He studied voice at the Conservatoire National in Paris, where he graduated with a prize in 1913. He must have started
his career in the provinces, since it took him until 1917 to arrive at a Paris stage, the Opéra, where he was to
spend almost his entire career (into the early 1950s). After 1939, he sang also at the Opéra-Comique a few times.
His repertory included Belmonte, Pedrillo, Don Basilio, Don Ottavio, Tamino, David, both Mimes, Italienischer Sänger,
Narraboth, Bischof von Budoja (Palestrina, Jacquino, Admète (Alceste), Castor (Castor et Pollux),
Roméo, Gounod's Faust, Mârouf, Léopold, Shahabarim (Salammbô), Nicias, Joseph, Duca, Alfredo,
Fenton, Canio, Simpleton, Shujskij, Grigorij, Astrologer (Zolotoj petushok/The golden cockerel), and lots of roles in world or
local premieres of long since forgotten operas, the best-remembered of which is Hahn's Marchand de Venise (21 March 1935).
Rambaud was so hugely popular in Paris that he made almost no guest appearances elsewhere; his greatest successes were
Tamino, Joseph and David.
Reference 1, reference 2: Kutsch & Riemens
Source for the portrait: Forgotten Opera Singers
In RA format
Discography
Pathé, Paris, June 1927
200764 Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 0629
200765 Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah, lêve-toi soleil 0629
Pathé, Paris, October 1927
200910 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Tombe de mes aïeux 7107
200911 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Bientôt l'herbe 7107
Pathé, Paris, 1927
Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent 7114
Favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue 7114
Pathé, Paris, January 1928
201101 Sigurd (Reyer): Le bruit des chants 7120
201102 Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer, pt 1 7119
201103 Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant réprimer, pt 2 7119
201104 Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Ah, lêve-toi soleil 7120
Pathé, Paris, June 1928
201220 Faust (Gounod): Salut, ô mon dernier matin 7139
201221 Faust (Gounod): Salut, demeure 7139
Pathé, Paris, 1928
Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Salut, tombeau 7162
Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'étoiles 7162
Pathé, Paris, June 1929
201793 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Tombe de mes aïeux 7182
201794 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti): Bientôt l'herbe 7182
Columbia, Paris, March 1930
WL2108-1 Les millions d'Arlequin (Drigo): Sérénade DF44
WL2110-3 Sérénade (Toselli) DF44
Columbia, Paris, May 1930
WL2277-2 Paysage (Hahn) DF97
WL2278-1 L'heure exquise (Hahn) DF97
Columbia, Paris, 5 November 1930
WLX1403-1 Mireille (Gounod): La foi de son flambeau (w. Féraldy) LFX99
WLX1404-1 Mireille (Gounod): Ô Magali (w. Féraldy) LFX99
Columbia, Paris, about January 1931
WL2625-1 Stances (Flégier) RF35
I wish to thank Anton Bieber for the two Cloches de Corneville, the Roméo et Juliette and the
Sigurd recordings (plus label scans).
Source for the discography: Gesellschaft für historische Tonträger, Wien
