"Le Cid" Pleurez mes yeux (Massenet): Charlotte Tirard, sopr. , Polydor 1929.

Tirard, Charlotte French soprano, 1887 - 1971 She was born in Rouen and studied in Milano with Giulietta Vermes. In 1926 she made a late debut as an opera singer, as Helmwige in Die Walküre (she was 39 years old!). One year later she appeared as Aida opposite Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, as Marschallin in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier, as Tosca and as Traviata. She was an admired Marguerite. She was also a great Thaïs and played the role opposite Thill and Vanni-Marcoux. She was invited to sing the first French performance of Aithra in Strauss' Die Ägyptische Helena at the opera house of Monte Carlo. She often sang Wagnerian roles and enjoyed many of her greates successes in his music. In addition to her Elisabeth and Helmwige she also appeared in Parsifal and Rheingold. She was especially loved in the Puccini repertory (she was considered the greatest French Tosca). She was regularly invited by all French opera houses She retired in 1939 and died in Paris, having lived in a retirement home for "Chanteuses et Comediennes". Odeon- and Polydor recordings (also duets with Miguel Villabella)