Edmond Clément (1867–1928) was the French lyric tenor par excellence. A leading member of the Opéra-Comique, he created the chief tenor rôles of many operas including works by Bruneau, Saint-Saëns, Hahn and Cui. He was renowned for his portrayal of Don Jose in Bizet’s Carmen, the title rôle of Massenet’s Werther, and especially Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon. In the years immediately preceding the First World War Clément sang in the United States where he was a member of the Metropolitan and Boston Opera companies. His complete recordings for the French Odéon and American Victor recording companies include arias from Massenet’s Manon and Werther, Lalo’s Le roi d’Ys, Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Godard’s Jocelyn. Also featured on this CD are the duets with Geraldine Farrar and Marcel Journet, including Bizet’s glorious ‘Pearl Fishers’ duet.