Suzanne Juyol


Juyol, Suzanne, Sopran, * 1.1.1920 Paris, † 24.7.1994 Paris
; (by Christophe Delhoume):

Vocal studies – Meeting with Serventi – debut at the Opera Suzanne Juyol was born in Paris on January 1st, 1920. Her incredible vocal gifts were shortly discovered, and she joined the Paris Conservatoire. Later she also studied vocal interpretation with Claire Croiza. But her most decisive encounter during her first years at the Conservatoire, was with French pianist and composer Victor Serventi (1907-2000) who just entered at that time, the class of compositions lead by Henri Büsser. Pupil of Lazare Lévy, Serventi had won, a couple of years ago, the Rome competition for the composition of a cantata: LA BELLE ET LA BETE, and was just about to leave for the Villa Medicis in Rome . The declaration of War broke down his project, and he remained in Paris . Serventi and Juyol shortly got married; he got appointed principal coach for the vocal studies in October 1943, and in the meantime Suzanne who had made a brilliant audition for the Paris Opera, got a contract and made a successful debut in March 1942. She was at that time, one of the most interesting artists of her generation, having not only a tall and beautiful figure, but also a most incredible voice, huge, with a large range, equally at ease in the mezzo-soprano and in the soprano repertoire. Good musician, she had been also extremely well trained by her husband, who became one of the most famous coach for singers. The Paris Opera immediately noticed the incredible gifts of this young artist, which would shortly develop into the most outstanding dramatic French sopranos of the 50's. For her debut on Mars 14, 1942, Juyol sang Margared in LE ROI D'YS, a most demanding part for a beginner, extremely tensed and dramatic, at the frontier between the mezzo and the dramatic soprano. She performed until the end of WW-II a couple of secondary parts, such as Dame Marthe in FAUST or a Lady in MAGIC FLUTE. In 1943, she sang Waltraud in a series of WALKÜRE performances, and participated to the creations of both ANTIGONE by Honegger, where she performed the part of a Choryphée opposite Eliette Schenneberg in the title role. (Surprisingly, the second Choryphée was sung by Suzanne Lefort, a huge voice too, certainly the only female voice able to compete Juyol's powerful organ); and the one of Eck's opera PEER GYNT where she portrayed the part of the Black Bird, under the baton of the composer himself. Through the end of the conflict, Juyol appeared on the stage of the Grand Opera in both secondary and leading roles, including Fauré's PENELOPE (1943), Marguerite in LA DAMNATION DE FAUST (1944), and on November 21, 1945, Ariane in Dukas's ARIANE ET BARBE-BLEUE with Bouvier as the Nurse and under the lead of Fourestier.

The post war-years – the first Wagner roles In the first post-war years, Suzanne Juyol started a busy career outside of the Paris Opera. In 1946, she made her debut at the Salle Garnier, in Monte-Carlo, a place where she was called to appear many times in the next decade. Her debut there took place on February 2 nd , 1946 in the title role of CARMEN, opposite José Luccioni and Maria Branèze. She then sang two performances of Gunsbourg's Opera LES DAMES GALANTES DE BRANTOMES with Véron-Grunwald, Maria Branèze, the tenor Kriff, and Claverie. After a successful debut at the Opéra-Comique on April 3 rd as Charlotte in WERTHER, she open the 1946/47 season of the Lyon Opera as Margared in LE ROI D'YS, opposite Monique Florence as Rozenn. By 1947, Juyol was even more present on the French Opera stages: On January 1947, she was at the Nice Opera for a successful debut as Marguerite in LA DAMNATION DE FAUST with Burdino as Faust, in February and March she returned to Monte-Carlo for a series of performances: Marguerite in FAUST with Noré, and Claverie, her first Kundry in PARSIFAL with Fronval and Cabanel, CARMEN with Monda-Million and Luccioni, Charlotte in WERTHER ... During the Summer, she appeared in Marseille in the open-air Théâtre Sylvain in FAUST (July 20) with Georges Noré and Debouver, and made her debut in Orange one week later, as Margared in a ROI D'YS performance with Lilie Grandval, Georges Noré, and Pierre Nougaro. Back in Paris , the 1947/1948 season established Juyol as one of the best dramatic soprano so far. After a revival of FAUST, she sang TOSCA a the Opera-Comique in October 1947 with Giuseppe Traverso and John Brownlee, and her first Brünnhilde at the Opera in January 1948 proving on this occasion that after Ariane or Pénélope, she was the only French soprano able to undertake the roles let vacant by Lubin (as a matter of fact, most of the singers of the cast - Marisa Ferrer, Fronval or Huc-Santana- with whom Juyol performed during that season, have been Lubin's partners during the last WALKÜRE's revivals). After a last performance on January 16, she was back again in Monte-Carlo for a series of performances during the whole month of February, including WERTHER and FAUST (both with Luccioni in the title part), TOSCA and WALKÜRE with Lilly Leblanc as Sieglinde, Fronval and Claverie. In March, she was again at the Paris Opera for more WALKÜRE performances, and repeated her Brünnhilde all along the season until December, with alternative casts featuring Denise Varenne and Adine Yosif as Siegline, Ines Chabal and Hélène Bouvier as Fricka, Verdière and Fronval as Siegmund, Claverie and Froumenty... In December 1948, she was at the Marseille Opera for a complete RING under the baton of George Sebastian with Mireille Sabatier, Léonce Mortini and Roger Hieronimus. After her last GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG performance on december 12, she travelled directly to Barcelona, where she joint the company of the Paris Opera on tour, for the local première of LE ROI D'YS at the Liceo, which took place on January 8, 1949. She sang there three performances of Lalo's work with Géori Boué, Georges Noré, and Bianco, under the direction of Louis Fourestier. Three weeks, later, she was back in Monte-Carlo for her fourth season Salle Garnier, and for a salary of 55.000 FF which was, at that time, a most important fee, especially for a 29 years old artist. She appeared there as Kundry with Fronval, TOSCA with Filacuridi, and sang her first Isolde in French and with an entire French cast: Fronval, Claverie, Autran, Fredda Betti as Brangäne, under the baton of the composer Henri Tomasi. After a short stay in Nizza (WERTHER with Noré), and after the successful try-out in Monte-Carlo, Juyol was then ready to appear as Isolde at the Paris Opera. This took place on August 28, 1949. After two WALKÜRE performances marking her return for the season, Juyol sang Isolde with a cast which included Elsa Cavelti, Charles Fronval, Beckmans, Froumenty, and Georges Sebastian at the pit. She repeated the role 6 more times until early November, Bouvier taking over the part of Brangäne, and Faniard singing Tristan from September 9. Her success was complete. For the next coming season, Juyol was scheduled in the major revival of the Wagner operas, repeating Brünnhilde in November 1949, January and February 1950, LE ROI D'YS on February 10, 1950 with Marcelle Croizier, Georges Noré and René Bianco, and finally TRISTAN, which she sang punctually all over the season with Yvonne Pons, Fronval and Bianco. During the summer, Juyol was Brünnhilde in a WALKÜRE performance given in the Antic Theatre in Orange on August 1 st with Anna Linde, Hélène Bouvier, Verdière and Cabanel, under the direction of André Cluytens, before to face again Isolde and Brünnhilde for her return at the Grand Opera for the Summer Season. In January 1951, she joint the Paris Opera on tour for performances of PENELOPE in Liège with Suzanne Lefort and Fronval, before to return to Monte-Carlo in February for WERTHER and more TRISTAN performances, with Cambefort, Fronval and Valère Blouse, the opera being conducted by her husband. In April 1951, Suzanne Juyol was back at the Paris Opera for more TRISTAN and WALKÜRE, until the end of the season where she had the opportunity, not only to undertake Brünnhilde in SIEGFRIED; but also to share the roster with Max Lorenz in the title part. Lorenz, much impressed by her young partner, immediately suggested her name in Berlin which permitted Juyol to appear at the Berlin Städische Oper, for guest performances of WALKÜRE and TRISTAN; She was by then, the first French singer to appear in Germany , on a Wagner Opera, after WW-II.

The last years 1952 brought the same routine: Performances of ARIANE ET BARBE-BLEUE with Bouvier in January in Paris, Winter season in Monte-Carlo in February for LE ROI D'YS, performances of WALKÜRE in Paris again in March, and a Summer season divided between the Orange Festival for a DAMNATION DE FAUST featuring Raoul Jobin and Huc-Santana, and more WALKÜRE performances conducted by André Cluytens. 1953 saw Juyol more present on other French stages. After Monte-Carlo, where she had Oncina as her partner in WERTHER in February, she appeared in Toulouse in March for LA DAMANATION DE FAUST conducted by Georges Prêtre; then, in Nice in April for DAMANATION DE FAUST and WALKÜRE performances where she had Régine Crespin at her side, singing then her very first Sieglinde. In July, she bowed in Marseille as Charlotte in WERTHER, opposite Raoul Jobin, and Margared in LE ROI D'YS, with Lyne Cumia, Fouché and Valère Blouse. On October 16, Juyol was in Toulouse for the opening of the 1952/53 season with three successful performances of LOHENGRIN with Crespin and Erick Sjoeberg, followed by some WERTHER performances with Huybrock, always under the baton of Prêtre. In the meantime, she was Santuzza in June for the Opéra-Comique with Luccioni and Jeantet, and the Paris Opera brought her LOHENGRIN performances, in February with Denise Varenne and Raoul Jobin, and in August with Berthe Monmart and Verdière. At that time, Maurice Lehmann was preparing with Henri Büsser, a new revised version of Rameau's Opera-ballet LES INDES GALANTES. This production having been one of the greatest hit of the Paris Opera during the next coming fifteen years. The luxury of the sets and costumes, the choreography by Lifart and above all, the fact that the different “Entrées” with its multiple casts, permitted the casting of the most famous singers of the company in a single performance, made of this INDES GALANTES' return, a complete success. Juyol was Phani, in the second Entrance: “Le Turc Généreux”, and repeated the part until the very last performances she gave at the Paris Opera. On December 12, she participated to the gala concert given for the 150 th Anniversary of Berlioz's death, singing Dido in an abridged version of LES TROYENS A CARTHAGE under the direction of Sebastian. During the whole year 1954, her only Wagner role at Garnier had been Ortrud in revivals of LOHENGRIN with Berthe Monmart and Raoul Jobin alternating with Verdières; and on August 25 she sang the part of her debuts, Margared in a ROI D'YS with Christiane Castelli, Georges Noré, Borthayre and conducted by Cluytens. The outstanding success she got as Ortrud, brought some other LOHENGRIN performances in her schedule during the 1955 season; at the Paris Opera where she shared her success with the same colleagues, Monmart, Verdière or Jobin in the title role, as well as in Nizza in March with Crespin and Jobin, or in Orange on the 1 st of August, always with Monmart, Jobin, Bianco and Cluytens. Suzanne Juyol started 1956, appearing at the Opera-Comique as Santuzza on January 20. In March, she was again cast in a revival of LES INDES GALANTES, before a last come-back in Monte-Carlo for two WERTHER performances on March 11 and 13. On the 19 th , she was back at the Grand Opera for LES INDES GALANTES, while she was preparing the creation of SAMPIERO CORSO by Henri Tomasi, having its premiere shortly after at the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. The premiere took place on May 6, 1956, during the Bordeaux Festival, in a staging by Roger Lalande and under the baton of the composer himself. Régine Crespin, Kean Neate and Pierre Giovannetti completed the cast. This was one of her last important commitment, since at that time, Juyol was seriously thinking about a definite retirement from the stage. Meanwhile, she still appeared in LOHENGRIN during the autumn 1956, before to give her last creation in Paris : Clairon in the French version of CAPRICCIO, given and repeated at the Opéra-Comique during the fall of 1957 in a production designed by Erté and staged by Rudolf Hartmann. Suzanne Juyol kept singing until 1960, leaving the stage in a most discreet way. She was only 40. Suzanne Juyol remained with Serventi, himself retired from the Conservatoire during the 70's, in their house in Margency, north of Paris . She died there, on July 24 1994.

Many Thanks to Christophe Delhoume!!!

(In German) Juyol, Suzanne, Sopran, * 1.1.1920 Paris, † September 1994;ausgebildet am Conservatoire National Paris. Sie debütierte 1942 an der Pariser Grand Opéra als Margared in »Le Roi d'Ys« von Lalo. Sie erregte dort Aufsehen in der Titelrolle der Oper »Pénélope« von Gabriel Fauré sowie bei einem Gastspiel an der Oper von Monte Carlo als Carmen. Diese Partie sang sie dann auch in Paris an der Opéra-Comique, wo man sie als Tosca, als Charlotte im »Werther« von Massenet, als Santuzza in »Cavalleria rusticana« und in weiteren Partien erlebte. Sie sang zu Beginn ihrer Karriere Partien für Mezzosopran wie die Marthe im »Faust« von Gounod, die Waltraute in der »Walküre« und die Margared in »Le Roi d' Ys« von Lalo, wandte sich dann aber mehr dem Sopranfach zu. Sie wandte sich später vor allem dem Wagner-Fach zu und sang 1948 an der Grand Opéra die Isolde im »Tristan«. In den Jahren 1946-49 und 1951-53 war sie an der Oper von Monte Carlo zu Gast, wo sie große Partien wie die Carmen, die Tosca, die Isolde im »Tristan«, die Kundry im »Parsifal«, die Marguerite im »Faust« von Gounod und in »La damnation de Faust« von Berlioz vortrug. Eine ihrer großen Kreationen war auch die Ortrud im »Lohengrin«. Sie wirkte in zahlreichen Opernsendungen des französischen Rudfunks mit. 1953 wirkte sie an diesem Haus in der glanzvollen Premiere von Rameaus »Les Indes galantes« mit. 1956 sang sie an der Oper von Bordeaux in der Uraufführung der Oper »Sampiero Corso« von Tomasi. 1950 trat sie an der Oper von Monte Carlo als Kundry im »Parsifal«, 1951 an der Städtischen Oper (Deutsche Oper) Berlin als Brünnhilde im Nibelungenring und als Isolde auf. Ohne Zweifel war sie eine der bedeutendsten französischen dramatischen und Wagner-Sopranistinnen ihrer Generation, dazu als Ariane in »Ariane et Barbe- Bleue« von Dukas, als Margared in »Le Roi d'Ys«, als Tosca und als Charlotte in »Werther« gerühmt. Weitere Gastspiele und Konzerte in Spanien, in Belgien und in der Schweiz. 1960 gab sie ihre Karriere auf.

Schallplattenaufnahmen auf HMV, Decca (vollständige Oper »Carmen«) und Urania (vollständige Oper »Werther« von Massenet).


GALLERY
as Ortrud 1952
as Brünnhilde with Ferrer and Fronval Paris 1948
as Brünnhilde (close-up) Paris 1948
as Carmen
as Carmen
as Ariane with Joaquim and Etcheverry "Barbe Bleu" Paris 1945
as Ariane (close-up) Paris 1945
as Charlotte Zürich 1950
as Charlotte (by courtesy of Christophe Delhoume)
Portrait
Portrait
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