Léon Campagnola (Tenor) (Marseille, France 1875 - Marseille, France 1955)

                                                               Cavaradossi

                                                       Le Chevalier des Grieux

He studied at the Marseille Conservatory first as baritone, then in Paris, under the pedagogue Manoury, retrained as tenor. He made his debut in 1903 in Versailles as a Vincent in Gounod’s ‘’Mireille’’. In the 1904-05 season he appeared in Belgium, namely in Mons, Ghent and in Antwerp (as Jean in Massenet’s ‘’Hérodiade’’). In 1906 Campagnola appeared at the Grand Théâtre of Geneva (as Danielo in ‘’La pure of Fiamette’’of Xavier Leroux). Since 1908 he was to be found again in stages of France; he sang in Toulouse, Tours, Nîmes and Toulon and made his debut in 1910 at the Grand Opéra, Parisas Roméo in ‘’Roméo et Juliette’’ of Gounod. Here he sang in ‘’Rigoletto’’, ‘’Meistersingers’’, ‘’I gioielli della Madonna’’ of E. Wolf Ferrari (1913, French première of this opera) and the role of Armel in ‘’Gwendoline’’ of  E. Chabrier. During his appearances at the Grand Opéra he continued his guest performance activity in the big theaters of French province like abroad, but probably never peeformed at the Opéra-Comique. In 1913 he made guest appearances in Chicago, Boston. In Washington he sang the role of Cavaradossi in Puccini’s ‘’Tosca’’ opposite Mary Garden in the title role. After outbreak of the First World War he took up his career in the French opera houses (Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyons, Toulouse), also at the Grand Opéra. In 1916 he appeared at La Scala in concert. After end of the war he still appeared till 1926 in France. At the end of his career he was active aslo as a singing teacher and painter.

Chronology of some appearances

1913 Chicago Civic Opera House Boheme (Rodolfo)
1913 Chicago Civic Opera House Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1913 Philadelphia Teatro Metropolitan Boheme (Rodolfo)
1913 Baltimora Opera Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1913 Washington Opera Tosca (Cavaradossi)
1918 'S-Gravenhage  Koninklijke Schouwburg Boheme (Rodolfo)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Gramophone, Paris1911-07-07

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Me grimer 032197 Y71

Gramophone, Paris1911-07-08

Tosca (Puccini): O de beautes egales 4-32250 U5

Victor, USA 1911-07-08

Rigoletto (Verdi): Comme la plume au vent Victor 45118-A

Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella  Victor 45118-B

Gramophone, Paris 1911-07-11

Favorite (Donizetti): Un ange, une femme inconnue 4-32248 U4

Gramophone, Paris1911-07-12
Favorite (Donizetti): Ange si pur 4-32246 U3

Bohème (Puccini): Que cette main est froide 032198 Y71

Manon (Massenet): Ah, fuyez, douce image 4-32245 U48

Gramophone, Paris1911-10-03

Manon (Massenet): Le rêve 4-32244

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): O Lola 4-32266 U6

Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-26
Hérodiade (Massenet): Ne pouvant reprimer (Air de Jean) 032215, Y5

Gramophone, Paris 1911-10-30
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): Vive le vin (w. chorus) 4-32299 U6
  

Gramophone, Paris1911-10-31

Manon (Massenet): Toi! Vous! with Cesar 034120 Y28

Manon (Massenet): N'est-ce plus ma main with Cesar 034111 Y28

Gramophone, Paris 1911-11-03
Manon (Massenet): J'écris à mon père with Cesar 34290 U22

Gramophone, Paris1911-11-04

Tosca (Puccini): Le ciel luisait d'etoiles 4-32270  U5

Faust (Gounod): A moi les plaisirs with Cerdan 034117 Y31

Faust (Gounod): Mais ce Dieu with Cerdan 034116 Y31

Gramophone, Paris1911-11-13

Mireille (Gounod): Anges du paradis 032232 Y48

Gramophone, Paris1911-11-14
Werther (Massenet): La mort de Werther  4-32293 U8

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Ciel et mer   032233 Y8

Gramophone, Paris1911-11-17

Bohème (Puccini): Ah, Mimi s'en est allée with Vigneau 34295 U9

Gramophone, Paris1911-11-21

Faust (Gounod): Salut demeure 032240 Y4

Gramophone, Paris1911-12-05
Tosca (Puccini): O douces mains 4-32290 U9

Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Ange, sirène ou femme 4-32296 U10
Elisir d'amore (Donizetti): Une larme secrète 032236 Y8

Gramophone, Paris1911-12-11
Manon Lescaut (Puccini): Ah, ne m'approchez pas 4-32292 U10

Bohème (Leoncavallo): Pour logis, je n'ai qu'une chambre 4-32297 U12

Gramophone, Paris 1912-04-30
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Non! Paillasse n'est plus 032248 Y10

Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-06
Carmen (Bizet): Mais moi, Carmen, je t'aime encore with Brohly 034136 Y49

Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-13
Werther (Massenet): Lorsque l'enfant revient 4-32302 U13
Manon Lescaut (Puccini): O Manon 4-32303 U50

Gramophone, Paris1912-06-21

Bohème (Leoncavallo): Tête adorée 4-32304 U12

Gramophone, Paris 1912-06-28
Aida (Verdi): O céleste Aida 032253 Y12

Gramophone, Paris1912-07-02

Lakmé (Delibes): Fantaisie aux divines mensonges 032254 Y13

Gramophone, Paris 1912-07-03
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): O mon Torrido with Brohly 034142 02489v

Gramophone, Paris1912-09-03

Si j'étais roi (Adam): Un regard de ses yeux 4-32307 U49

Don Pasquale (Donizetti): Nuit parfumée (Sérénade) 4-32309 U50

Gramophone, Paris1912-09-05

Faust (Gounod): Divine pureté with César & Payan 034153 Y12

Gramophone, Paris 1912-09-06
Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni): C'est toi, Santuzza with  Brohly  034149 02511v

Gramophone, Paris 1912-09-11
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Avec moi tenter ce jeu 4-32316, U15

Gramophone, Paris1912-09-12

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Console-toi, pauvre âme with César 034156  Y34

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod): Où suis-je with César 034155 Y34

Gramophone, Paris1913-09-16

Attaque du Moulin (Bruneau): Adieu, forêt profonde 032291 Y15

Gramophone, Paris 1913-10-04
Otello (Verdi): La mort d'Otello 4-32351 U15

Gramophone, Paris 1914-01-03
Gioielli della Madonna (Wolf-Ferrari): Non, la Madonne sait mon innocense 4-32356 U16

Gramophone, Paris1914-01-07

Ave Maria (Gounod) 032307 Y17

Gramophone, Paris1914-01-07

Crucifix (Faure) with Payan 034201 Y17

Gramophone, Paris1923-02-17

Mai (Hahn) 4-32684 P637

Gramophone, Paris1924-11-27
Tre giorni son che Nina (Resta, attr Pergolesi) (It) 4-32618 U80

Loin de moi, ta lèvre qui ment (Massenet) 4-32683 P637

Gramophone, Paris1926-03-03

Werther (Massenet): Clair de lune, pt 1 with Perelli 034286 W737

Werther (Massenet): Clair de lune, pt 2  with  Perelli 034287  W737