# Henri Duparc



## Sid James

I've recently become acquainted with some of *Henri Duparc's *(1848-1933) songs, as sung by Kiri Te Kanawa. I especially like _Au Pays où se fait la guerre_, which is about a woman longing for her lover who has gone to war. Will he ever come back? I also like _L'Invitation au voyage _with it's rippling, ebbing and flowing accompaniment.

There is strong emotion expressed in these songs, but it's much more understated than in Berlioz, Wagner or Richard Strauss. The impressionistic and nuanced accompaniment seems to anticipate composers like Debussy & Ravel. His songs almost sound Twentieth Century, although they were written in the final decades of the Nineteenth. Unfortuantely, due to illness and severe self-criticism, his output was very small. However, judging from these songs, it must all be of a high quality.

Here is an extract from the bio on Wikipedia:

Duparc was born in Paris. He studied piano with César Franck at the Jesuit College in the Vaugirard district and became one of his first composition pupils. Following military service in the Franco-Prussian War, he married Ellen MacSwinney, from Scotland, on November 9, 1871. In the same year, he joined with Saint-Saëns and Romain Bussine to found the Société Nationale de Musique Moderne.

Duparc is best known for his seventeen mélodies ("art songs") with texts by poets such as Baudelaire, Gautier, Leconte de Lisle, and Goethe. These pieces are considered by many to be among the greatest compositions by any composer in this form.

A mental illness, called "neurasthenia", caused him to abruptly cease composing at age 37, in 1885. He devoted himself to his family and his other passions, drawing and painting. However, he began losing his vision after the turn of the century, which eventually led to complete blindness. He destroyed most of his music, leaving fewer than 40 works to posterity.


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## StlukesguildOhio

I've had his songs on my wish list for some time. As a huge fan of French _chanson _or _melodies_ (Faure, Ravel, Chausson, Debussy, etc...) his work is certainly something I must eventually get.


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## xuantu

Have you guys explored more of Duparc's songs and finally placed him in your collection? Well, hesitate no more.

Henri Duparc is among the finest _Mélodie_ (French art song) composers that ever lived. He left us with only 17 songs, and yet at least 12 of them are fairly well-established in the repertoire. The famous setting of Baudelaire's _L'invitation au voyage_ is considered by many to be the quintessential French Mélodie. It is a highly concentrated image of a very personal seashore landscape, full of mysterious colors, intimate and majestic at the same time. The poet/composer mingled the looks of his beloved one with the natural beauty and tried to convince us that this is the perfect place to build a "dream house", in which both unquestionably succeeded. The other Baudelaire song _La vie antérieure_, however, is a revisit to the protagonist's "previous existence", a life that's luxury but sick. The music starts with serene articulations, and then fervent waves "roll in", reaching a culmination of emotions which is eventually replaced by a peaceful sinking motion. There is also an ironic _Le manoir de Rosamonde_ filled with vigor and hate, an airy _Soupir_ that vividly illustrates a quiet but deadly infatuation, an operatic _La vague et la cloche_, a soothing _Chanson triste_ and an _Elégie_ that's marked by its composure and grace. And who could resist the meltingly loving _Phidylé_, where a man is waiting for his love from his flourishing youth to his twilight days. (For detailed descriptions of these songs, please refer to Graham Johnson's excellent book, _A French Song Companion_.) Unlike the late Fauré, Duparc was no "modernist"; Romanticism dominated his rather short composing career (already explained in the original post). Nevertheless, his works are rich in creativity and strong in breadth. They are truly remarkable testaments to the marriage between words (here in the French language) and music.

I have listened to many recordings of these musical gems, however, I have but four major recommendations that I would like to mention here. Let me start with the one easiest to be found at the moment, the _Hyperion_ version made by Sarah Walker (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Allen (baritone) and Roger Vignoles (piano). It features all the 17 Duparc songs and the program is very well-devised--the songs are put into a very comfortable sequence (with the two Baudelaire settings at two ends and the more obscure numbers in the middle) and the two singers take turns in the program (only unite in the duet _La Fuite_). Most importantly, both singers and their pianist know exactly how to create momentum across the disc; there is no self-indulgence and thus no distractions anywhere in their renditions, which set their product apart from the more recent effort of Canadian forces (Gerald Finley, Catherine Robbin and Stephen Ralls).

French songs are widely-known for their delicacy and fragility, making this repertoire a somewhat exclusive playground for Francophone singers. My first choice of Duparc songs is the complete edition issued by the now demised _REM_ label. The French baritone François Le Roux (a phenomenal Pelléas he was) is in top form here. His interpretations are ever so fresh, elevating, ardent and seductive. He is everything that Pierre Bernac demands in this type of music and he is effectively aided by the clear and accurate pianism of Jeff Cohen (soprano Danielle Borst contributes to two female songs and the female part in the duet). The Belgian bass-baritone José van Dam is also an art-song veteran. His treatment of these songs can only be described as engaging and masterful. The pianist on this _Forlane_ complete edition is the magical Maciej Pikulski (soprano Florence Bonnafous plays a similar role here as Danielle Borst for the REM issue). The last on my short list is the _naïve_ edition sung by the Dutch baritone Bernard Kruysen, another French song specialist. He may not have the warm, supple voice of a Gérard Souzay, but his understanding of Duparc is second to none and his approach here is heart-wrenchingly sympathetic. Although this version does not contain four of the less known songs, it is completed with Noël Lee's impassioned accompaniment and would grace any art-song collection (soprano Danielle Galland sings the only female song on this album, _Au pays où se fait la guerre_). These three versions not only demonstrate how French diction is to be done, each manages to reveal the diverse characters of Duparc songs. Unfortunately, none of them is readily available in the market now, for which I urge you to invest whenever a used copy should appear. You will find these discs immensely rewarding.

