A great pleasure to be in this intimate atmosphere created by the beautiful sound of the guitar playing Villa Lobos! A distinguished player too : Liat Cohen, who gave us two insights into H. Villa -Lobos world: the famous n°2 prelude in E major and n°8 etude. But virtuosity was at its best with an interpretation of the popular Tico Tico!( end part of the concert!)
Then came the three singers, a top soprano who has decided to sing other types of music than Opera: Natalie Dessay. An actress, singer (mezzo-soprano) as well as film maker: Agnès Jaoui. A singer, writer, who is the only lusitanian native speaker in the trio: Helene Noguerra.
They mainly sang brazilian songs, some translated into French and adapted by Claude Nougaro. Natalie Dessay was a friend of his and still keeps singing songs she loves from him (the blue note )
The first part of the concert was dedicated to Villa -Lobos who found support in France.
He wrote a song on Jean de la Fontaine 'l'oiseau blessé' sung by Natalie Dessay, then she went on to the high tops of the Bachiana Brasileira n°5 which I once heard sung beautifully at an outdoor concert by Joan Baez.(and still prefered it sung 'folk' like Joan did!).
All the rhythms, samba, bossa-nova were dream like and the special 'saudade' both in words and music was best expressed by Helene Noguerra, the part I enjoyed most.
The audience rejoiced at the songs adapted by Claude Nougaro, and G. Moustaky. The song 'Bidonville' with the line "Donne moi la main camarade..." is always moving.
Sung by them in special harmonisation, aroused cheers from the audience (an encore, as well).
When Agnès Jaoui was chatting with us while Liat was tunning(alternating two guitars ), the opera house had suddenly a cabaret atmosphere!
This easy going, warm atmosphere, combined to the rhythms were part of the success of that night.
The music and singing had the taste of ripe exotic fruit, the swaying of the waves and palms, the depth of sorrow... I simply loved this moment spent at my favourite opera house!
Somehow when Natalie Dessay gave her 'bow' to the Opera, I knew she will be up to big surprises...even doing scat on Bebe (Pascual) with great skills like she did....
(songs from Antonio Carlos Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, Baden Powell , Hermeto Pascual. )
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