Gabriel Fauré: "Les berceaux" (Cradles), Op. 23, No. 1 Souzay

[GeminiStarSpirit]

This is going to help me so much! I love this

[Caramellatta]

Everything about this video is absolutely gorgeous, except for Comic Sans. 

[Babaromignono]

Parfait. Cette chanson de G.Fauré, apparemment très difficile à chanter est ici magnifiquement interprétée. Les images sont également superbes. Bravo.

[manthasagittarius]

Perfect performance. Such a song of the heart.

I might suggest "Tentent les horizons qui leurrent" to mean "Try (or attempt) the deceptive horizons." "Leurrer" means something like: to lure with false promises.

[pjsrsnazzy]

@manthasagittarius i got a literal translation of this (i'm singing it for my voice professor) and this line says "attempt the horizons that entice them" in the one i got from IPA.

[manthasagittarius]

@pjsrsnazzy That's quite a bit closer, I think. Although there are several words that you could use to gloss "leurrent" -- lure is one, entice is certainly the right sense. But it does matter -- the idea that men will go far and wide seeking things that turn out to be false, but home truths, simple and profound, will always be at the back of their minds.

[LaViolinista007]

Stunning! I loved it :D Thank you for making my day. 

[BuckieBear]

Absolutely beautiful video with absolutely beautiful soundtrack! Thanks!

[GosfordAbercrombie]

mesmerizing!!!!!

[KriBlackRoson]

bellizimo xD

[tychaton08]

Merci

[kolibet]

beautiful ! fauré, souzay, baldwin - and the pictures - very sensitive choice - i find particuliarly relevant berthe morisot's "berceau", with its veils hanging around the baby, when the song is about the ships being retained, in their leaving, by the "soul of the craddles" (btw, the translation of the poem is very good, seems to me -you sure offer us a treat !)

[Caramellatta]

So gorgeous. I've been long looking for a version of Les Berceaux that doesn't disappoint, and this is it for me. It's the perfect balance between emotion and clarity, with such sensitivity for the words. Faure is always about the words; melody, harmony and dynamics are all in service of the meaning. They tell a story. When, as often happens, the meaning is secondary to the performance, the song is never done justice.

[Darshada]

Cette musique est superbe...

[difference505]

C'est magnifiquement chanté, avec toute la retenue nécessaire au contexte de la chanson. Très émouvant.

[iNAYtheNachoGirl]

Thank you so much for uploading this. Both myself and my choir director are not strong in French at all and this song gave me all the pronunciations and vowels I needed! I'm singing this song for ISSMA, a vocal/instrumental competition.

[lornabegbie]

Beautifully presented, thank you!

[tartylov]

interpretation magistrale !!!

et chapeau pour l'animation !

[STAGEAxkakifly]

Bravo! Molto bene!!

[STAGEAxkakifly]

Bravo!

[STAGEAxkakifly]

Bravo!!!!!

[BuckieBear]

This is not only a beautiful song, beautifully sung and recorded, but I love how you presented it--what a beautiful video you've created! I love how you begin with the picture of a boat in the sunset (with the illusion of a page turning) moving to the vintage paintings of sailboats, alternating with mothers lovingly caring for babies in their cradles, illustrating the words perfectly. And thanks for presenting the words in both French and English onscreen (as well as credits). Many thanks!

[BuckieBear]

Also meant to menton how you 'panned' the pictures (moving across the paintings in such a way that the boats seem to be moving)!

[NicGeoffProductions]

Brilliant!

[moyneugo8]

Brillant recording. Superb!!

[billyguns2]

This is the great Gerard Souzay in his glorious prime. Nobody ever captured the atmosphere of the French Chanson quite as he was able to do; this is glorious music making. Kudos to Dalton Baldwin as well, surely the greatest collaboratzor a singer could ever have. Please give us much more Souay/Baldwin, perhaps some Debussy?

[FiDiTanzer528]

I may upload more Sousay/Baldwin in the New Year. Strangely enough I don't have him singing any Debussy. In this boxed set of his early performances of French Melodie, not one by Debussy.

[tedly10027]

@billyguns2 such beautiful singing! as a pianist myself that worked with plenty of singers and in these art songs and although not french myself always thought that the language is best SUNG when the well-known "nasality" is tempered somewhat..at least I also remember a french teacher I worked with say it's often a misconception french HAS to be as "nasal" as many singers show. Souzay exemplifies that "happy compromise" ... it has fullness and warmth of "bel canto" - yet very Gallic..

[543johnson]

What album is this from? It can't be the EMI recording with Souzay, Elly Ameling, and Dalton Baldwin!! That F sounds much fuller and warmer than what I'm used to hearing...

[FiDiTanzer528]

No, not the EMI. This is from a 4 disc set on Phillips: Gerard Souzay: The Early Years-Melodies Francaises with Dalton Baldwin. The recordings were made from 1960 to 1963. I don't think it's available any longer but you could probably find a used copy for sale.

[halakar]

@543johnson You can find it on iTunes in the Faure Melodies album.

[argian1]

This is truly a beautiful song, sung with such legato lines. I will now look to see if I can get the welsh words to the song, however it will not come anywhere near the elegant french version. I am also going to use this in a recital, in frenc of course. Just needed the welsh words since it is my first spoke language. Brilliant recording.

[argian1]

I have been looking for a recording of this for quite a while. This is truly the best I have come across. Beautiful voice and phrases just flowed. Video potraid the mood so well. I shall now learn this wonderful song for a recital I have in October Magnifiqe!

[FiDiTanzer528]

Truly a gorgeous song. Thanks for commenting and best wishes on your recital.

[organdude44]

Magnifique!

[DesAbends]

Truly moving, music and video! 5/5!

[imusiciki]

I have always admired Faure`s works, and this is a great piece to brighten up my day. Thank you Karen!

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thanks, Amy. It is a lovely song. Glad I could brighten someone's day. :)

[foxtrottango2]

Faure's melodies almost always mirror flawlessly the subject of the song, and this is no exception. Beautifully sung and accompanied. Well-coordinated pictures and a good translation. Thank you for posting.

[mdehkram]

Thanks. Brings memories to my mind of my accompanying this song for singers when I was in college. Souzay's performance of Schumann's Stille Traenen is also very good.

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you! Merci!

[einalemland]

Très beau montage, merci !

J'écoute toujours Gérard Souzay avec beaucoup d'émotions. C'est définitivement mon interprète préféré de Mélodies françaises.

[Glenmed]

A delightful appreciation of the "chanson" to go with all the "Lied" lessons. Thanks Karen, there is a lot to savour in all you do.

[FiDiTanzer528]

Thank you Barry. You know I have to do something every now and then for a change of pace. Still with a lyric baritone though. :)

[megansspark]

lovely, and the effects made me forget these were still images.. flowing, moving, in perfect time. Thanks Karen!

[FiDiTanzer528]

I love this song and have been singing it to myself all week. :) Love the idea of the rocking of the ships versus the cradle. Still exploring the French repertoire so there will be more sometime.