|
Born: March 28, 1933 - Montreux, Switzerland
Died: October 30, 2000 - Rijswijk, the Netherlands |
|
The Dutch baritone, (René) Bernard Kruysen (Kruijsen), descended from a family of artists, studied originally at the Academy of Design in The Hague, then from 1953 at The Hague Conservatory. A scholarship from the French government enabled him to study with Pierre Bernac.
Although he made his debut in opera, and frequently performed as a soloist in oratorio and concerts, he was best known for his solo recitals, especially of French song. A fastidious artist, he had an ample, burnished tone, and held in fine balance the detailed inflections and the fuller design of each song. In France he was recognized as one of the greatest interpreters, and several of his recordings of melodies received awards. He gave recitals with Francis Poulenc and Hans Henkemans, among others, and had a strong partnership with the pianist Noel Lee. In addition, he represented his country at the world championships in spear fishing, and made underwater films with apparatus that he developed himself. |
