André Theophile Joseph Dran (15 June 1924, in Metz – 12 September 2014, in Pouancé) was a French tenor,L'Art Lyrique website
accessed 25 September 2015. whose career was mainly restricted to France and who left several complete opera recordings.

Life and career

Dran appeared at the Paris Opéra-Comique from 1953 to 1970, undertaking roles such as Pomponnet in '' la Fille de Madame Angot'', Antonin in ''

Ciboulette ''Ciboulette'' is a French opérette in three acts, music by Reynaldo Hahn, libretto by Robert de Flers and Francis de Croisset, first performed at the Théâtre des Variétés, in Paris, on 7 April 1923. One of the most elegant and refined compo ...

'', Nadir in ''

Les Pêcheurs de perles ' (''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performances in ...

'', Beppe in '' Paillasse'', Benoît in ''

Le roi l'a dit ''Le roi l'a dit'' (''The King Has Spoken'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women.MacDonald H. "Le roi l'a ...

'', Pinkerton in ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther ...

'', Alfred in ''

La Chauve-Souris ''La Chauve-Souris'' (French: ''The Bat'') was the name of a touring revue during the early 1900s. Originating in Moscow and then Paris, and directed by Nikita Balieff, the revue toured the United States, Europe, and South Africa. The show consist ...

'' and Jean in '' Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame''. In the 1954 revival of Massenet's ''Jongleur de Notre-Dame'' one critic commented that Dran took the leading part "with great charm and intelligence. His voice sounded a little strained at times, but a more sensitive rendering of the role could not be imagined : even the juggling tricks and the dances were convincingly performed". Dran appeared in the premieres of Jean-Michel Damase's ''Colombe'' at the Bordeaux May Festival in 1961, in a production by Roger Lalande conducted by the composer, ''La Symphonie Pastorale'' by

Guillaume Landré Guillaume Landré (24 February 1905 in The Hague – 6 November 1968 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch composer of operas, 4 symphonies, and chamber music. His father, Willem Landré (1874–1948) was also a composer; Guillaume studied under him. He also ...

in Rouen in 1968 conducted by Pierre-Michel Leconte, as the Man in Bondon's ''La Nuit foudroyée'' in Metz in 1968, and in ''Goya'' by

Tony Aubin Tony Louis Alexandre Aubin (8 December 1907 – 21 September 1981) was a French composer. Career Aubin was born in Paris. From 1925 to 1930, he studied at the Paris Conservatory under Samuel Rousseau (composer), Samuel Rousseau (music theory), ...

at the Théâtre Municipal de l'Opéra in Lille during the 3rd Festival de Lille in 1974, conducted by the composer. Dran participated in a rare revival of ''

La Basoche ''La Basoche'' is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by André Messager and words by Albert Carré. The opera is set in Paris in 1514 and depicts the complications that arise when the elected "king" of the student guild, the Basoche, is ...

'' at

Enghien-les-Bains Enghien-les-Bains () is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the département of Val-d'Oise. Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and a well-to-do suburb of Paris, developed in ...

Casino in 1958 with

Lillie Grandval Lillie Grandval (Frankfurt, 20 December 1904 – 21 August 2000)Kutsch, K. J. and Riemens, Leo (2003). ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (fourth edition, in German). Munich: K. G. Saur, p. 1808. . was a French soprano, active in opera and operetta for ov ...

and Willy Clément conducted by

Jésus Etcheverry Jésus Etchéverry (14 November 1911 in Bordeaux – 12 January 1988 in Paris) was a French operatic conductor (music), conductor. He began studying the violin while still very young, and played with diverse small orchestras to pay for his tuition ...

, and a successful production of Delibes's ''Le Roi l'a dit'' in Bordeaux and Paris in 1959 with Christine Harbell, Hélène Régelly and

Louis Noguéra Louis Noguéra was a French bass-baritone (born in Algiers on 12 October 1910, died in Paris on 8 March 1984Kutsch, K. J. and Riemens, Leo (2003). ''Großes Sängerlexikon'' (fourth edition, in German). Munich: K. G. Saur, . .) who enjoyed a long ...

