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Edouard de Reszke

Édouard de Reszke (Polish: Edward Reszke; 22 December 1853 – 25 May 1917) was a Polish bass from Warsaw. A member of the musical Reszke family, he was a successful opera singer, as were his brother Jean and his sister Josephine. He made his debut in Verdi's Aida in Paris on 22 April 1876.

Born with an impressive natural voice and equipped with compelling histrionic skills, he became one of the most illustrious opera singers active in Europe and America during the late Victorian era. He is most famous for his role as Gounod's Mephistopheles in Faust. He was also known for his roles as Mozart's Leporello, and Wagner's Sachs and Hagen. When in London, the Reszke brothers performed for Queen Victoria during gala performances at the Royal Opera House or command performances at Windsor Castle. He was awarded the Royal Victorian Order (R.V.O.) from the Queen. The Reszke brothers were entertained near London by Lady de Grey, a patron of the arts.

After he retired from the stage, he taught singing until he had significant health problems. He and his family suffered during the First World War, cut off from others, with shooting through opposite sides of the house. His health worsened during the war and he died in 1917.

Birth and Death Data: Born Warsaw (capital and largest city of Poland), Died May 25, 1917 (Częstochowa (city in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland) )

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1903 - 1910

Roles Represented in DAHR: bass vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 1221 10-in. approximately 1903 Infelice, e tuo credevi Edouard de Reszke Bass vocal solo, with piano vocalist, bass vocal  
Columbia 1222 10-in. approximately 1903 Canzone del porter Edouard de Reszke Bass vocal solo, with piano vocalist, bass vocal  
Columbia 1223 10-in. approximately 1903 Serenade : Don Juan Edouard de Reszke Bass vocal solo, with piano vocalist, bass vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Reszke, Edouard de," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106784.

Reszke, Edouard de. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106784.

"Reszke, Edouard de." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106784

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