Max Moutia

Light tenor native of Mauritius (which always remained francophone, even though the British ruled it way longer than the French). His career took place in France in the 1920s and 1930s; the precise duration is impossible to figure out based on the informations available so far, but he is traceable in Paris from at least 1924 to 1934, both in concert and on stage; for example, he created L'Italien in Angélique by Jacques Ibert at the Théâtre Fémina on January 28th, 1927, and sang Almaviva in Barbiere at the Opéra-Comique. He also appeared at the Monnaie in Brussels, for example in the title role of Fortunio on March 29th, 1931.

He later returned to his native island and became a very important figure for the musical life on Mauritius, teaching voice, hosting popular radio shows of classical music, and forming an opera company (the Troupe Montia) that staged both opera (Carmen, Faust, Tosca, Werther) and operetta: Les cloches de Corneville, Andalousie, Die lustige Witwe, Das Land des Lächelns (all in French, bien sur), Les mousquetaires au couvent, Walzertraum, Die keusche Susanne, Der Graf von Luxemburg, Paganini..., in the two theaters of Port-Louis (the capital of Mauritius).

References: L'art lyrique Français, Félix Sténio

Discography

Gramophone, Paris, 15 April 1924
BP205-1	 Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! (Duo de St-Sulpice, pt 1) (w. Ragon)	unpubl.
BP205-2	 Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! (Duo de St-Sulpice, pt 1) (w. Ragon)	unpubl.
CP206-1	 Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! (Duo de St-Sulpice, pt 2) (w. Ragon)	unpubl.
CP206-2	 Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! (Duo de St-Sulpice, pt 2) (w. Ragon)	unpubl.

Gramophone, Paris, 8 October 1924
BL57-1   Marouf (Rabaud): La carovane, pt 1					unpubl.
BL57-2   Marouf (Rabaud): La carovane, pt 1					unpubl.
BL58-1   Marouf (Rabaud): La carovane, pt 2					unpubl.
BL58-2   Marouf (Rabaud): La carovane, pt 2					unpubl.
BL59-1   La vièrge à la crêche (Clérice)					unpubl.
BL59-2   La vièrge à la crêche (Clérice) 					2-232649, K3063
BL60-1   L'enfance du Christ (Berlioz): Les pèlerins étant venus, pt 1		unpubl.
BL60-2   L'enfance du Christ (Berlioz): Les pèlerins étant venus, pt 1		4-32613, P517
BL61-1   L'enfance du Christ (Berlioz): Les pèlerins étant venus, pt 2		unpubl.
BL61-2   L'enfance du Christ (Berlioz): Les pèlerins étant venus, pt 2		4-32614, P517

Gramophone, Paris, 16 December 1931
0W1110-1 title unknown								unpubl.

Gramophone, Paris, 6 December 1934 (conductor M. Mossé)
0LA229-1 Les jolies Viennoises (J. Strauß): Ô ma colombe			K7387
0LA231-1 Les jolies Viennoises (J Strauß): Sang viennois (w. J. Guyla) 		K7386
0LA232-1 Les jolies Viennoises (J Strauß): Trinquons, buvons (w. J. Guyla) 	K7387
0LA232-2 Les jolies Viennoises (J Strauß): Trinquons, buvons (w. J. Guyla)	unpubl.