Théo Beets
The recordings of Sigurd and Walküre come from the Théo Beets CD (CDMR711) published by Malibran-Music. Highly recommended, like all Malibran CDs!
In 1914, he volunteered for the Belgian army and, beyond fighting WWI, remained a soldier until 1923. Only then, he studied voice at the Brussels conservatory, with Désiré Demest and Laurent Swolfs. He made his debut at age 31, as Jean (in Hérodiade) in Liège. Throughout his career, he was based in Antwerp, where he sang both at the French and the Flemish Opera, but he made extensive guest appearances in France and Belgium, and also in Germany (in 1937/38, he worked under young Herbert von Karajan in Aachen as Siegmund). In his later years, he would also sing baritone parts; his farewell from the stage was as Herodes in Gent (1955), but his final aria concert took only place in 1967.
Tosca Hérodiade Salome Lohengrin La Juive La favorite Sigurd Aida Lucia di Lammermoor Die Entführung aus dem Serail Otello (in Aachen with Karajan) Tannhäuser Die Walküre Fidelio Tosca Faust Les pêcheurs de perles
Polydor 12 inch 516573 La Walkyrie: Ô glaive promis par mon père 2170BMP La Walkyrie: Plus d'hiver 2171BMP 516574 Lucie de Lamermoor: Tombe de mes aieux Roméo et Juliette: Cavatine 516619 Les maîtres chanteurs de Nuremberg: L'aube vermeille Lohengrin: Aux bords lointains 516653 Sigurd: Un souvenir poignant 2140BMP Les huguenots: Plus blanche que la blanche hermine 2139BMP 516682 La damnation de Faust: Nature immense 2141BMP La damnation de Faust: Merci doux crépuscule 2142½BMP 516722 Aida: Ô céleste Aida 1971BMP Hérodiade: Ne pouvant réprimer 1970BMP 516734 La Juive: Dieu que ma voix tremblante 1972BMP La Juive: Rachel quand du Seigneur 1973BMP Lucie de Lammermoor: Bientot l'herbe des champs unpublished 10 inch 524061 Sigurd: Princes du Rhin 4198BKP Sigurd: Esprits gardiens de ces lieux 4199BKP Other issue numbers have been used for some records. 516173 : 566154 516619 : 566099 516682 : 566146 516722 : 566084 516734 : 566085 524061 : 561031 Reference: Richard T. Soper Belgian opera houses and singers. The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, South Carolina, 1999. I wish to thank Christian Torrent for the discography. |