LESTELLY, LOUIS [ba] (Bordeaux, 1871–Paris, 1919)

Born Louis-Charles-Adolphe Lelais, Lestelly studied with baritone Adolphe Claverie in his native city. His first years took him to a number of theaters in the French and Belgian provinces, such as Nîmes, Verviers, and Liège where he stayed for two seasons from 1903 to 1905. There, his son René (1904-1993) was born, who would become a successful singer and comedian. Lestelly senior returned to his native Bordeaux from 1905 to 1907, and then sang at Nice in 1906 and 1907. Marseille heard him in 1907 and 1908, after which time, he settled for three seasons at Brussels’s La Monnaie. During this period, he found time for a few engagements at Covent Garden in 1910, where he appeared as Valentin, Nevers, and Sharpless. He then sang for two seasons in Lyon and finally made his Paris Opera debut on 14 July 1913 as Hamlet. During the war years, he continued to sing in Paris, as well as in his native Bordeaux. There, the grand theater was closed for renovation, and so Lestelly sang at a number of minor theaters and outdoor venues including Escamillo in an actual bullring. His Paris career continued until his unexpected death in 1919. In fact, he was billed to sing Valentin on the day before his death, the cause of which is not disclosed in his obituary.

-Luc Bourrousse