, in which his Benoit was described as "skilled yet easy-going". He also appeared in '' Fortunio'' in Enghien-les-Bains in 1957, '' The Rape of Lucretia'' in Rouen in 1966, '' Fra Diavolo'' in Marseille in 1967, and '' Le Pont des soupirs'' in Bordeaux in 1969. Among Dran's recordings are '' La Belle Hélène'' by Offenbach (Pâris) conducted by

Leibowitz Leibowitz is a Jewish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Barry Leibowitz (born 1945), American-Israeli basketball player * Henoch Leibowitz (c.1918–2008), head of the Rabbinical Seminary of America * Jacob Leibowitz or Jakub Le ...

( Nixa, 1952), '' Orphée aux enfers'' by Offenbach (Pluton-Aristée) conducted by Leibowitz (Nixa, 1952), ''

L'Heure espagnole ''L'heure espagnole'' is a French one-act opera from 1911, described as a ''comédie musicale'', with music by Maurice Ravel to a French libretto by Franc-Nohain, based on Franc-Nohain's 1904 play ('comédie-bouffe') of the same nameStoullig E. '' ...

'' by Ravel (Gonzalve) conducted by Leibowitz ( Vox, 1952), ''

Les Troyens à Carthage ''Les Troyens'' (; in English: ''The Trojans'') is a French grand opera in five acts by Hector Berlioz. The libretto was written by Berlioz himself from Virgil's epic poem the ''Aeneid''; the score was composed between 1856 and 1858. ''Les Tro ...

'' by Berlioz (Iopas) conducted by

Hermann Scherchen Hermann Scherchen (21 June 1891 – 12 June 1966) was a German conductor. Life Scherchen was born in Berlin. Originally a violist, he played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens. He conducted in Riga ...

( Westminster, 1952), ''

Louise Louise or Luise may refer to: * Louise (given name) Arts Songs * "Louise" (Bonnie Tyler song), 2005 * "Louise" (The Human League song), 1984 * "Louise" (Jett Rebel song), 2013 * "Louise" (Maurice Chevalier song), 1929 *"Louise", by Clan of ...

'' by Charpentier (Le poète) conducted by

Jean Fournet Jean Fournet (14 April 1913 – 3 November 2008) was a French flautist and conductor. Fournet was born in Rouen in 1913. His father was a flutist who gave him some instruction on the flute and music theory. Fournet was then trained at the Con ...

( Philips, 1956) and '' La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' by Offenbach (Fritz), conducted by Leibowitz (Urania, 1958). A live 1971 broadcast of '' Le Comte de Luxembourg'' by Franz Lehár (French version - Comte Fernand de Luxembourg), conducted by Adophe Sibert, has been reissued on Naxos. André Dran married the soprano Monique de Pondeau. He was the father of the tenor Thierry Dran (1953-2021) who had a career in European opera houses and recordings and author of ''Le chant m'a sauvé'' (2007).Julien Dran, ténor. Entretien 2010 par Catherine Scholler at the ResMusica website
accessed 30 September 2015. His grandson, also a tenor, is Julien Dran (son of Thierry Dran and Martine March, born 1983) who has appeared in principal roles at the Opéra de Metz, Opéra de Bordeaux and Opéra de Marseille, and who was a winner at the

Paris Opera Awards The Paris Opera Awards (POA) is an international contest for opera singers held in Paris, France. It is held under the patronage of the French representation at the European Commission. History The first edition of POA was launched in March 2012 ...

in 2013.Opéra National de Bordeaux. Le Barbier de Séville dossier de presse, 24 June 2012, p11

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dran, Andre 1924 births French operatic tenors 20th-century French male opera singers 2014 deaths