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L\xe9on Escala\xefs (August 8, 1859, Cuxac-d'Aude \u2013 November 8, 1940, Cuxac-d'Aude) was a prominent Gallic tenor, particularly associated with French and Italian heroic roles. His lean, nimble and powerful voice was noted for the ease and brilliance of its upper register.

Born L\xe9once-Antoine Escala\xefs, he commenced his vocal studies as a young man at the Music Conservatory of Toulouse, where he won prizes for singing and opera performance. He continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory with two well-known teachers of the day, Crosti and Obin, prior to making his professional debut at the Th\xe9\xe2tre du Ch\xe2teau (Paris) in 1882, in Sardanapale by Jean-Baptiste Duvernoy.

Escala\xefs was offered a contract by the Paris Op\xe9ra. His first appearance with the Paris Op\xe9ra at the Palais Garnier occurred in 1883, as Arnold in Guillaume Tell. (Arnold would become one of his signature roles.)

Two years later, he sang for the first time at the Th\xe9\xe2tre de la Monnaie in Brussels, and he made his debut at La Scala, Milan, in 1888. He left the Paris Op\xe9ra in 1892 after a dispute with management and accepted engagements in Dijon, Lyon, Marseille and Italy. Among the taxing roles which he undertook were El\xe9azar in La Juive, Robert in Robert le diable, Raoul in Les Huguenots, Vasco in L'Africaine and the title parts in Le Cid and Sigurd.

Between 1892 and 1908, Escala\xefs sang more often in Italy (this is wrong, he sang once in Milan and it was a fiasco) than he did in his native land. He added to his repertoire such Verdi roles as Manrico in Il trovatore, Radam\xe8s in Aida and the title part in Otello' (Escalais never sang Otello)'. Consequently, he was sometimes described as "the French Tamagno" (after Francesco Tamagno, the Italian heroic tenor).

Escala\xefs rejoined the Paris Op\xe9ra in 1908. The following year, he sang as a guest artist at the New Orleans Opera House. These would be his only performances in the United States. He retired from the stage in 1912 while still in good voice and was appointed to the Legion of Honour by the French Government in 1927. In retirement, he gave private singing lessons. One of his students was Jos\xe9 Luccioni, an outstanding dramatic tenor of the 1930s and '40s. Escala\xefs died in Cuxac-d'Aude during the Second World War, aged 82.