MLK Day 2011: Let's Keep The Dream Alive

Let's keep the dream alive in all we do.

Helen Boatwright, Celebrated Soprano, Dies at 94

“I sing opera, but I am a musician,” she told The Sheboygan Press in 2004. “I teach too many crummy kids who think they’ve got to be opera singers. Opera is such a teeny tiny part in the world of music. I don’t want to be called an opera singer.”


Helen Boatwright sang early music, concert repertoire, opera and gave world premiere performances of some works by Charles Ives. She was a musician who believed that singers had the responsiblity to perform and promote contemporary music.

See NY times obituary here.

Shirley Verrett, 1931-2010 dies at 79

The great mezzo soprano and soprano Shirley Verrett died on Friday morning at the age of 79 of heart failure after several months of illness. She was a singer who was well known for the intensity of her performances and a voice of striking beauty and flexibility. She was part of a second generation of black opera singers who followed Marian Anderson's breakthrough at the Met in 1955. May she rest in peace.

New York Times obituary here

Go here for some examples of her singing from an earlier post.

Giulietta Simionato, 1910- 2010 dies at 99

Mezzo soprano Giulietta Simionato died on Wednesday at her home in Rome. A thrilling singer of the 50's and 60's. She was featured in February's Singer of the Day posts. Go here to listen.

Washington Post obituary here.

A great singer from a great era. May she rest in peace.

Blanche Thebom-1915-2010, dies at 94

American, mezzo soprano Blanche Thebom, Star at the Met and Beyond, Dies at 94 New York Times obituary here. Although, probably no longer well known to the current generation of singers, she was the leading mezzo soprano at the Met for 22 years, creating the American premieres of many roles. Below she sings O Don Fatale from Verdi's Don Carlo Here is a lovely tribute with reminiscences from colleagues and friends. Worth the read!

She was also famous for her long hair, which used in many of her roles to great advantage as seen in this photo of Blanche Thebom as Didon in the 1957 production of Les Troyens at the Royal Opera House, London.

Dichterliebe; Souzay and Cortot

A remarkable partnership. If you haven't heard this rare duo, take a listen. It will be worth it.


1-4


8-11

February is "Singer of the Day" Month

For the month of February, I've started a series of posts called "Singer of the Day." Each day features a great singer from the past. So stay tuned. It may be someone you are familiar with or someone who has fallen off your radar for some reason. In some cases, these may be artists with whom you are not familiar at all. I hope the choices will interest you.
So far we've had:
Feb. 1- Paul Robeson
Feb. 2- Ninon Vallin
Feb. 3- George Thill
Feb. 4- Irmgard Seefried
Feb. 5- Mark Reizen
Feb. 6- Eula Beal
Feb. 7- Richard Tauber
Feb. 8- Marian Anderson
Feb. 9- Rolando Panerai
Feb. 10- Shirley Verret
Feb. 11- Gundula Janowitz
Feb. 12- Leyla Gencer
Feb. 13- Jussi Bjoerling
Feb. 14- Lauritz Melchior
Feb. 15- Giulietta Simionato
Feb. 16- Franco Corelli
Feb. 17- Sena Jurinac
Feb. 18- Tito Schipa
Feb. 19- Alfred Deller
Feb. 20- Janet Baker
Feb. 21- Kathleen Ferrier
Feb. 22- Luisa Tetrazzini
Feb. 23,24- Teresa Berganza and Hermann Prey
Feb. 25- Carla Gavazzi
Feb. 26- Aksel Schiøtz
Feb. 27- Fritz Wunderlich
Feb. 28- Maria Callas

Now that we've reached the final post, I have to say that the exclusion of many other worthy artists was by no means deliberate. There are so many that didn't make the list and I apologize for that. But I may pick up the theme again another time. So stay tuned.

