I know I have so many posts to try to write for my own sake! (mainly to keep my diary and clarify my emotions about: the two Salzburg performances, Don Giovanni and The Makropulos Affair, then two other performances last week-end in Brussels, the amazing King Roger and the stunning Médée... in Krzysztof Warlikowski's production for the last one, plus the daring Damnation de Faust in Nice just for the sake of seeing Samuel Ramey in his favourite role and listen to Berlioz live with an unexpected Faust sung by Charles Castronovo! (such a delight really).
But when I arrived from Nice ( it is only a bus ride but takes some time) I had the news of the death of a singer I loved when I was studying quite hard. In those days, she was the only artist I saw on stage in Aix in a cabaret recital. I found the money to buy a ticket( I used to go to the cinema a lot, that was quite cheap with students' reductions.)
I knew her songs by heart because she sang Aragon'Prévert et Kosma' mainly and I was fond of them, it was easy to remember and she seemed to be singing from her heart all the time. She was what we refer to as 'chanteuse de caractère' I think, coming from the Fréhel tradition, and of course there is the well-known Juliette Gréco in this family of popular singers. Cora was more discreet somehow and I loved her more. I still love her a lot.
When she sang in the Rex on the Cours Mirabeau, I was so elated to see her. It must have been in 65 or so. My favourite song has always been "La rue s'allume" an unforgettable slow waltz:LINK
'Pourquoi ce soir ne puis-je supporter
l'odeur des roses" (Why, tonight can't I stand the perfume of roses?) There is 'le Bal chez temporel' which has its great seduction too, and the words always in my memory.LINK
Culture box, cora vaucaire tire sa révérence. (she bows out)
My goodness Yvette - you do get about a lot! So many wonderful things you are able to travel to.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that one of your favourite singers from your youth has passed on. Did you ever get to see Barbara?
Thank you Eyes for keeping in touch! I travel quite a lot by periods because I fairly well know it won't last! But I always travel cheap... sometimes even uncomfortable because I do not care about these things! I even discovered Venice by Eurolines not long ago and I will do the same for Munich in May if my ticket reservation goes through...(It is 81€ return ticket, two nights on the bus). I never saw Barbara although I am very fond of her voice and songs. She was an amazing musician, pianist. I was very busy working like all of us and only now I have plenty of time and money to fulfill my dreams...on a shoe string! When I go to your page I wonder about all the time I need to listen to your links.. very attractive always. I listened to Vesselina and Weber.
ReplyDeleteHope you had a nice relaxing time in Hay on Wye. We once rented a caravan on a farm there and listened to the best woodpeckers in the world, same with the famous bookshop, the best ...