Chardiny, Louis Armand (1755, Rouen; 1 October 1793, Paris), a vocalist whose true name was Chardin, made his debut at the Opéra in 1780 as a baritone. His inability to offer a convincing dramatic performance detracted from his effectiveness on stage, but his voice was clear and strong enough to compensate for this shortcoming. Chardiny had a minor role in the premiere performance of La Caravane du Caire on 15 January 1784, and he sang Laërte in the first production of Pénélope at the Opéra on…