Mady Mesplé is 80 today.
I know how well she sang the French 'repertoire'. Her sweet light coloratura voice has illustrated for ever André Messager 's'Véronique'or Reynaldo Hahn's Ciboulette.
She is my favourite Lakmé, as well as my favourite Leila in the Pearl Fishers.
She has sung Reynaldo Hahn melodies with the charm and poetry required, and is so moving. The way she makes sense on the sung words is the perfect illustration of 'the French touch' in the so called chant français.
Of course the younger generation of singers like Natalie Dessay, who studied under Mady Mesplé's guidance, is fantastic. But when I listen to them both through my favourite records, I always get more emotion and accuracy from Mady. Perhaps because she came first to me through my Mum's adoration!
She has always been an adorable person, very discreet and elegant. She is a tremendous musician, who can accompany herself on the piano. In the 60's I could not see her on the television shows when she sang with Luis Mariano simply because I was at boarding school and there was no television set at home!
Now I am catching up with youtube where there are several illustrations of that time.
Famous duet from Ciboulette which could be the happy summary of her marvellous musical journey, still busy!
"NOUS AVONS FAIT UN BEAU VOYAGE!"
Mady Mesple and Jose Van Dam, singing together, for ever young and beautiful in spite of the drawbacks of aging.
Mady Mesple has written a book about the Parkinson disease and is head of a foundation. She is very active in this field as well!
She has written a book about her life as a singer, her great loss and this disease and how to live through it.
La Voix du corps
I have so many of those wonderful recordings - the Gretry, Messager and Offenbach that she made for French EMI. I never had the joy of seeing her except in the audience at the Opera Comique one evening when Berganza-Domingo were doing Carmen. But even then she radiated "star power". Sadly hers is a voice type and school of singing that is almost lost and personally I don't find any of her students have recaptured it. Thank you for reminding me of this lovely person and this lovely voice.
ReplyDelete