Part III: Rare and unknown voices - HUGUES CUÉNOD

[joaopedro12]

light, brilliant, very happy to listen this

[anoxfordman]

i think we cannot consider cuénod as a rare or unknown singer, in fact, he was --and is-- a well known tenor since 50's; of course, always in secondary roles, but even so a great singer

[TrveMetalsubtitulado]

Where can I get the lyrics for this aria??

[100Singers]

@TrveMetalsubtitulado Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre, Au moindre signe je me tais, C'est tout comme si je chantais! ... Encore non, si je chantais, De ses mépris il lui faudrait rabattre. Je chante seul quelquefois; Mais chanter n'est pas commode! Tra la la! Tra la la! Ce n'est pourtant pas la voix Qui me fait défaut, je crois... Tra la la! Tra la la! Non! c'est la méthode. Dame! on n'a pas tout en partage. Je chante pitoyablement;

[100Singers]

@100Singers Mais je danse agréablement, Je me le dis sans compliment. Corbleu! la danse est à mon avantage, C'est là mon plus grand attrait, Et danser n'est pas commode. Tra la la! Tra la la! Il danse. Il s'arrête. Près des femmes le jarret N'est pas ce qui me nuirait. Tra la la! Tra la la! Il tombe. Non! c'est la méthode.

[TrveMetalsubtitulado]

@100Singers wow, thank you so much!! Now I can sing it!!

...actually I can't (so bad I am a bass/baritone) :P

Again, thank you!

[gmmix]

Many thanks for this posting. Very pleasing!

[CaptFitzbattleaxe]

The crazy thing is he recorded this when he was already 70! Talk about taking good care of your voice!

[nhcrama]

@CaptFitzbattleaxe Just like Gedda

[LordMgls]

RIP

[vocedivino]

He died yesterday, December 6th, 2010. RIP!

[ioSonoCallas]

@vocedivino Yes, it's exact!

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Bravo unforgettable Hugues and rest in peace.

[guirlandes3]

Here's a bit of interesting "trivia": Hugues Cuenod told me that Winston Churchill was his cousin. Also, for those unfamiliar with it, his autobiography, published only in French, "Un Diable d'un musicien" is a fascinating memoir and a most engaging read.

[guirlandes3]

I met the great Hugues Cuenod at Vevey around 1990. . He had just given a concert with other artists, including Barbara Hendricks and my friend and colleague, the pianist Dag Achatz,. .We enjoyed a late dinner afterwords, and he invited me to his home the next day. He and his sister were so generous and giving of their time and memories, and we shared a beautiful lunch. Asking him how a man of his age could still sing so beautifully, I told him is voice was like gold. "Old gold!" he said.

[chibura]

Oh my god! I love this voice.

[PenguinJockey]

Lovely performance, but what's going on at 0:57 - 1:00?

[100Singers]

@PenguinJockey This crack is part of the performance. In the opera, the servant Franz try to sing like a great opera tenor - and in the cadenza his voice cracks. This is a typically Offenbach humor-piece. Mike

[susuemikado]

Hugues Cuenod is my favorite kind of Singer in any genre with his unique, sweet, and unmannered voice. And a living History book as well. God bless you and your dear partner Mr Cuenod!...To have such a life you must have done something good :)

[basenjidiva]

I think this was absolutely beautiful... in every respect. Recently my ears have been so horribly punished by currently-performing tenors, who must be convinced that louder is better, that this thoughtfully gentle and beautifully sung (not screamed) rendition was as rewarding as finding an oasis in a desert! Little wonder that this tenor was well-loved; he displayed taste, excellent judgment, clear diction and splendid interpretive skill. Bravooooh!!!!!

[CharlotteinWeimar]

He sang every year at Glyndebourne in the 1950s-70s always in character parts. He knew how to make the most of the tiniest role & was loved as much within the company as by the audiences. His musicality,crystal clear diction & sense of fun made for irresistible performances. Imagine him in Orphee aux Enfers as John Styx, in a little black skirt with a gold key pattern round the hem, waving a feather duster & singing "Quand j'etais Roi de Beotie". Delicious & unforgettable. Great posting!

[90lysander]

Oooo, this is shaping up to be the most interesting series of 100 singers yet! And a good first choice, too. The unnamed critic's comments on Cuenod's Don Basilio are pretty near the mark - I remember listening to his recording under Vittorio Gui a couple years ago and being grateful for such a good interpretation of a role that is often massacred rather than sung.

[LordMgls]

This is our typical 'secondo tenore'. He hasn't certainly got the voice for a modern leading role, but is wonderful for a light 18th century or a secondo modern role. Wonderful timbre and complete voice, with a wonderful line. 100% beautiful sounds. I'm getting more to more convinced that I have to buy that Rosenkavalier recording. I didn't buy the Turandot because of that famous 'enigmi' C by Plácido and I had no other recording with Carreras. I hope I don't have to wait 100 years to buy them!

[LordMgls]

Just a question - has M Cuénod got any children? (I was wondering if he could be an accidental late castrato, but please don't cover me with down votes! :-S You see, it would have preserved further more than his young voice and prevent prostate cancer, etc. which could have given him more 50 years of life.)

[gabrieli1612]

@LordMgls No children but he did register a civil partnership when over one hundred!

[flaze3]

What an unusual voice! It`s great to hear older people singing so lyrically :)

[Amiduffer]

Welcome back. This looks like it's going to be a fun and informative series of singers.

[CatalinaDM56]

AMAZING! 108 this year...how fantastic.

[tenorvoicefan]

Ganz ehrlich? Ich mag die Stimme nicht.

Ich erkenne die hohe künstlerische Qualität, voller Charme und Esprit. Aber die Stimme selber berührt mich nicht, sie springt mich nicht an und umarmt mich!

Ich kann es nicht besser ausdrücken.

Künstlerisch jedoch finde ich es großartig. Aber was nützt das, wenn mir die Stimme einfach nicht gefällt?

[Ivanbelastegui]

What a charming performance!. Acording to the date of birth and recording he was 69 years old when he sang this. Impresive. I guess his voice sounded better when he was younger, but it seems he kept the acting and the expresiveness of his voice intact. Thanks for posting

[Fas6pa]

Aww, I love that he got a domestic partnership :) 100 years of waiting for that

[meltzerboy]

Welcome back, Mike! I was listening a few days ago to Hugues Cuenod on EdmundStAustell's channel. As I remarked then, Cuenod is a specialist in both ancient and modern works from Machaut to Berg, and has also sung everything in between. His solid musicianship, elegant phrasing, and secure technique, combined with a voice that can be beautiful, make him a musician's singer, who offers aesthetic pleasure on both an intellectual and an emotional level. Thanks for sharing this charming performance!

[sospello]

@meltzerboy Ciao. Yes interesting that so many of us were just commenting on Edmund's post of Cuénod uploaded a few days ago and I was trying to remember his age when he made his Altoum début at the Met. (I think he was 84) I knew him primarily from Monteverdi interpretations and was not much aware of any work in opera. BTW his Château de Lully in the Vaud has a nice description and photos on the Swiss tourist site for historic places. Happy 108th birthday to him soon.

[gondorado1]

Very funny, wonderful voice!!!!!!!!!