Castelmary, Armand (real name, Comte Armand de Castan)
Castelmary, Armand (real name, Comte Armand de Castan)
French bass; b. Toulouse, Aug. 16, 1834; d. on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera just after Act 1 of Martha in N.Y., Feb. 10, 1897. He was a member of the Paris Opéra (1863–70), where he created the roles of Don Diego in L’Africaine (April 28, 1865), the Grand Inquisitor in Don Carlos (March 11, 1867), and Hamlet in Thomas’s opera (March 9, 1868). In 1870 he made his U.S. debut in New Orleans. From 1889 to 1896 he sang at London’s Covent Garden. On Nov. 29, 1893, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in N.Y. as Vulcan in Philemon et Baucis, remaining on its roster until his death. He was particularly esteemed for his portrayal of Méphistophélès in the operas by Gounod and Boito. From 1864 to 1867 he was married to Marie Sass.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire