French opera singer
André Theophile Joseph Dran (15 June 1924, in Metz – 12 September 2014, in Pouancé) was a French tenor, 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", Nadir in "Les Pêcheurs de perles", Beppe in "Paillasse", Benoît in "Le roi l'a dit", Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly", Alfred in "La Chauve-Souris" 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 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 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" at Enghien-les-Bains Casino in 1958 with Lillie Grandval and Willy Clément conducted by Jésus Etcheverry, 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, 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 (Nixa, 1952), "Orphée aux enfers" by Offenbach (Pluton-Aristée) conducted by Leibowitz (Nixa, 1952), "L'Heure espagnole" by Ravel (Gonzalve) conducted by Leibowitz (Vox, 1952), "Les Troyens à Carthage" by Berlioz (Iopas) conducted by Hermann Scherchen (Westminster, 1952), "Louise" by Charpentier (Le poète) conducted by Jean Fournet (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). 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 in 2013.
References.
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