{{Short description|Swiss operatic tenor (1931–2024)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Éric Tappy | image = Éric Tappy (1a).jpg | alt = Publicity shot of a clean-shaven man in three-quarter profile, with strong features and pale, coiffed, neck-length hair. | caption = Éric Tappy, in the 1970s | birth_date = {{birth date|1931|05|19|df=yes}} | birth_place = Lausanne, Switzerland | death_date = {{death date and age|2024|06|11|1931|05|19|df=yes}} | death_place = | education = {{ubl| Conservatoire de Musique de Genève | Mozarteum | }} | occupation = {{ubl| Operatic tenor | Academic teacher }} | organizations = {{ubl| Grand Théâtre de Genève | Opéra National de Lyon | Conservatoire de Genève }} | awards = {{ubl| Edison Award | Ordre des Arts et des Lettres }} }} '''Éric Tappy''' (19 May 1931 – 11 June 2024) was a Swiss operatic tenor. He performed internationally, both in opera, known as a Mozart tenor, and in concert, especially as the Evangelist in Bach's Passions. He focused on teaching from 1981.
Tappy was a member of the Grand Théâtre de Genève from 1962 to 1974, where his wide repertoire included major Mozart roles and world premieres such as Darius Milhaud's ''La Mère coupable''. He has been regarded as legendary for portraying Monteverdi's Orfeo, Tamino in Mozart's ''Die Zauberflöte'' and Debussy's Pelléas,<ref name="Diapason" /> with a voice of exemplary clarity and diction.<ref name="RTS" />
== Life and career == Tappy was born in Lausanne on 19 May 1931,<ref name="NAU" /><ref name="Macy" /><ref name="Lonchampt" /> to Constant Albert Tappy, a metal worker, and his wife Cécile Emile née Apothéloz.<ref name="Suter" /> He received early musical instructions in violin and choral singing from his cousin André Charlet.<ref name="NAU" />
After Tappy became a teacher in 1951, he studied voice at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève<ref name="NAU" /> with Fernando Carpi. He studied further at the Salzburg Mozarteum with Ernst Reichert,<ref name="RTS" /> at the Conservatorium van Hilversum with Eva Liebenberg,<ref name="Oxford" /> and in Paris with Nadia Boulanger.<ref name="RTS" /> Concert activities began in 1956,<ref name="RTS" /> and increased when he was awarded a prize in 1958, with concerts in Switzerland and abroad; he therefore abandoned his teaching position in 1959.<ref name="NAU" /> He first performed the role of the Evangelist in Bach's ''St Matthew Passion'' in Strasbourg in 1959. He created the tenor part in Frank Martin's oratorio ''Mystère de la Nativité'' in Geneva in December 1959.<ref name="RTS" />
=== Opera === When the Grand Théâtre de Genève was reopened in 1962, Tappy appeared as Count de Lerme in Verdi's ''Don Carlos''. He joined the company and performed there for twelve years a wide repertoire, including major Mozart roles and roles in new works such as Martin's ''Monsieur de Pourceaugnac'' and ''La Tempête''; he took part in the world premiere of Darius Milhaud's ''La Mère coupable''.<ref name="RTS" />
He appeared as a guest internationally, in Rameau's ''Zoroastre'' in Bordeaux and in Paris, in the title role of Monteverdi's ''L'Orfeo'' at the Drottningholm Palace Theatre, and as Nerone in ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' at the Staatsoper Hannover. In August 1970, he was impressive as Tamino in Mozart's ''Die Zauberflöte'' at the Salzburg Festival, followed by the same role and also the title role of Mozart's ''La clemenza di Tito'' at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.<ref name="RTS" />
After he appeared as Nerone in ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' at the Zürich Opera in 1979, directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle and conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, alongside Rachel Yakar in the title role, the production was also shown at the Edinbourg Festival and La Scala in Milan, and was filmed.<ref name="RTS" /> <!--Tappy made his American debut as Don Ottavio in Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'' at the San Francisco Opera in 1974. --> Tappy first appeared at the Royal Opera House in London in Mozart's ''La clemenza di Tito'' in 1974.<ref name="RTS" />
Tappy retired from the stage in 1981; his last performances on stage were Mozart's ''Lucio Silla'' in Zürich and Nerone at the San Francisco Opera.<ref name="RTS" />
=== Teaching === After his retirement Tappy worked as stage director<ref name="Suter" /> and focused on teaching. He founded an opera studio, the Atelier d'interprétation vocale et dramatique, at the Opéra National de Lyon and directed it. He taught at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève from 1984 to 1999.<ref name="RTS" /><ref name="NAU" />
===Personal life === Tappy was married to Denise Guggenheim in 1953;<ref name="Suter" /> they had two daughters. He died on 11 June 2024, at the age of 93.<ref name="Diapason" /><ref name="RTS" /><ref name="NAU" /><ref name="Salazar" />
== Recordings == Tappy recorded ''L'Orfeo'' in 1968. He recorded Debussy's ''Pelléas et Mélisande'' twice, in 1969 a live recording in Geneva conducted by Jean-Marie Auberson, with Erna Spoorenberg, Gérard Souzay, and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and in 1979 conducted by Armin Jordan, with Yakar, Philippe Huttenlocher, and Chœurs et Orchestre National de L'Opéra Monte Carlo. A reviewer noted his "fine, lean voice", more virile and assertive than some colleagues, "powerful in his protestations of love", but "inclined to turn hard of tone when pushed".<ref name="Moore" /> Tappy performed as Tamino in a recording of ''Die Zauberflöte'' taken in 1980 from the Salzburg Festival performance, alongside Ileana Cotrubaș as Pamina and Zdzisława Donat as the Queen of Night, conducted by James Levine.<ref name="Sadie" /> Tappy was also featured in two films by Ponnelle: ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' in 1979<ref name="Diapason" /> and ''La clemenza di Tito'', alongside Tatiana Troyanos and Carol Neblett, in 1980. He recorded the oratorio ''L'Enfance du Christ'' by Berlioz, conducted by Colin Davis, and ''Clairières dans le ciel'', a song cycle by Lili Boulanger.<ref name="Diapason" />
== Awards == Tappy was awarded the gold medal of the Drottningholm Theatre for his portrayal of Monteverdi's Orfeo in 1966. Two years later he received the Edison Award for his recording of the same role.<ref name="NAU" /> He became an officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1994.<ref name="Suter" /> In 2007 he was awarded the Prix culturel de la Fondation Leenaards and the Médaille d'or of Lausanne.<ref name="RTS" />
==References== <references>
<ref name="Lonchampt">{{cite journal | last = Lonchampt | first = Jacques | author-link = Jacques Lonchampt | title = L'opéra aujourd'hui | journal = Journal de musique | date = 1970 | page = 153 | quote = On a découvert un étonnant Zoroastre en Éric Tappy. | language = fr }}</ref>
<ref name="Macy">{{cite encyclopedia | last = Macy | first = Laura Williams | entry = Tappy, Eric. (b Lausanne, 19 May 1931). Swiss tenor | title = The Grove Book of Opera Singers | date = 2008 | page = 485 | quote = He studied at the Geneva Conservatoire with Fernando Carpi }}</ref>
<ref name="Moore">{{cite web | last = Moore | first = Ralph | title = Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande – A discographical survey | url = https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Apr/Debussy_Pelleas_survey.pdf | date = April 2019 | website = musicweb-international.com | access-date = 15 June 2024 | archive-date = 20 December 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221220173539/http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Apr/Debussy_Pelleas_survey.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name="Sadie">{{cite magazine | last = Sadie | first = Stanley | title = Mozart Die Zauberflöte | url = https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/mozart-die-zauberfl%C3%B6te-25 | date = October 1989 | magazine = Gramophone | access-date = 15 June 2024 }}</ref>
<ref name="Salazar">{{cite news | last = Salazar | first = Francisco | title = Obituary: Tenor Éric Tappy Dies at 93 | url = https://operawire.com/obituary-tenor-eric-tappy-dies-at-93/ | date = 14 June 2024 | publisher = Operawire | access-date = 14 June 2024 | archive-date = 14 June 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240614202013/https://operawire.com/obituary-tenor-eric-tappy-dies-at-93/ | url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name="Suter">{{HDS|9565}}</ref>
<ref name="Diapason">{{cite magazine | title = Mort du ténor Eric Tappy | url = https://www.diapasonmag.fr/a-la-une/mort-du-tenor-eric-tappy-48563.html | date = 14 June 2024 | magazine = Diapason | language = fr | access-date = 15 June 2024 | archive-date = 14 June 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240614171208/http://www.diapasonmag.fr/a-la-une/mort-du-tenor-eric-tappy-48563.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name="NAU">{{cite news | title = Waadtländer Opernsänger Eric Tappy verstorben | url = https://www.nau.ch/people/aus-der-schweiz/waadtlander-opernsanger-eric-tappy-verstorben-66779702 | date = 14 June 2024 | website = nau.ch | language = de | access-date = 15 June 2024 | archive-date = 14 June 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240614151610/https://www.nau.ch/people/aus-der-schweiz/waadtlander-opernsanger-eric-tappy-verstorben-66779702 | url-status = live }}</ref>
<ref name="Oxford">{{cite encyclopedia | title = Eric Tappy | url = https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803102116669 | date = 2024 | encyclopedia = Oxford Reference | access-date = 15 June 2024 }}</ref>
<ref name="RTS">{{cite news | title = L'artiste lyrique vaudois Eric Tappy est décédé à l'âge de 93 ans | url = https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/musiques/2024/article/l-artiste-lyrique-vaudois-eric-tappy-est-decede-a-l-age-de-93-ans-28538870.html | date = 15 June 2024 | work = Radio Télévision Suisse | access-date = 15 June 2024 | archive-date = 14 June 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240614144214/https://www.rts.ch/info/culture/musiques/2024/article/l-artiste-lyrique-vaudois-eric-tappy-est-decede-a-l-age-de-93-ans-28538870.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * {{discogs artist|Eric Tappy}} * {{imdb name|0850106}} * {{Theaterlexikon|Éric Tappy|3|1795|1796|author=Jacques Tchamkerten|language=fr}} * [http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Tappy-Eric.htm Eric Tappy (Tenor)] Bach Cantatas Website
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tappy, Eric}} Category:1931 births Category:2024 deaths Category:20th-century Swiss male opera singers Category:Swiss operatic tenors Category:Musicians from Lausanne Category:Mozarteum University Salzburg alumni