Delmas, Jean-François (EN)

Delmas Jean-François, *14 April 1861 Lyon, †29 September 1933 Saint-Alban de Monthel, French bass singer. He was trained at the Paris Conservatory under R. Bussine and L. Obin. In 1886 he made his debut at the Paris Opera in Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots and quickly became one of the mainstays of the company alongside other renowned bass performers: J. Nivette, P. Plançon, and E. Reszke. He had a powerful, resonant voice and excellent vocal technique. His extensive repertoire primarily included leading roles in works of French “grand opera” (Halévy, Meyerbeer) as well as in Wagnerian dramas. He created principal roles in the premieres of operas, including Salammbô by E. Reyer (1890), Les barbares by Saint-Saëns (1901), La légende de Saint-Christophe by d’Indy (1920), and Ariane et Barbe-Bleue by P. Dukas (1907).