Original vintage pairing of pen-and-ink self-portrait sketches by Castelmary on an off-white 3.5 x 2.75 card, signed below in ink, "A. Castelmary, N.Y. 1895." Castelmary draws himself in costume as Mephistopheles and as the Duke in Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette. In fine condition.
Castelmary sang both the Gounod and Boito Mephistopheles. Puccini admired both operas. At the Paris Opera Castelmary created roles in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine, Verdi’s Don Carlos (with his then wife Marie Sass), and Ambroise Thomas ‘s Hamlet. In 1893 he sang in the 1st London performance of Puccini’s friend Mascagni’s 1892 opera I Rantzau (The Rantzau Family).
Castelmary died onstage at the Metropolitan during a performance of Flotow’s Martha on February 10, 1897, singing the role of Sir Tristan opposite the Lyonel of his friend Jean de Rezske, in whose arms he died.
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