# Duparc's beautiful Chanson Triste - Round One - Charles Friant, Claire Croiza, Charles Panzéra



## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Henri Duparc had a small body of work, consisting mostly of fourteen songs some of which he also orchestrated. _Chanson riste _is one of my favourites and I prefer the version with just piano. This is round one, featuring a tenor, a mezzo and a baritone. The recording quality is not good in the earliest recording, but I hope you can get pas that.





*Charles Friant (1880 - 1947) Disque Gramophone, 4-32521, mx. BS 540-II, recorded 1922*





*Claire Croiza (1882-1946) - Columbia LF59*





*Charles Panzéra (1886-1976) Gramophone DA4808 recorded 1931*

Link to text and translation


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

I listened to the mezzo first, preferring female voices and it being beautifully sung thought I'll probably pick this one. Then I listened to the tenor and although the quality is poor his voice was lovely and interpretation very effecting and thought oh, maybe I'll pick this one instead. Then the baritone, another beautiful voice that sounds just right for the music and once again thought maybe this is my favourite... 

How are we supposed to choose between these three artists? I will have to listen again and more closely when I have the time. As of now its a three way tie. You've made this quite difficult!


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Unfortunately, the first recording is very difficult to hear given the noisy recording; of the others I prefer the female voice. So Croiza it is.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

MAS said:


> Unfortunately, the first recording is very difficult to hear given the noisy recording; of the others I prefer the female voice. So Croiza it is.


I know the sound quality of the Friant is dreadful, but if you manage to listen through all the surface noise, a rather beautiful performance will be revealed.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I know the sound quality of the Friant is dreadful, but if you manage to listen through all the surface noise, a rather beautiful performance will be revealed.


It all seemed very effortful and the tenor screaming…


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## Op.123 (Mar 25, 2013)

MAS said:


> It all seemed very effortful and the tenor screaming…


It's certainly not the best quality but I never got the impression of screaming. Maybe not a voice quite as beautiful as the other two but well produced with a rather endearing tone.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I couldn't hear the first one. The other two are as I expected and of top quality and totally unknown to me. I slightly favor the soprano but it is very close. Thanks for the contest. I love the sound of French being sung! French music is very different from other countries I find quite often and it is here. Beautiful song!


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Apologies for the poor recordings, but I wanted to go for a full range of periods. The next three will be better, I promise.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

This is a song I know very well as I've sung my itself quite a few times and can sing it now, in my head at least, without needing to consult the score. Many of today's singers take it far too slow and it's interesting to hear that these singers, all of whom would have been active whilst Duparc was still alive, take it at quite a flowing tempo.

One of the trickiest moments in the song is the _piano dolce_ Duparc requests on the high note at _mon amour_ in the second verse. All of the singers here pass that test and, no I didn't feel Friant was shouting. I also rather like his fast vibrato. Were it not for the awful recording, I'm sure people would appreciate his sensitive performance more.

I find it hard to choose between Croiza and Panzéra, as both singers are wonderfully attuned to the needs of the song and both have beautiful voices, but I'm leaning towards Panzéra who is one of my favourite singers of French song. He had such a lovely voice and was such a superb interpreter.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

I like the timbre of Friant's voice, but not the vibrato -- maybe I need to get used to it.

What Croiza does is lovely.

I thought there was something rather egotistical about Panzera, the strong and confident forward projection.

Thanks so much, Tsara, for preparing this.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Simultaneously on- and off-topic but this is a link to an 11 volume set of recordings that may be of use as a reference for future contests at some point - 



https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=L%27art+fran%C3%A7ais+du+chant%2C+Vol.+



There's a really nice vintage 1929 _Chanson triste _sung by soprano Ninon Vallin on Volume 10 -



Spoiler: Ninon Vallin - Chanson triste - (1929 Version)











For a search for a particular song from this set, type in - "L'art français du chant Vol. " (no volume number, just Vol.) followed by the song title...


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Henri Duparc had a small body of work, consisting mostly of fourteen songs some of which he also orchestrated. _Chanson riste _is one of my favourites and I prefer the version with just piano. This is round one, featuring a tenor, a mezzo and a baritone. The recording quality is not good in the earliest recording, but I hope you can get pas that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The first singer I had to eliminate due to the intollerable background noise, although his voice per se was beautiful for those few seconds I didn't stop the recording.

After I listened to the other two, I noticed your link to the lyrics, and spontaneously chose Charles Panzéra to lead me through the song for the second time, so I guess I like him better, although I usually choose the mezzo when in doubt. From the text, the song seems more likely male than female, too.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Shaughnessy said:


> Simultaneously on- and off-topic but this is a link to an 11 volume set of recordings that may be of use as a reference for future contests at some point -
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I wanted to include Vallin, who has recorded the song at least three times, twice with orchestra and once with piano. Unfortunately I couldn't find the piano accompanied version and, as I'd decided to restrict myself to only those with piano, I could not use her version.

The soprano in the next round is the one who introduced me to the song and hers is my favourite version.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

It may be only the recording that keeps me from putting Friant in first place, but since I can't be sure I'm happy to choose Panzera, who is really flawless. Croiza, a singer unknown to me, interprets the song most sensitively and sings well, but the voice itself doesn't especially appeal to me, and I have an inexplicable preference for baritones in this song. Maybe it's because I discovered the _chanson_ repertoire through Gerard Souzay.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> It may be only the recording that keeps me from putting Friant in first place, but since I can't be sure I'm happy to choose Panzera, who is really flawless. Croiza, a singer unknown to me, interprets the song most sensitively and sings well, but the voice iself doesn't especially appeal to me, and I have an inexplicable preference for baritones in this song. Maybe it's because I discovered the _chanson_ repertoire through Gerard Souzay.


I wish the Friant recording was in better sound. Listening to it is quite a trial, but I think you can just make out how fine the performance is. Still, I also voted fro Panzéra, although I actually prefer a soprano in the song, probably because Magge Teyte's wonderful version was the first I ever heard.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Tsaraslondon said:


> I wish the Friant recording was in better sound. Listening to it is quite a trial, but I think you can just make out how fine the performance is. Still, I also voted fro Panzéra, although I actually prefer a soprano in the song, probably because Magge Teyte's wonderful version was the first I ever heard.


Whoever put the Friant on YouTube must have run out of cactus needles and substituted something from their sewing kit. Or maybe an ice pick or steak knife.


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