Marthe Chenal

Who was Marthe Chenal?

Marthe Chenal was a French operatic soprano who had an active singing career between 1905 and 1923. Although she made a number of appearances with opera companies throughout the French provinces and on the international stage, her career was mainly centered at the Palais Garnier and the Opéra-Comique in Paris. She particularly excelled in the works of Jules Massenet and was an exponent of the works of Camille Erlanger.

Chenal was admired not only for her excellent singing but also her dramatic prowess, with a number of critics comparing her to the great French dramatic actress Sarah Bernhardt. A remarkably attractive woman, Chenal was dubbed by the international press as "the most beautiful woman in Paris". She was noted for her rendition of La Marseillaise. Her voice is preserved on a number of recordings made with Pathé Records in 1915.