It may be true that art song as a genre is not ambitious enough for many music lovers, but trust me, these Duparc songs are by no means meager offerings.


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## Air

Wow, thanks for the very informative and interesting post, xuantu. You certainly have got _me_ intrigued...


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## science

Is that short list of songs the complete Duparc?


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## ptr

I'm no expert on songs, but I find the Philips box with Gerard Souzay called "The Early Years - French Melodies" a constant joy, Souzay is one of the finest baritones of recorded history!

/ptr


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## joen_cph

Concerning Duparc´s instrumenal music, it may be of interest that besides the symphonic poem _Lenore_, another one, _Aux Etoiles_, has also been recorded; this likewise applies to his rather short _Cello Sonata_.

As regards the songs arranged for vocal soloist and orchestra, Stokowski arranged _Extase_ for orchestra alone.


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## StlukesguildOhio

When it comes to Duparc's Mélodies, Gérard Souzay is essential.


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## Grizzled Ghost

After listening to samples for a while, I went with this one:









Paul Groves on Naxos. Great price, great sound quality, and according to some reviews Paul Groves really nails these songs.

Were I to get a second disc with these songs sung by a soprano, I would probably get this one:









Michele Losier also sounds great here. Plus I like the Fuga Libera label!

Looking forward to getting to know these songs better! First impressions suggest all the superlatives are merited.


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## JosefinaHW

Gerald Finley, _Invitation au Voyage_ Playlist

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kUmT5fCC4Wo9kRRc4nv2BrdbwncZGXxuE


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## wkasimer

Any Duparc collection needs to start with Leopold Simoneau's recording that was issued in the US on Westminster:









It was issued on CD by a pirate label with a poor transfer, but it's also available in this collection:









This is OOP, but it's still possible to find a copy at a reasonable price - in fact, it's still available from Berkshire Record Outlet for about half of the original price. Souzay's recordings are excellent, as are those of several other singers, especially Finley, but Simoneau's are irreplaceable. I've also heard excellent recordings of essentially complete Duparc by Camille Maurane and Bernard Kruysen. Jacques Herbillon's are supposed to be good as well, although I haven't heard them (I see they're available on Spotify, though).


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## Josquin13

I enjoy the orchestral versions of Duparc's songs, as sung by Dame Janet Baker, with the LSO:









https://www.amazon.com/Ravel-Sheher...sr=1-1-fkmr0&keywords=dame+janet+baker+duparc

"L'invitation au voyage" and "Extase" are my two favorite songs by Duparc. Mezzo-soprano Sarah Walker sings "Extase" very beautifully on her record with pianist Roger Vignoles: https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-songs-of-henri-duparc-mw0001939121. So too does Régine Crespin, in a live recital:






Another great favorite of mine in Extase & other songs by Duparc is French soprano Véronique Dietschy, who has recorded an excellent, somewhat 'off the radar' album on the Ades label, with pianist Emmanuel Strosser. But unfortunately it's OOP--unless you download: https://www.amazon.fr/Mélodies-Henr...488&sr=1-2&keywords=Veronique+Dietschy+duparc. By the way, Dietschy's Debussy & Faure songs are also first rate--over the years, she has become one of my favorite singers of French mélodies. Plus, being native born, she handles the French language & meaning of the words exceptionally well.

Elly Ameling is excellent in Duparc too, & another great favorite in the French repertory:










Victoria de los Angeles is yet another soprano that sings this repertory more masterfully than others, in my estimation:






https://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Ang...r=1-1&keywords=victoria+de+los+angeles+duparc
https://www.amazon.com/Melodies-Rav...r=1-4&keywords=victoria+de+los+angeles+duparc

Historically, Dame Maggie Teyte's Duparc recordings are worth hearing, as well:










As for male singers, I agree with Xuantu that French baritone François Le Roux and Dutch baritone Bernard Kruysen (accompanied by the wonderful & very underrated pianist Noël Lee) are worth hearing. Gerard Souzay too. (I've not heard Simoneau, but will try to.)






Stéphane Degout is another French baritone that is very good in this music--on his recording, "Mélodies Francaise", with pianist Hélène Lucas:

















https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNQ6HH5/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

My two cents.


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## wkasimer

Josquin13 said:


> (I've not heard Simoneau, but will try to.).


If you have access to Spotify, the DG Original Masters set is there.


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