Opera Singer. One of the foremost French tenors of his day. Born in Montpellier, the son of singer Louis Nourrit, he underwent vocal training with Manuel Garcia and made his successful Paris Opera debut at age 19. He quickly won the admiration of audiences and composers alike for his robust voice and the intelligence of his interpretations. Nourrit created the title roles or lead tenor parts in many Grand Opera classics, including Rossini's "Le siege de Corinthe" (1826), "Le comte Ory" (1828), and "William Tell" (1829), Auber's "La muette de Portici" (1828), Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable" (1831) and "Les Huguenots" (1836), and Halevy's "La Juive" (1835). On August 25, 1830, at a staging of "La muette de Portici" in Brussels, Nourrit's performance in the patriotic duet "Amour sacre de la patrie" helped touch off a riot that inspired the Belgians to revolt against Dutch rule. In 1837, at the height of his popularity, he was abruptly replaced as first tenor of the Paris Opera by his chief rival, Gilbert Duprez, probably through backstage intrigue. He tried to revive his career in Italy, but a series of illnesses damaged his voice and he fell into depression. Five days after his 37th birthday, Nourrit threw himself out of a hotel window in Naples. He was given a hero's funeral in Paris.
Opera Singer. One of the foremost French tenors of his day. Born in Montpellier, the son of singer Louis Nourrit, he underwent vocal training with Manuel Garcia and made his successful Paris Opera debut at age 19. He quickly won the admiration of audiences and composers alike for his robust voice and the intelligence of his interpretations. Nourrit created the title roles or lead tenor parts in many Grand Opera classics, including Rossini's "Le siege de Corinthe" (1826), "Le comte Ory" (1828), and "William Tell" (1829), Auber's "La muette de Portici" (1828), Meyerbeer's "Robert le Diable" (1831) and "Les Huguenots" (1836), and Halevy's "La Juive" (1835). On August 25, 1830, at a staging of "La muette de Portici" in Brussels, Nourrit's performance in the patriotic duet "Amour sacre de la patrie" helped touch off a riot that inspired the Belgians to revolt against Dutch rule. In 1837, at the height of his popularity, he was abruptly replaced as first tenor of the Paris Opera by his chief rival, Gilbert Duprez, probably through backstage intrigue. He tried to revive his career in Italy, but a series of illnesses damaged his voice and he fell into depression. Five days after his 37th birthday, Nourrit threw himself out of a hotel window in Naples. He was given a hero's funeral in Paris.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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à Ad. Nourrit / ses amis
Ici reposent [...] / Adolphe Nourrit / né à Montpellier / le 3 mars 1802 / décédé à Naples / le 8 mars 1839
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