Régine Crespin was one of France’s greatest opera stars.

The French superstar, born on Feb. 23, 1927, was born in Marseille and experienced a challenging childhood often hampered by an alcoholic mother and the second World War. She was originally set for a career as a pharmacist but exam results limited her being able to attend college. She then started studying singing and shortly there after she went to Paris to study at the Conservatoire. From there she won a major competition that launched her career.

She made her stage debut in 1949 as Charlotte in “Werther” and in 1951, she made her debut at the Opéra de Paris in “Lohengrin,” in French. She left Paris to try her luck elsewhere in France (the Parisians were not particularly compelled by her) and she succeeded with strong performance that eventually saw her return to Paris. From then on, she was a major star, launching her international career.

In 1958, she was invited to perform “Parsifal” at the Bayreuth Festival and she assumed her first role in German. She would enjoy a lengthy relationship with Bayreuth, but her first Kundry would enable her Vienna State Opera and La Scala debuts in 1959. In 1960, she appeared at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for the first time and a year later she debuted at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Her U.S. debut came in 1962 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and then she headed to make her mark at the Metropolitan Opera, where she would sing every single year (except for 1974) until 1981.

She transitioned from soprano to mezzo and her final performance came in 1989. She was renowned for never experiencing vocal difficulty, though at the end of her career there were signs of such trouble.

In her latter years she taught at the Conservatoire de Paris and the Merola Opera Program. She was appointed Chevalier, Officier, and Commander of the Légion d’Honneur.

She died in July 2007.

Signature Roles

Among Crespin’s most renowned interpretations were those of the Marschallin in “Der Rosenkavalier” and Sieglinde in “Die Walküre.” At the Met she made her debut as the Marschallin and would perform it another 17 times thereafter.

Of her debut, Harold C. Schonberg of the New York Times wrote, “In Miss Crespin, the Metropolitan and “Der Rosenkavalier” have a singer worthy of the great tradition of house and opera. She gave a simply beautiful performance…Her voice is extremely large, but as she sings the sound is never extended…In matters of production and intonation, Miss Crespin was at all times a flawless technician. She never had to slide into a note, nor grope for it, and was in complete command. And when she let out, the voice soared over the orchestra and all over the house-big, confident, and beautiful.”

In her latter years as a mezzo, she often performed the role of “Carmen,” which she sang for the first time at the Met in 1975.

“Crespin’s rich, ripe voice can be seductive, playful or passionately expressive without ever losing its distinctive, exquisite timbre… Always in command of herself, Crespin’s Carmen remains something of a fatalist, and she fairly embraces Don Jose’s dagger during the final tragic denouement,” wrote Byron Belt of Newsday on the occasion of her first performance in the role.

She performed “Carmen” at the Met 19 times and performed it around the world. Other signature roles include Charlotte in “Werther” and Kundry in “Parsifal.”

Watch and Listen

Here is a compilation of opera arias.

Here is a recording of “Carmen.”