Victor Warot

Victor Alexandre Joseph Warot (18 September 1834, Verviers – 29 March 1906, Bois-Colombes) was a Belgian opera singer. He began his career as a lyric tenor but later grew into a fine dramatic singer. He was particularly known for his portrayal of Wagner and Meyerbeer heroes.
Early life.
Warot was born in Verviers into a musical and theatrical family. His father was the tenor Victor Joseph Warot (1808-1877) and his mother the actress Cécile "née" Desthieux. His uncle, (Constant Noel) Adolphe Warot (1812-1875) was a well-known cellist while a second uncle, (Victor Alexandre) Charles Warot (1804-1836) was a composer and conductor. Warot's grandfather Charles (François) Warot had been prompter at the Antwerp Theatre. Victor Warot "fils" studied initially with his father and then in Paris with [[Giulio Alary]].
Musical career.
[[File:Victor Warot portrait.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Victor Warot as a young tenor]]
He made his professional opera début at the [[Opéra-Comique]] in 1858 in [[Armand Limnander]]'s "Les monténégrins" followed by that of George Brown in "La Dame Blanche". In 1859 he created the role of The Reaper ('Le Faucheur') in the premiere of [[Giacomo Meyerbeer|Meyerbeer]]'s "[[Dinorah|Le pardon de Ploërmel]]", while other roles at this time included Bénédict in [[Daniel Auber|Auber]]'s "[[L'ambassadrice]]", Lord Latimer in [[Ambroise Thomas|Thomas]]'s "[[Le songe d'une nuit d'été]]", Luidgi in Gabrielli's "Don Gregorio", the title-role in "[[Fra Diavolo (opera)|Fra Diavolo]]" and de Mergy in "[[Le pré aux clercs]]". In 1860 he sang the role of Beppe in the premiere of [[Gaetano Donizetti|Donizetti]]'s "[[Rita (opera)|Rita]]" and created the role of Saëb in [[Jacques Offenbach|Offenbach]]'s "[[Barkouf]]", while in 1861 he played Tonio in "[[La fille du régiment]]", Antonio in [[Jules Duprato|Duprato]]’s "Salvator Rosa", and Max in "Le Beauté du diable". In 1862 he took on the title-role in "[[Le postillon de Lonjumeau]]" and played Lorédan Grimani in "[[Haydée, ou Le secret]]" and Azor in "[[Zémire et Azor]]".
From 1861 until 1869 he was engaged at the [[Paris Opera]] where he portrayed roles in several world premieres, including Tebaldo in [[Victor Massé]]’s "La mule de Pedro" (1863) and Don Alvaro in Meyerbeer's "[[L'Africaine]]" (1865). He also sang Don Ottavio in "[[Don Giovanni]]", the title hero in "[[Le comte Ory]]", Henri in "[[Les vêpres siciliennes]]", and Masaniello in "[[La muette de Portici]]".
[[File:Meyerbeer Africaine Act1-3 Warot Lamy.jpg|thumb|upright|As Don Alvaro in [[Giacomo Meyerbeer|Meyerbeer]]'s "[[L'Africaine]]"]]
Warot appeared on the concert platform in [[Félicien David|David]]’s "[[Le désert]]" and "Christoph Colomb", in [[Hector Berlioz|Berlioz]]’s "[[L'enfance du Christ]]" and in [[Giovanni Battista Pergolesi|Pergoleisi]]’s "[[Stabat Mater (Pergolesi)|Stabat Mater]]". During this period he appeared in two operas which would be significant throughout his career, as Léopold in "[[La Juive]]" and Alphonse in "[[La muette de Portici]]". In the following year he appeared as Henri in "[[Les vêpres siciliennes]]". He sang Amenophis in "[[Moïse (opera)|Moïse]]", played Daniel in [[Ernest Boulanger (composer)|Boulanger]]’s "Le Docteur Magnus", sang Guillaume in [[Daniel Auber|Auber]]'s "[[Le Philtre]]" and appeared as 'a shepherd' in the 1864 premier of [[Auguste Mermet|Mermet]]'s "Roland à Roncevaux" and sang in [[Giacomo Meyerbeer|Meyerbeer]]'s "[[L'Africaine]]". In 1865 he married the young dance student Marie-Ann Léger; they would remain together until her death in 1904.
Warot was committed to [[La Monnaie]] from 1868 to 1876 where he portrayed such parts as Riccardo in "[[Un ballo in maschera]]", Manrico in "[[Il trovatore]]", Erik in "[[The Flying Dutchman (opera)|The Flying Dutchman]]", the title role in "[[Tannhäuser (opera)|Tannhäuser]]", Raoul in "[[Les Huguenots]]", Eléazar in "[[La Juive]]", and John of Leyden in "[[Le prophète]]". From 1876 until his retirement from the stage in 1888 he remained active as a freelance artist at major opera houses in France and Belgium.
Later life.
Warot devoted himself to teaching singing after his opera career ended, in 1886 becoming professor at the [[Paris Conservatoire]] in the place of [[Marc Bonnehée]] who had recently died. Although Warot occasionally still appeared on the concert platform he now began another successful career as a teacher and administrator. A number of his pupils went on to have successful careers, including [[Lucienne Bréval]], [[Edmond Clément]], [[Jeanne Hatto]], and [[Lina Pacary]]. In 1885 he was appointed an Officier of the [[Académie française]] and in 1903 he was awarded the [[Legion of Honour|Légion d’Honneur]]. In 1902 he published a book, "Bréviaire du chanteur". He died in [[Bois-Colombes]] in 1906.
References.
[[Category:1834 births]]
[[Category:1906 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Verviers]]
[[Category:Belgian operatic tenors]]
[[Category:19th-century opera singers]]
[[Category:Academics of the Conservatoire de Paris]]
[[Category:19th-century male singers]]
[[Category:Members of the Académie Française]]
[[Category:Officiers of the Légion d'honneur]]