French Tenor Paul Franz

PAUL FRANZ

French tenor Paul Franz was born François Gautier in Paris in 1876.  He took the name Paul Franz and was always known  by that name.  He did not begin to study voice until he was 30 years old.  He won a major vocal competition in 1908 and made his debut at the Grand Opera in Paris that same year, in Lohengrin.  The Paris Opera remained his artistic home for 30 years. He retired in 1938.  His voice was brilliant and powerful and his stage  presence most impressive, all of which made him a great favorite with audiences.  He was able to sing big roles, such as Rhadames, Otello, Samson, Don José, Le Cid, and Wagnerian roles such as Sigmund, Siegfried and Tristan.  Paul Franz died, in Paris,


in 1950.


Here is the tenor aria "La fleur," from Carmen:


www.youtube.com/watch?=jpnYjpRTNes


Ignore the address above and go to Youtube and look up the aria "La Fleur" under Paul Franz