Singer of the Day: Maria Callas, 1923-1977

Maria Anna Sophie Cecilia Kalogeropoulos was born in New York in 1923 to parents who had emigrated from Greece. Her father changed their family name to Callas in 1929. In 1937, after her parents separated, her mother took her to Greece, where she was admitted to the National Conservatoire of Athens. In 1939, at the age of 17, she made her stage debut in a student production of Cavelleria Rusticana as Santuzza.

For me, Callas was an acquired taste. As a young college student, I was introduced to her later recordings first. Some students I knew liked to play her recordings at half speed to show the wobble she had sadly developed in her later years. So while I knew she was a legend, I didn't at that time understand why. It wasn't until later that I discovered the extraordinary ability she had to convey with voice, timbre, color, phrasing attention to text and acting, the depths of the many operatic characters she portrayed. I am always struck by the rightness of her choices, the amount of time she chooses to hold a fermata, the nuanced nature of her character studies and of course the unsurpassed ability she had with the technical demands of the Bel Canto repertoire. Theatrically, she was brilliant. She changed the face of opera for the future. Her characterizations were always layered, multi-dimensional and complex. Her singing and acting, always interwined so organically that you feel this is the only way it can be performed! She is considered one of the greatest singers of the twentieth century. The acclaim is justly deserved.


Mad Scene from Donizetti, Lucia Di Lammermoor

Singer of the Day: Fritz Wunderlich, 1930-1966

Only two days left and I'm struggling with whom to include, but any list would be incomplete without Wunderlich. His impeccable singing and artistry, which covered opera, Lieder and standard orchestral fare was sadly cut short due to an accident at the home of a friend where he fell down a staircase.


Mozart, Die Zauberflöte, Tamino's Aria Dies Bildnis is bezaubernte schön

Singer of the Day: Aksel Schiøtz, 1906-1975

I wonder how many singers and pianists are familiar with Aksel Schiotz. He is well known to connoisseurs of Lieder, though I became familiar with him by chance only seven years ago. In other words, I got through my entire musical training and much of my career without once having heard of Aksel Schiøtz. A real shame because this is a superb singer who sings with such ease, style, clarity and depth of emotion. Really top drawer. We are lucky that his legacy will live on through the recordings.


Schubert Lieder- Die schöne Müllerin 1. Der Neugierige 2. Ungeduld 3. Eifersucht und Stolz 4.Die böse Farbe


Mozart, Cosi fan tutte, Un aura amorosa

Singer of the Day: Carla Gavazzi, 1913-2008

Perhaps eclipsed by the fame and stardom of other post-war sopranos such as Tebaldi, Callas, Schwartzkopf,Sutherland and others, Carla Gavazzi was a real talent and had a very unique instrument. Her voice exudes a raw, earthy quality that is quite compelling.


Adriana Lecouvreur, Francesco Cilea Io sono l'umile ancella


Cavalleri Rusticana, Mascagni- Voi lo sapete

Singer of the Day: Teresa Berganza and Hermann Prey

Today, we get a twofer because I skipped yesterday. Watch the lovely interaction between Prey and the brilliant Teresa Berganza. There are other examples of this superb artist at this blog if you go to the sidebar under Teresa Berganza!


Rossini, Il Barbiere de Seviglia, Dunque io son

Singer of the Day: Luisa Tetrazzini, 1871-1940

Rossini, Semiramide, Bel Raggio Lusinghier
Just superb!

Singer of the Day: Kathleen Ferrier, 1912-1953

Brahms, Vier ernste Gesänge, O Tod,wie bitter bist du


A wonderful tribute to Kathleen Ferrier

Singer of the Day: Janet Baker

From Dido and Aeneas- When I am Laid


Berlioz, Nuits d'été Le spectre de la rose
Look at the links on the side under Janet Baker to view the complete Nuits d'été.

Singer of the Day: Alfred Deller, 1912-1979

Black is the Color


Flow my tears

Singer of the Day: Tito Schipa

Singer of the Day: Sena Jurinac, b. 1921

Sena Jurinac was born in Travnik, Bosnia at that time- Yugoslavia. She sang roles in the mezzo and soprano fachs. Her portrayal of Octavian in Strauss' Rosenkavalier is legendary. Her operatic debut was in 1942 in Zagreb, with the role of Mimi.


In this radiant performance of Dove Sono, her voice is like glistening silver, both bright and round and a perfect vibrato constantly spinning even in the most delicate sounds.

Singer of the Day: Franco Corelli, 1921- 2003

Corelli, in a class of his own! The voice, the technique, the ease, the brilliant timbre, the full sound, the phrasing, the emotion. A force of nature. It's useless to enter the proverbial "who's the all time greatest tenor" discussions. But this performance can easily be considered one of those uniquely great moments in the history of singing.

From Cavelleria Rusticana by Mascagni

Singer of the Day: Giulietta Simionato, b. 1910

Listen to this exquisite performance! Simionato is unsurpassed in this thrilling and moving performance of "Voi lo Sapete" from Cavalleria Rusticana (Pietro Mascagni)


O don fatale- Don Carlo Verdi

Singer of the Day: Lauritz Melchior

Lauritz Melchior was born in Copenhagen and became an American citizen in 1947. He started off his career singing baritone and bass. He later switched to tenor and became one of the centuries greatest singers, well known for the heroic tenor roles in Wagner's operas.


Here he is singing "In fernem Land" from Wagner's Lohengrin.

Go here for more!

Singer of the Day: Jussi Bjoerling,1911-1960

Marvelous singing and artistry!

Singer of the Day: Leyla Gencer. 1928- 2008

Leyla Gencer (La Diva Turka) was born in Istanbul. She had an illustrious career and was considered the last diva of the twentieth century having performed 72 roles primarily in Europe. She never sang at the Met.


Deh, non volerli vittime", from Bellini's Norma, in a performance from 1965.

Singer of the Day: Gundela Janowitz, 1937-

Strauss' Frühling, In dämmrigen Grüften träumte ich lang von deine...


Ach ich fühl's from Mozart, Die Zauberflöte


Ich will dir mein Herze schenken Bach's St Matthew Passion

Singer of the Day: Shirley Verret

At 59, Shirley Verret sings Voi lo sapete from Cavelleria Rusticana HERE

Singer of the Day: Rolando Panerai

Singer of the Day: Marian Anderson, 1897- 1993

"A voice like hers is heard only once in a hundred years." Arturo Toscanini


Handel, He shall feed his flock


Brahms Alto Rhapsody Part 1


Brahms Alto Rhapsody Part 2

Singer of the Day: Richard Tauber, 1891-1948

Austrian tenor, Richard Tauber was one of the most beloved singers of his time. He made his operatic debut as Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He became best known for his performances of operetta and song.

This performance of Schubert's Ständchen- Leise Flehen is delightful, surprising and rendered in a most personal manner that certainly challenges 20th century performance practices. I was thrilled to come across it.

Singer of the Day: Eula Beal, 1919-2008

I have to admit that I was completely unfamiliar with this remarkable singer until several weeks ago. The natural beauty of her instrument combined with her natural delivery is spellbinding. Eula Beal had a relatively short lived career, opting to spend her energies raising her family. One can only imagine what her contributions would have been had she continued. Luckily, there are recordings and the footage from the television program Concert Magic. Listen for yourselves!


Schubert's Erlkönig



Singing Erbarme dich/ Have Mercy, Lord from Bach's St. Matthew Passion with Yehudi Menuhin playing the violin solos.

Singer of the Day: Mark Reizen-1895-1992

The great Ukrainian bass Mark Reizen sings Tchaikovsky's "Sred' shumnovo bala" ("Amidst the din of the ball"), Op.38, No.3 (text by Aleksei Tolstoi)at 79!

In the midst of the noisy ball,
amid the anxious bustle of life,
I caught sight of you,
your face, an enigma.

Only your eyes gazed sadly.
Your divine voice
Sounded like pipes from afar,
Like the dancing waves of the sea.

Your delicate form entranced me,
and your pensiveness,
your sad yet merry laughter,
has permeated my heart since then.

And in the lonely hours of the night,
when I do lie down to rest,
I see your pensive eyes,
hear your merry laugh...

And wistfully drifting
into mysterious reveries,
I wonder if I love you,
but it seems that I do!

Singer of the Day:Imgard Seefried, 1919-1988

Irmgard Seefried is one of the all time greats! This remarkable performance of Mahler's Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen speaks for itself.

Poem:Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866)

I am lost to the world
with which I used to waste so much time,
It has heard nothing from me for so long
that it may very well believe that I am dead!

It is of no consequence to me
Whether it thinks me dead;
I cannot deny it,
for I really am dead to the world.

I am dead to the world's tumult,
And I rest in a quiet realm!
I live alone in my heaven,
In my love and in my song!

Singer of the Day: George Thill, 1897-1984

It seems only natural to follow Ninon Vallin with George Thill, who is considered by many to be the greatest French tenor of the twentieth century. He was singing at the same time as Vallin in France. Thill began his studies in Paris and later went to Naples for further training. He returned to Paris and made his Paris Opéra debut in 1924. He would dominate the scene for the next two decades singing over fifty leading roles.

Singer of the Day: Ninon Vallin-1886-1961

A rare artist! An extremely versatile singer--she sang opera, mélodie and Lieder (in French.) Her secure technique and superb musicianship made her one of the most sought after singers of her generation. Debussy said her voice shimmered like silver. He chose her for the première of his "Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé." In addition to Debussy, Ninon Vallin collaborated with a number of important composers, including Albert Roussel, Reynaldo Hahn, Xavier Leroux, Louis Beyot, Marguerite Béclard D’Harcourt and Joaquín Nin.

Here she sings L'Heure Exquise by Reynaldo Hahn

The white moon
shines in the woods.
From each branch
springs a voice
beneath the arbor.
Oh my beloved…

Like a deep mirror
the pond reflects
the silhouette
of the black willow
where the wind weeps.
Let us dream! It is the hour…

A vast and tender
calm
seems to descend
from a sky
made iridescent by the moon.
It is the exquisite hour!

Singer of the Day: Paul Robeson 1898- 1976

Since Febrauary is Black History month, I thought it fitting to start with the great American bass-baritone, actor, lawyer, social activist and athelete, Paul Robeson.

Robeson was a twentieth century Renaissance man. His talent, intellect and political activism made him one of the most powerful figures of his time and American history.


"All men all brothers because of their music."

"No pretty songs, no pretty songs, gentlemen. Time for some full citizenship."




Mephistopheles' Song in Auerbach's Cellar (Song of the Flea) Pesnya Mefistofelya o blokhe by Mussorgsky 1879 1879 It is based on Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy (1808) by Goethe, translated by Strugovshchikov

English translation:

There once was a king
who had a large flea
whom he loved not a bit less
than his very own son.
He called his tailor
and the tailor came directly;
"Here - make clothing for this knight,
and cut him trousers too!"

In silk and satin
was the flea now made up;
he had ribbons on his clothing,
and he had also a cross there,
and had soon become a minister
and had a large star.
Then his siblings became
great lords and ladies of the court as well.

And the lords and ladies of the court
were greatly plagued;
the queen and her ladies-in-waiting
were pricked and bitten,
and they dared not flick
or scratch them away.
But we flick and crush them
as soon as one bites!



Here is another example of the rare and beautiful instrument of this remarkable man.

February 2010 is "Singer of the Day" month

I've decided to begin a new tradition. For the month of February, I'm going to start a series of posts called "Singer of the Day." Each day will feature a great singer from the past. So stay tuned. It may be someone completely familiar to you music mavens, but it may also be someone who has fallen off your radar for some reason. Or these may be artists who you are not at all familiar with. I hope the choices will interest you.

Sills Sillsiana--Opera Mashup!

Mashups seem to be everywhere these days! This is Beverly Sills doing her famous Sillsillana piece: a pastiche of every famous coloratura piece mashed together to make this hysterically fun piece. I have it as an MP3, and never thought I'd find it at Youtube, but there it was.

It was arranged by her coach and for those of you who know some of these pieces, you will hear the following excerpts:

Piano intro -Una voce poco fa – Barber of Seville

Grossmächtige prinzessin – Ariadne auf Naxos

Je suis Titania – Mignon

Shemahka’s aria - Coq d’or

Holle Rache -  Magic Flute

Richard Strauss: Amor

Je suis encore tout étourdie –Manon (with Una voce “ma” at end)

Vien delitto – Puritani  (with Una voce poco fa "ma" at end)

Schubert: Shepherd on the Rock

Vocalize on Chopin’s Etude in A-flat, Op. 25, no. 1

Spargi d’amaro (Mad Scene) - Lucia

Vocalise on Chopin Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9, no.2 

 Les oiseaux (Olympia)– Tales of Hoffmann

Sempre libera - Traviata –with Gagnon as tenor

Sills’ cadenza used for O luce di quest’anima – Linda di Chamounix

Sempre libera – the final “pensier”

ENJOY!

Mercedes Sosa, 1935- 2009

The great Argentinian Folk Singer, Mercedes Sosa who gave voice to South American political protest, died yesterday. She was 74. You can read more about her here.

She formed part of the New Song movement in Latin America, which combined folk song traditions with contemporary music that often featured political messages in its lyrics. She was known throughout Latin America and Europe, with one of her most popular songs titled "Gracias a la Vida," heard in the performance above.
Rest in peace.

TEXT

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto

Me dio dos luceros que cuando los abro

Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco

Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado

Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo

Translated into English:

Thanks to life, which has given me so much

It gave me two bright stars that when I open them,

I perfectly distinguish the black from white

And in the sky above, her starry backdrop

And within the multitudes the man I love

Jan DeGaetani Remembered

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the death of my teacher Jan DeGaetani. I find it difficult to believe that these twenty years have passed, perhaps because it’s difficult still to imagine a world without Jan in it.

Jan taught many students who would later go on to have successful careers. All were inspired by her gift: an uncanny ability to sound spontaneous, simple, unpretentious and yet sophisticated and profound. She taught by creating an environment in which questions stimulated the imagination.

Jan DeGaetani died at age 56, a tragically young death for her family, students and the musical world. She was among the most respected musicians of her generation, and considered one of the most eloquent and extraordinary song recitalists the United States has ever produced. Jan devoted her musical life to art song and music of every genre, and her longtime collaboration with pianist Gilbert Kalish produced many unforgettable performances. Theirs was a true partnership between, not only a singer and pianist, but between two very special musicians. And in their recordings, they left an important legacy for future generations.

I miss her today and every day.

(August 1989-the last time I saw Jan)

Additional Links:
NY TImes Obituary
New Yorker Magazine, Tribute Concerts

From a 1981 New York Times Review, Donald Henahan

"With the pianist Gilbert Kalish, she went straight to the heart of every song she sang, and never more directly and affectingly than in the world premiere of George Crumb's song cycle, ''Apparition.''

France

Francis Poulenc: 1899- 1963- Two excerpts from La Courte Paille, Les Chemins de l'amour and Cé

Below you will find two exquisite performances of two pieces from Poulenc's La Courte Paille. Poulenc is at the piano with Denise Duval,the legendary French soprano who created the roles of Elle in La voix humaine and Thérèse in Les mamelles de Tirésias. She also had much success with the role of Blanche de la Force in Dialogues of the Carmelites, although she didn't sing the world premiere. The artistry between these two is absolutely stunning. Like Britten, Poulenc is considered one of the all time great accompanists. Read this NY Times article by William Crutchfield for more information.

The video begins with a short interview between Poulenc and the host. In it, you can hear Poulenc speaking about the cycle, that he wrote it for Denise Duval and he refers to her as one of his favorite singers. (They toured together quite a bit towards the end of his life, forming in addition to his great partnership with Bernac, one of the great duos in Art Song performance.) Listen to the interview and see how good your French comprehension is!

From
La Courte Paille/The Short Straw
Text: Maurice Carème (1899- 1978)

# 2
Quelle aventure/What an adventure

A flea was pulling
a little elephant in its carriage.
They looked
in all the jewelry store windows.

My God, my God! What an adventure!
Who's going to believe me?

The baby elephant was absent-mindedly
sucking on a pot of jam.
The flea didn't mind,
and pulled him with a smile on her face.

My God, my God! And it keeps right on!
I'll start to think I'm crazy!

Suddenly, by a fence,
the flea blew away in the wind
and I saw the little elephant
break down walls as he ran away.

My God, my God! It surely happened,
but how will I tell Mother?

# 5
Les anges musiciens/ The musical angels

Upon the threads of the rain
the Thursday angels
play on the harp for a long time.
And beneath their fingers, Mozart
tinkles, deliciously,
in drops of blue joy
since it is always Mozart
which is played endlessly
by the musician angels
who, all day Thursday,
make their harps sing
the sweetness of the rain.

Complete translations for La Courte Paille found here.



Denise Duval, soprano and Francis Poulenc, piano


Next, listen to this fabulous find!
Singer/actress, Yvonne Printemps sings "Le Chemin de l'amour" with orchestra in this very affecting performance. Pay close attention to the wonderful portamenti and her superb attention to the text.


Les Chemins de l'amour/ The Pathways of Love
Text: Jean Anouilh (1910-)

The pathways that go to the sea
have kept from our passage
some plucked flowers
and the echos under the trees
of our sweet, clear laughter.

Alas! Some days of happiness,
radiant times flown away,
I go on without finding traces of them in my heart.

Pathways of my love,
I search for you always,
Lost pathways, you're not there any more
and your echos are deafened.
Pathways of desperation,
Pathways of memories,
Pathways of that first day,
Divine pathways of love!

If I have to forget one day,
life erasing everything;
I want that in my heart one memory remains
stronger than any other love:
the memory of the pathway,
where radiant and delirious
one day I felt your hands burning upon me.

Pathways of my love,
I search for you always,
Lost pathways, you're not there any more
and your echos are deafened.

Pathways of desperation,
Pathways of memories,
Pathways of that first day,
Divine pathways of love!


Yvonne Printemps, soprano


One Final Performance: "C" Text: Louis Aragon (1897-1982)
This is one of Poulenc's most beautiful and moving compositions. It's not on the listening list, but you must be familiar with it!

Aragon, who was a member of the Communist Party since 1927 and was a high ranking member of the French Resistance wrote the poem. It is filled with imagery about the war, nostalgia for the past and hope for the future. Note that each line in the French ends with the rhyme Cé. Hugues Cuenod is the tenor. The pianist is unfortunately not noted.


Le Pont de Cé/ The bridge of Cé

I have crossed the bridges of Cé
It was there that it all began
A song of times past
Speaks of a wounded knight
Of a rose upon the road
And of a bodice unlaced
Of the castle of a mad duke
And of the swans in its moats
Of the meadow where will dance
An eternal fiancée
And like cold milk I drank
The long lay of false glories
The Loire carries off my thoughts
Along with the overturned cars
And the defused weapons
And the tears not rubbed away
Oh my France, oh my abandoned one
I have crossed the bridges of Cé.


Hugues Cuenod, tenor, pianist, unfortunately not noted.

Antoine Watteau: 1684-1721 /Verlaine/Debussy/Fauré

Click on the photos to enlarge!

Meeting in the open air


Pierrot Content c. 1712


Fetes Champetres


Italian Comedians














Gilles

Debussy: La Flûte de Pan, C'est l'extase langoureuse, Il pleure dans mons coeur, Mandoline

La Flûte de Pan, Maggie Teyte, Alfred Cortot


Elly Ameling, Dalton Baldwin



Claire Croiza: mezzo-soprano Francis Poulenc: piano Recorded: June 1928



Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, soprano, pianist, not listed


More Debussy, with Debussy at the piano, Mary Garden singing:

Green HERE

Il pleure dans mon coeur HERE

L'ombre des arbres HERE

Paris Exposition 1889

"In the year 1889 there was revolution in Paris. No shots were fired, no buildings torched, no palaces looted. But on the Champ de Mars and the Esplanades des Invalides, the past and the future fought a world war of ideas. Iron battled stone, Javanese ritual music defied the siege of German orchestration, electricity triumphed over gas. It was a year to celebrate a revolution's centennial, a time to consolidate one hundred years of industry, art and social ideals that flowed from the great events of 1789."

The above paragraph is from an article written by Arthur Chandler entitled: Revolution The Paris Exposition Universelle, 1889. It captures the energy and ambience of this extraordinary time in history and this event.
Complete article found here.

Now imagine that you're Debussy living in Paris in 1889. A young, brilliant composer determined to avoid the German tradition.

Naturally, you are drawn to music of other cultures. The Paris Exposition of 1889 comes to town. You hear Rimsky-Korakov conduct his Capriccio espagnol" at the Trocadéro Palace.

You go to the Javanese Pavillion, which was a model "Kampon"-- a village, recreating all aspects of communal village life from agricultural practices to religion. You spend hours listening to the gamelan music from this island in the Malay Archipelago.

You use some of the different scales you've heard when you improvise on the piano, and also the sense of floating qualities of the form and rhythym in Javanese music. All these find a way into your formally composed music-- especially for piano. In six years, you will compose "La Mer."

Imagine the excitement of living in Paris when he did. He witnessed the building of the Paris metro system and the Eiffel Tower. (See below.) He lived alongside Monet, Renoir, Gaughin, Rodin, Baudelaire, Verlaine, Proust, Mallarmé, Emile Zola to mention only a few. In a few years, the Dreyfus Affair of 1894 would shake the foundations of the French Third Republic. You would have to choose-- Dreyfusard or anti-Dreyfusard? Not a time to sit on the fence. Fin de siècle Paris-- an important nexus of artistic and social activity. What a time to be alive! The Belle Époque has arrived.

Milagro Vargas, 2009

A FEW IMAGES FROM THE PARIS EXPOSITION 1889


Built between 1887 and 1889, the Eiffel Tower was contructed as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, the 1889 World's Fair.


Original poster from the 1889 Exposition Universelle












Panorama of the Place de la Concorde at the Exposition Universelle held in Paris in 1889.


Russian House Exhibition at the 1889 Exposition Universelle







Crowd of people along parterre beside illuminated fountains, view toward the Central Dome, Paris 1889 Exposition Universelle


Illustration of the interior of the Galerie des Machines, designed by Ferdinand Dutert,1889 Exposition Universelle


Gallery of various industries,1889 Exposition Universelle


Entrance to the Javanese Pavillion,1889 Exposition Universelle

Female Javanese dancer, seated in costume,1889 Exposition Universelle


Six people posed before Javanese house in Javanese village, 1889 Exposition Universelle

WATCH THIS FILM! It's an excellent compilation of photos with an interesting voice over at about 1:30 that gives a flavor of the times!

MANY MORE PHOTOS HERE: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ARCHIVE!

Gabriel Fauré: Some comparative performances

Fauré (1845- 1924)
Ninon Vallin sings "Les Berceaux" (Piece begins around 2 minutes in, if you're in a hurry. Also, I'm not sure, but it may be Cortot at the piano!)



Elly Ameling sings "Après un rêve"; Dalton Baldwin, piano



Georges Thill sings "Après un rêve"



Nicolai Gedda sings "Nell"

Two different versions of Kiri Te Kanawa singing "Nell"

Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Nell"; Richard Amner, piano (First Version)



Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Nell"; Roger Vignoles, piano (Second Version)

Duparc

Two wonderful performances with French baritone, Gérard Souzay


Duparc "L'Invitation au voyage"
Gérard Souzay, baritone Dalton Baldwin piano

AND
Gérard Souzay sings "Chanson triste" in an orchestral version here.