Part II - Your Favorites: REGINE CRESPIN

THIS PART IS FOR YOUR FAVORITES! Please discuss this artist with your comments!

Regine Crespin, Soprano (1927-2007)

Francis Poulenc - Dialogues des Carmélites
Mes filles, voilà que s´achève notre premiere nuit de prison
With Janine Fourrier, Contralto
(Recorded 1958)

My personal opinion: You live and learn! I´ve never expected Regine Crespin in a voting-position higher than Freni or Simionato (with 55 votings up to position 13!), C´est la vie! Here are two YouTube comments, maybe explaining why she´s so high nominated: "The french Tebaldi" and "Merveilleux! Cette dame est la gloire absolute du chant francais!" It was Ulrich Schreiber,who wrote: "It speaks for the great artist, that she waives primarily sensuous attraction. In her singing of art songs there is no attitude attraction, the music itself comes up." Another critic explained the so-called french style of singing with the adjectives of grace, charm, ease and elegance - and summed, that the most important french soprano actually wasn´t a "french" soprano at all (in the tradition of Calvé and Lubin). In the repertory of Ms. Crespin, french composers just as Lully, Rameau, Gluck, Berlioz, Gounod, Massenet , Hahn or Messager are underrepresented. When Crespin rose up in the international upper-league, her roles were Marschallin, Elsa, Tosca, Kundry, Sieglinde and other dramatic and spinto parts. Her studio-Carmen (which french soprano could do without it?) was recorded in 1974 with Gilbert Py as Don José. It was a commercial concession, Crespin was age 47. Jens Malte Fischer cursed one of the dullest decisions, when Karajan gave Crespin in 1967 Brünnhilde for his Salzburg performances of "Walküre". Fischer: "Crespin wasn´t a dramatic soprano at all. She was a true lyrical soprano. The upper register was small and rapidly increasing crisp!" And another critic recognized already in 1971 "the dramatic consequences". However: Her singing was that of a "Grande Dame" - stylish noble with "Grandeur".
Regine Crespin had a long association with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, making over 125 appearances at that house between 1962 and 1987. She retired from the stage in 1989. Here she is with the moving scene from Act III of Poulenc´s "Les dialogues des Carmelites" in which she´s trying to give hope for her band of nuns who face going to the guillotine.

THE COMPLETE OVERVIEW: GO TO ALL SINGERS IN THIS LIST
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBsScnQWVlU

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Regine
• Crespin
• Francis
• Poulenc
• Richard
• Wagner
• French
• German
• Opera
• Strauss
• Puccini
• Verdi

[bramoditrionfar]

This shows only one side of her - there's her Wagner side, her Berlioz side, her Offenbach side, her mélodie side - such a wonderful artist!

[Raggedy9]

The voice was huge when heard in person. The timbre is unique: I would describe it as having a copper sheen. Heard her Didon in Boston in the early 70s--how lucky I am! One of the greatest performances I have ever heard of any role.

[alainregine]

Comment peut-on oublier ce timbre magnifique. Cette façon de chanter unique. Incomparable. Il y a un je-ne-sais-quoi de surnaturel et profondément humain à la fois.

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Glad to say I did hear her live several times. A glorious singer with a sumptuous voice. Her fabulous delivery of French has a relaxed, almost insouciant, quality which it seems is impossible for non-native speakers to emulate.

[Iareto]

This is a beautiful instrument (at least in my opinion). I think she sounds wonderful.

[ah332]

oh goodness, she is just marvelous!

has anyone heard her sing lieder and melodie? it's breath-taking!

[astrasburgo]

die " live" aufnahmen von Crespin sind viel besser , glaube ich auf jedem fall war Crespin eine typische Falcon , zwischen mezzo und sopran.

[astrasburgo]

" viele franzose abgestimmt" na ja!!!!! Crespin war eine super sängerin !!! ich habe sie auf der bühne gesehen .... das war einmalig!

[FarfalloneAmoroso]

Merveilleux indeed... These voters keep surprising me.

[contrafagot]

Una delle mie opere favorite!!!

E poi con la voce meravigliosa di Regine Crespin... fantastico