Claude Hector

1924 Tourcoing – 2 August 2002

Picture of Claude Hector
Picture of Claude Hector
Tosca
Martha
Picture of Claude Hector
Hector first studied singing at the Tourcoing conservatory with M. Wibaut. He moved to Paris in 1945, where he studied at the National Conservatory with Mme Monsy-Franz and Gabriel Dubois.

In 1949, he made his debut at La Monnaie, where he stayed until 1954. There in 1952 he created Tom Rakewell in the French premiere of The rake's progress.

He had a guest contract with the Opéra-Comique since 1952. He sang at the Paris Opéra during 1954/55: debut in Faust (26 April 1954), Les Indes galantes (Valère, 1954), Die Zauberflöte (Priest), Lohengrin (1955), Bolivar by Milhaud (Le Visitador, Dominguez), Numance by Henry Barraud (world premiere on 15 April 1955 as Morandre with Sarocca, Gorr, Couderc, Blanc, Bianco, Giraudeau, Depraz, Massard, Vanzo, Charles-Paul, Serkoyan, Soix, Finel, Max-Conti, with Fourestier conducting).

Then he decided to concentrate on the German repertory. He studied again for this repertory.

His career evolved as follows:
1959–60 Opernhaus Essen
1960–63 Stadttheater Bern
1963–68 Opernhaus Graz

In Graz, he took part in the Austrian premieres of Il prigioniero (1963), Ognennyj angel (1963), Doktor Faust (1965). He left Graz in 1968 after singing Siegmund.

His repertory included: Radames, Otello, Turiddu, Canio, Pinkerton, José, Samson, Oreste (Iphigénie en Tauride), Florestan, Erik, Stolzing, Lohengrin, Tristan, Loge, Siegmund, Parsifal, Bacchus, Kaiser, Herodes, Ägisth, Alwa, Alfred, Shujskij, Kobus (in La route d'émeraude by de Boeck)...

He moved to Dortmund where his wife, the well known soprano Elisabeth Lachmann (born 1940), sang at the local opera house since 1968.
Reference: Kutsch & Riemens

Claude Hector sings La route d'émeraude: J'aime tes doigts agiles, with Huberte Vecray
1950, conducted by Maurice Bastin
Huberte Vecray, 16 September 1923 – 3 July 2009
August de Boeck, 9 May 1865 Merchtem (Belgium) – 9 October 1937 Merchtem
I wish to thank Christian Torrent for the recording and pictures (top 2).

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