Max DeFrancesco, "C." (Francis Poulenc)

This video was taken in November 2009 at my Junior Recital for my performance degree at Montclair State University. I was 21 years old and was in my fifth semester of voice study under Dr. Stephen Oosting. The venue was at Union Congregational Church in Montclair, New Jersey. My lovely accompanist on piano was Mary Pinto.

Probably one of my favorite French art songs. This is the second recording of "C." that I have up on youtube, and hopefully there have been some improvements the the year since. :D


C.

I have crossed the bridges of Cé
It was there that it all began
A song of times past
Speaks of a wounded knight
Of a rose upon the road
And of a bodice unlaced
Of the castle of a mad duke
And of swans in its moats
Of the meadow where will dance
An eternal fiancée
And like cold milk I drink
The long lay of false glories
The Loire carries off my thoughts
Along with the overturned cars
And the defused weapons
And the tears not rubbed away
Oh my France, oh my abandoned one
I have crossed the bridges of Cé.

tr. Shawn Thuris

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Max
• DeFrancesco
• Singing
• Tenor
• Recital
• C.
• Poulenc
• Classical

[Donello]

You definitely should take some French lessons: there are some very gross pronunciation mistakes which could have been easily avoided.

Please don't overinterprete, as in "le château d'un duc insensé": in this piece it's more important to get the overall mood and to add fine hues. No phrase should stick out that much.

[LastManSinging]

woah.. max i had no idea you had a youtube channel haha! i literally was going through music to practice and i found you! lol. nice job btw!

[The1Claire]

Max. Bravo! May I suggest that you watch/listen to Hugues Cuenod's YouTube recording of this; it may not be vocally to your taste but (as you would expect from a French native) his enunciation and pronunciation are wonderful and his calm delivery really captures the wistful sadness of this beautiful poem. You have a good presence to match your voice so you should try to 'do less'; gestures may distract the listener. Stand still and let us read the story in your eyes. BTW 'les' Ponts de Ce. Bravo