Janine Micheau

Janine Micheau (April 17, 1914 - October 18, 1976) was a French opera singer, one of the leading lyric soprano of her era in France.

Janine (or Jeanine) Micheau was born in Toulouse, France, and studied voice at the Music Conservatory there, and later at the Paris Music Conservatory. She made her professional debut at the Opéra-Comiquein 1933, as Cherubino in "Le nozze di Figaro", other roles there included Olympia in "Les contes d'Hoffmann", Rosina in "Il barbiere di Siviglia", Leila in "Les pêcheurs de perles", Micaela in "Carmen", and the title role in "Lakmé". She created the role of Creuse in Darius Milhaud 's "Médée", for her debut at the Paris Opera in 1940, where she also sang Gilda in "Rigoletto", and Violetta in "La Traviata".

Once the war over, her career took an international turn, she was invited at La Scala in Milan, La Monnaie in Brussels, Royal Opera House in London, the San Francisco Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she sang all the great french roles, Marguerite, Juliette, Manon, Mélisande, etc.

Micheau was also active in concert and on French radio, especially in 18th century french works such as Rameau 's "Les Indes galantes" and "Platée". She made several recordings, of which many have been released on CDs.

After retiring from the stage, she became a voice teacher at the Paris Music Conservatory and the Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Janine Micheau died in Paris, France, aged 62.

elected recordings

* 1951 - Massenet - "Manon" - Janine Micheau, Libero de Luca, Roger Bourdin, Julien Giovanetti - Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra-Comique, Albert Wolff - PREISER

* 1953 - Thomas - "Mignon" - Geneviève Moizan, Janine Micheau, Libero de Luca, René Bianco - Choeur et Orchestre Nationale de Belgique, Georges Sebastian - PREISER

* 1953 - Gounod - "Roméo et Juliette" - Raoul Jobin, Janine Micheau, Heinz Rehfus - Paris Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Alberto Erede - DECCA

* 1953 - Debussy - "Pelléas et Mélisande" - Camille Maurane, Janine Micheau, Michel Roux, Xavier Depraz, Rita Gorr - Choeur Elisabeth Brasseur, Orchestre Lamoureux, Jean Fournet - PHILIPS

* 1955 - Gluck - "Orphée et Eurydice" - Nicolai Gedda, Janine Micheau, Liliane Berton - Choeur et Orchestre du Conservatoire de Paris, Louis Froment - EMI

* 1958 - Bizet - "Carmen" - Victoria de los Angeles, Nicolai Gedda, Janine Micheau, Ernest Blanc - Choeur et Orchestre de la RTF, Thomas Beecham - EMI

* 1960 - Bizet - "Les pêcheurs de perles" - Janine Micheau, Nicolai Gedda, Ernest Blanc, Jacques Mars - Choeur et Orchestre de l'Opéra-Comique, Pierre Dervaux - EMI

Sources

* "Dictionnaire des interprètes", Alain Paris, (Robert Laffont, 1982), ISBN 2-221-06660-X
* "Guide de l’opéra", Mancini & Rouveroux, (Fayard, 1995). ISBN 2-213-01563-6