- Holds the record as the oldest person to make a debut at the Metropolitan Opera, singing the Emperor there in Turandot in 1987.
- In celebration of his one hundredth birthday, he was awarded the World of Song award for 2002 by the Lotte Lehmann Foundation.
- He was specialized in tenor character roles.
- He made his operatic debut in 1928 in Paris. He was respected for his ability to handle difficult character roles. He gave over 400 performances at the Glyndebourne Festival (UK) over a period of 40 years. At the age of 92, he sang the role of Triquet in "Eugene Onegin".
- One of his fondest memories is appearing in the 1951 world premiere of Stravinsky's opera "The Rake's Progress" with legendary soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in Venice.
- He credits his vocal longevity to his ability to express feelings in soft tones, without shouting.
- His repertoire was wide-ranging. He sang music from the Renaissance as well as the 20th century; Monteverdi, Bach, Schubert, Debussy, and Stravinsky, among other composers.
- He celebrated his 105th birthday in good health at his ancestral home, the 18th-century Chateau de Lully near Geneva, Switzerland. (June 2007)
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