At a time, when French tenors were not yet an endangered specie – quite on the contrary! – the Belgian tenor, Charles Fontaine, was not in the same league as Escalais or Paul Franz or later César Vezzani or Fernand Ansseau. Born in Antwerp in 1878, he seems to have sung his first Arnold in 1914 in Liege, were he was partnered, as in this recording, by the Belgian baritone, Jean Noté. Critics praised his singing as „ringing“ and „with plenty of power“, but „a little uneven in quality, and sometimes a little disposed to sing flat”, his impersonations were considered vigorous and manly. The top sounds a little worn by using too much pressure in the upper register, though it has a certain ring and he certainly is not the most refined and stylish singer, but he fits the part vocally. The version is cut considerably in order to include also „O Ciel, tu sais si Mathilde m’est chère“, getting a little crude and hurried towards the end – probably owed to the speed limit of the recording process.
Jean Noté, although in general not the most nuanced singer, is appreciated here as a firm and sturdy Tell with a resonant lower register.
