Holds the record as the oldest person to make a debut at the
Metropolitan Opera, singing the Emperor there in Turandot in
1987.
In celebration of his one hundredth birthday, he was awarded the World
of Song award for 2002 by the Lotte Lehmann Foundation.
He was specialized in tenor character roles.
He made his operatic debut in 1928 in Paris. He was respected for his
ability to handle difficult character roles. He gave over 400
performances at the Glyndebourne Festival (UK) over a period of 40
years. At the age of 92, he sang the role of Triquet in "Eugene
Onegin".
One of his fondest memories is appearing in the 1951 world premiere of
Stravinsky's opera "The Rake's Progress" with legendary soprano
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in Venice.
He credits his vocal longevity to his ability to express feelings in
soft tones, without shouting.
His repertoire was wide-ranging. He sang music from the Renaissance as well as the 20th century; Monteverdi, Bach, Schubert, Debussy, and Stravinsky, among other composers.
He celebrated his 105th birthday in good health at his
ancestral home, the 18th-century Chateau de Lully near Geneva,
Switzerland. (June 2007)