Taskin, (Emile-) Alexandre

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Taskin, (Emile-) Alexandre

Taskin, (Emile-) Alexandre, French baritone; b. Paris, March 8, 1853; d. there, Oct. 5, 1897. His grandfather was the French organist and composer Henri-Joseph Taskin (b. Versailles, Aug. 24, 1779; d. Paris, May 4, 1852). He was a pupil of Ponchard and Bussine at the Paris Cons., making his debut at Amiens in 1875. He sang in Lille and Geneva, then returned to Paris in 1878, where he was engaged at the Opéra-Comique in 1879, and created important parts in many new operas. He retired in 1894, and from then until his death was prof, of lyrical declamation at the Cons. On the night of the terrible catastrophe of the burning of the Opéra-Comique (May 25, 1887) he was singing in Mignon; through his calmness and bravery many lives were saved, and the government decorated him with a medal.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire