L'absent - Charles Gounod

[@divox9pqr]

I can recall walking up to Souzay after a beautiful recital at the Westminster Choir College. He asked me if I were a singer, I was too dumb struck to reply that I had completed my Masters in Voice at the University of Michigan. I was simply speechless in the presence of my idol. I muttered something, exactly what I said escapes me at this point. Among the many wonderful things he sang that evening with Dalton Baldwin at the keyboard was the Danza, Danza Fanciula, the early Italian art song. It was riveting. The beauty of the voice even in this late period of his vocal career was quite moving. Such a wide pallet of vocal tone, so we'll focused, and so expressively executed was a marvel to me.

[@Delmonaco1969]

Ô silence des nuits dont la voix seule est douce, Quand je n'ai plus sa voix, Mystérieux rayons, qui glissez sur la mousse Dans l'ombre de ses bois, Dites-moi si ses yeux, à l'heure où tout sommeille Se rouvrent doucement Et si ma bien-aimée, alors quemoi je veille, Se souvient de l'absent. Quand la lune est aux cieux, baignant de sa lumière Les grands bois et l'azur; Quand des cloches du soir qui tintent la prière Vibre l'écho si pur, Dites-moi si son âme, un instant recueillie, S'élève avec leur chant, Et si de leurs accords la paisible harmonie Lui rappelle l'absent!

[@fourstrings48]

Gérard Souzay, my favorite singer of all time, was a good, if somewhat problematical, friend to me. He and Dalton Baldwin formed one of the very greatest of all "art song" duos (hate that term!). How glad I am that they left us such a rich legacy of recordings.

[@divox9pqr]

David Steven Tabbat ....David, can you elaborate...How was their friendship problematical?

[@fourstrings48]

I have never said that Dalton Baldwin's friendship has been in any way probablematical for me. He has been a good friend to me over the years. Just Gérard's.

[@divox9pqr]

David Steven Tabbat Well, that is what I meant....Could you elaborate a little on what Souzay was like. Of course no artist's complexity can be reduced to simple formulaic platitudes, but what made him difficult as a friend. Or, perhaps that was how he pictured himself....simple, uncomplicated, natural. Unfortunately, he left no autobiography, only his vocal philosophy and techniques.