Autograph letter signed "Castelmary" to an unidentified female correspondent
3 pp. of a bifolium. Octavo. Dated London, July 1889. In black ink on patterned paper. With an autograph self-caricature of Castelmary in costume (as the Duke) under which are written the Duke's lines, "Eh! quoi?.... toujours du sang!!!, (What's this? Always blood!!)" from the third act of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. In French (with translation).
Castelmary playfully accepts his correspondent's invitation, and sends his greetings to a certain Mrs. Mayzoni[?] and everyone in his correspondent's home.
"You are always friendly! Except when, like me, you are in a bad mood, or when you want to sleep... Thank you for your completely charming invitation. I will not be absent."
Slightly worn, soiled and stained; creased at folds; small tear to base of caricature; several small tears repaired to lower edges.
Armand Castelmary was a French bass. "From 1863 to 1870 he sang at the Paris Opéra, where he created Don Diégo in L’Africaine (1865), a Monk (Charles V) in Don Carlos (1867) and Horatio in Thomas’ Hamlet (1868). He also sang Gounod’s Méphistophélès, Leporello, Oberthal (Le prophète) and Ferrando (Il trovatore). He sang with the French Opera Company, New Orleans (1870), and toured the USA with the Max Strakosch English Opera Company (1879). At Monte Carlo (1884) he sang Balthazar (La favorite), Giacomo (Fra Diavolo), Ramfis and Claudius (Hamlet). From 1889 to 1896 he sang at Covent Garden, as King Henry (Lohengrin), Giacomo (Mascagni’s I Rantzau, 1893), Remigio (La Navarraise), the Bailli (Werther), Sparafucile, Sartorio (Cowen’s Signa), Vulcan (Philémon et Baucis) and Hunding. He was engaged at the Metropolitan from 1893, making his début as Vulcan and singing Mephistopheles (Boito’s as well as Gounod’s) and Fafner. He died on stage during a performance of Martha, in which he was singing Lord Tristan." Elizabeth Forbes in Grove Music Online.
Item #23681
Price: $220.00 other currencies