleil 0629
Pathé, Paris, October 1927
200910 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Tombe de mes aïeux 7107
200911 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Bientôt l'herbe 7107
Pathé, Paris, 1927
Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 7114
Favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue 7114
Pathé, Paris, January 1928
201101 Sigurd (Reyer): Le bruit des chants 7120
201102 Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer, pt 1 7119
201103 Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer, pt 2 7119
201104 Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah, lève-toi soleil 7120
Pathé, Paris, June 1928
201220 Faust (Gounod): Salut, ô mon dernier matin 7139
201221 Faust (Gounod): Salut, demeure 7139
Pathé, Paris, 1928
Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Salut, tombeau 7162
Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles 7162
Pathé, Paris, June 1929
201793 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Tombe de mes aïeux 7182
201794 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Bientôt l'herbe 7182
Columbia, Paris, 9 March 1930
WL2108-1 Les millions d'Arlequin (Drigo): Sérénade DF44
Columbia, Paris, 10 March 1930
WL2110-3 Sérénade (Toselli) DF44
Columbia, Paris, 12 May 1930
WL2277-2 Paysage (Hahn) DF97
WL2278-1 L'heure exquise (Hahn) DF97
Columbia, Paris, 5 November 1930
WLX1403-1 Mireille (Gounod): La foi de son flambeau (w. Féraldy) LFX99
Columbia, Paris, 7 November 1930
WLX1404-1 Mireille (Gounod): Ô Magali (w. Féraldy) LFX99
Columbia, Paris, 4 December 1930
WL2622-1 Toujours je vous entends (Marshall) RF34
WL2623-1 Chanson du coeur brisé (Moya) RF34
WL2624 Le beau rêve (Flégier) RF35
WL2625-1 Stances (Flégier) RF35
Columbia, Paris, 10 December 1930
WL2650-1 Les cloches de Corneville (Planquette): Va, petit mousse RF32
WL2651-1 Les cloches de Corneville (Planquette): Je regardais en l'air RF32
Columbia, Paris, 4 March 1931
WL2834 Élégie (Massenet) DF451
WL2835 Ronde d'amour (Chaminade) DF451
Columbia, Paris, 15 April 1931
WL2984 Le grand mogol (Audran): Si j'étais un petit serpent DF528
WL2985 Le grand mogol (Audran): Un antique et fort vieil adage DF528
Columbia, Paris, 16 (?) April 1931
WL2986 Noël païen (Massenet) DF561
WL2987 Ouvre tes yeux bleus (Massenet) DF561
Columbia, Paris, May (?) 1931
WL3035 L'illustre Fragona (Laparra): Mélancolique tombe le soir RF43
WL3036 L'illustre Fragona (Laparra): Mais pour voir si par fortune RF43
Columbia, Paris, 4 June 1931
WL3152 La bataille (Gailhard): Tes yeux sont clairs (w. Nespoulous) RF46
Columbia, Paris, probably second half of 1931
Li-ou-li-ou-sai (Chantrier) DF614
Melouka, la rose de Marrakech (Bullerian) DF614
I wish to thank Anton Bieber for the two Cloches de Corneville, the Roméo et Juliette and the
Sigurd recordings (plus label scans).
Sources for the discography: DAHR, Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien
