Paul Derenne

Paul Derenne (born René Bouvier) (1907, Rennes – 18 April 1988, Bec-Hellouin) was a French tenor whose eclectic repertoire allowed him a successful career on stage and on the concert platform.

After taking part in a competition in 1935 organised by the magazine Comœdia, he made his debut under Charles Munch in the French premiere of Hin und Zurück by Hindemith.

Derenne made his debut at the Paris Opéra Comique in 1937 in the French premieres of Le testament de la tante Caroline by Albert Roussel (Noel) and of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss (Brighella) alongside de Germaine Lubin and Janine Micheau, both operas conducted by Roger Désormière.

Freed after a few months, Derenne joined the company of the Palais de Chaillot, singing many leading lyric roles of the opéra comique repertoire, such as Fortunio, George Brown in La dame blanche, Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia (in French) and Gérald in Lakmé.

His wife wrote a book of memoirs: Jacqueline Paul Derenne, Une vie en duo, Rouen, Éditions Médianes, 1992.