Antonin Trantoul

Trantoul made his debut in Nîmes in Manon as des Grieux in 1911. He appeared at the Opéra-Comique in Paris in the same role on 2 December 1920. At the Opéra-Comique, Trantoul sang in the following works: Il barbiere di Siviglia, Les contes d'Hoffmann, La bohème, Louise, Werther, Le roi d'Ys, Tosca, Orphée, Madama Butterfly, L'attaque du moulin, and took part in the world premiere of Les noces corinthiennes on 10 May 1922 with Yvonne Gall and Félix Vieuille. That's an opera by the conductor-composer Henri Busser.

On 7 October 1923, Trantoul made his debut at the Opéra as Faust. At the Opéra, Trantoul sang also in the following works: Roméo et Juliette, Rigoletto, Hérodiade, Lohengrin, and in the world premiere of Nerto, by Widor, in the part of Rodrigue. Trantoul sang also all over France.

Excerpts of the review published in Lyrica, November 1923 of Trantoul's debut at the Opéra

His voice, true voice of a demi-caractère tenor, has a clear timbre, is firm, carries well in the auditorium, is homogeneous as well as long, is capable of giving the D flat in act one as well as the B during the Carnival scene. The singer uses his voice with a great technique, taking at the repetition of the initial phrase of the cavatine C'est là, ah! Salut, demeure... the high C first forcefully then changing into half voice and giving the final high C Où se devine la présence with magnificent artistry in the register that Faure calls the diminished chest voice.
Raymond Balliman

In 1925, Toscanini hired Trantoul at the Scala, where he sang until 1931, in the following works: Faust, Carmen, Aida, Don Carlo, Der Freischütz, Nerone, Otello, Il trovatore, and Norma. Trantoul was alternating with Merli and Pertile.

During the 1929/1930/1931 seasons, Trantoul appeared at the Met in Carmen with Moore & Pinza, Louise with Bori, Telva, Rothier and Whitehill; Faust with Fleischer; Les contes d'Hoffmann; La bohème. In the 1935/36 season, Trantoul sang at the Regio di Torino.

Trantoul at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires:
1919
Lakmé with Vécart, Gianna Adalgisa, Huberty, Dufranne, Laval
Faust with Bergé, Teissié, Vanni-Marcoux, conductor Vigna
1926
Nerone with Arangi-Lombardi, Formichi, Franci, Bertana, Pinza, conductor Marinuzzi (Trantoul sharing his role with Pertile)
Carmen with Buades, Franchi, Pasero, conductor Santini
Iris with Pampanini, Vanelli, Franchi, Pasero, conductor Marinuzzi

Antonin Trantoul never recorded commercially. In 1930, Trantoul privately recorded two arias: E lucevan le stelle in French, and Che gelida manina

I wish to thank Georges Voisin for the recordings.