Victor Maurel (17 June 1848 – 22 October 1923) was a Frenchbaritone who enjoyed an international reputation in opera. He sang in opera houses in Paris and London, Milan, Moscow, New York, St Petersburg and many other venues. He was particularly associated with the operas ofVerdi and created leading characters in the premieres of the composer's final operas, as Iago inOtello (1887) and in the title role ofFalstaff (1893). He was also known for his portrayal ofMozart'sDon Giovanni, and wonWagner's praise for his performances inLohengrin,Tannhäuser andDer fliegende Holländer. After retiring from the stage he taught singing in Paris, London and New York.
Maurel was born inMarseille on 17 June 1848.[1] He studied at theParis Conservatoire underDaniel Auber, with Charles-François Duvernoy and Eugène Vauthrot as his main teachers. Among his fellow students wereVictor Capoul andPierre Gailhard, and according toLe Figaro the three made the Conservatoire "resound with a picaresque tumult of adventures, jokes and vocal triumphs with which all the chronicles of Paris vibrated for thirty years".[2] In addition to his escapades, Maurel won first prizes for singing and opera.[3]
He made his début in Marseille (1867) inGuillaume Tell, and the following year appeared at theParis Opéra as de Nevers inLes Huguenots, the Count di Luna inIl trovatore and roles inL’Africaine andLa favorite. At the OpéraJean-Baptiste Faure was established as the leadingbaritone, and Maurel decided to pursue his career abroad.[4] He left the Opéra in 1869 and appeared in opera houses in Cairo, London, Moscow, New York St Petersburg and Milan, where he took part in the world premiere ofGomes'Il Guarany. In New York he sang Amonasro in the first American production ofAida (1873).[1][4]
In 1879 Maurel returned to the Paris Opéra and sang there frequently until 1894, in between foreign tours and a financially unsuccessful spell as co-director of the revived Théâtre-Italien at theThéâtre des Nations.[4] AtLa Scala, Milan in 1881 he sang the title role in the premiere ofVerdi's revised version ofSimon Boccanegra. Verdi was sufficiently impressed to cast him as Iago in the premiere ofOtello (1887)[1] and – after protracted haggling about fees[5] – in the title role for the first performance ofFalstaff (1893), both at La Scala. The Milan company tookFalstaff on a European tour, but with the French defeat in theFranco-Prussian War still an affront to French national pride, Maurel refused go with the company to Berlin.[6] Between the two Verdi premieres Maurel created the role of Tonio inLeoncavallo'sPagliacci at theTeatro Dal Verme, Milan (1892).[1] At his insistence Leoncavallo changed the title of the piece from the singular to the plural so that the tenor was not the onlypagliacco (clown) of interest.[7]
Maurel's antipathy to Germany did not extent to its music. He was much impressed by Wagner's operas,[2] and he appeared as Telramund inLohengrin, Wolfram inTannhäuser and in the title role ofDer fliegende Holländer.[1] On a visit to London, Wagner sought Maurel out to congratulate him on his Covent Garden performances in the roles.[3] According toLe Figaro, Maurel's chief musical gods nevertheless remainedMozart and Verdi.[2] One of the roles with which Maurel was particularly associated wasDon Giovanni. When he played the part at theOpéra-Comique he was described as "a personal, tormented, romantic, complicated Don Giovanni",[2] and when he played it at Covent GardenBernard Shaw wrote that he was immeasurably better than any other exponent of the part in recent years, although Shaw thought him more suited to melodramatic parts in Verdi operas.[8]
According toGrove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Maurel was outstanding not so much for the timbre or resonance of his voice as for his perfect breath control and skill as an actor.[1]Le Figaro compared him to "le grand Irving" (Sir Henry Irving) and he acted on the non-musical stage in the early 1900s.[2]The Manchester Guardian said that he was among baritones whatChaliapin was tobasses, "combining the genius of the actor as well as the singer".[9]
Maurel returned to the Metropolitan Opera in 1894–1896 and 1898–99 and after retiring from performing he designed its production of Gounod’sMireille (1919). For a time he had an opera studio in London, and from 1909 until his death he taught in New York. He wrote books on singing and opera staging, includingLe Giant remove par la science (1892),Un Probleme d'art (1893),L'Art du chant (1897), and memoirs,Dix ans de carriere (1897).[1]
Some examples of his singing are preserved ongramophone records he made in the early 20th century. These recordings, which include a few French songs and arias fromOtello,Falstaff andDon Giovanni, have been reissued on CD by various companies. In a study of old recordingsJ. B. Steane comments that some of Maurel's are of cheap music unworthy of the singer's attention and others fail to show why he was so highly regarded in his prime, but that Don Giovanni's Serenade shows "a well-preserved, virile voice and an aristocratic finish to the style" and Maurel's performance of Falstaff's short aria "Quand' ero paggio" "impresses for its buoyancy – 'ero sottile, sottile, sottile' bounces gaily on its podgy toes – and the colourful vocal acting. It is a delightful memento".[10]
Maurel was married to Frédérique Rosine de Grésac, a well-known writer who used the pen-nameFred de Gresac.[11] In about 1909 they moved to New York, where Maurel died on 22 October 1923 at the age of 75.[1]
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