Pierre Bernac
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Erik Satie, Pierre Vellones, Charles-François Gounod, Francis Poulenc, Franz Liszt, (Marie Eugène) Henri Duparc, Claude Debussy, Louis Beydts, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, Robert Schumann, (Alexis-)Emmanuel Chabrier, Albert (Charles Paul Marie) Roussel, Darius Milhaud, (Amedée-)Ernest Chausson
Label: Testament
Magazine Review Date: 6/1999
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 238
Mastering:
Stereo
Mono
ADD
Catalogue Number: SBT3161
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Sérénade |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Soupir |
(Marie Eugène) Henri Duparc, Composer
(Marie Eugène) Henri Duparc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (L')Invitation au voyage |
(Marie Eugène) Henri Duparc, Composer
(Marie Eugène) Henri Duparc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (L')île heureuse |
(Alexis-)Emmanuel Chabrier, Composer
(Alexis-)Emmanuel Chabrier, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (7) Mélodies, Movement: No. 7, Le colibri (wds. Leconte de Lisle) |
(Amedée-)Ernest Chausson, Composer
(Amedée-)Ernest Chausson, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (4) Poèmes, Movement: Le jardin mouillé |
Albert (Charles Paul Marie) Roussel, Composer
Albert (Charles Paul Marie) Roussel, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (2) Mélodies, Movement: Coeur en péril |
Albert (Charles Paul Marie) Roussel, Composer
Albert (Charles Paul Marie) Roussel, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (5) Lieder und Gesänge, Movement: No. 2, Dein Angesicht (wds. Heine) |
Robert Schumann, Composer
Gerald Moore, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone Robert Schumann, Composer |
| Dichterliebe |
Robert Schumann, Composer
Gerald Moore, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone Robert Schumann, Composer |
| Freudvoll und leidvoll |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Es muss ein Wunderbares sein |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Ihr Auge (Nimm einen Strahl der Sonne) |
Franz Liszt, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Franz Liszt, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (4) Poèmes de Léo Latil, Movement: La tourterelle |
Darius Milhaud, Composer
Darius Milhaud, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| A mon fils |
Pierre Vellones, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone Pierre Vellones, Composer |
| (La) Lyre et les Amours |
Louis Beydts, Composer
(Anonymous) Orchestra Louis Beydts, Composer Louis Beydts, Conductor Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Songs, Movement: No. 1, Après un rêve (wds. anon, trans Bussine |
Gabriel Fauré, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Gabriel Fauré, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Songs, Movement: No. 3, Le secret (wds. Silvestre: 1880-81) |
Gabriel Fauré, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Gabriel Fauré, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (4) Songs, Movement: No. 1, Aurore (wds. Silvestre) |
Gabriel Fauré, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Gabriel Fauré, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (2) Songs, Movement: Prison (wds. P. Verlaine) |
Gabriel Fauré, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Gabriel Fauré, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Mirages, Movement: Jardin nocturne |
Gabriel Fauré, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Gabriel Fauré, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Chansons de France |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Claude Debussy, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Fêtes galantes, Set 2, Movement: Colloque sentimental |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Claude Debussy, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Ballades de François Villon |
Claude Debussy, Composer
Claude Debussy, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Mélodies, Movement: La statue de bronze (Wds. Fargue) |
Erik Satie, Composer
Erik Satie, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Mélodies, Movement: Le chapelier (Wds. Chalput) |
Erik Satie, Composer
Erik Satie, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Don Quichotte à Dulcinée |
Maurice Ravel, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Maurice Ravel, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Chansons gaillardes, Movement: Invocation aux parques |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Chansons gaillardes, Movement: La belle jeunesse |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (3) Métamorphoses |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée, 'Book of B, Movement: Le dromadaire |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée, 'Book of B, Movement: La chèvre du Thibet |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée, 'Book of B, Movement: La sauterelle |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée, 'Book of B, Movement: Le dauphin |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Bestiaire ou Cortège d'Orphée, 'Book of B, Movement: L'écrevisse |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Montparnasse |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (2) Poèmes de Louis Aragon |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Tel jour, telle nuit |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Ce que je suis sans toi |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Au printemps |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (6) Mélodies, Movement: Venise (wds A Musset) |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Prière |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Chanson de printemps |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (L') Absent |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Viens! Les gazons sont verts! |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Envoi de fleurs |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| Mignon |
Charles-François Gounod, Composer
Charles-François Gounod, Composer Francis Poulenc, Piano Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (Le) Travail du peintre |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Piano Francis Poulenc, Composer Pierre Bernac, Baritone |
| (L')Histoire de Babar, 'Babar the Elephant' |
Francis Poulenc, Composer
Francis Poulenc, Composer Graham Johnson, Piano Pierre Bernac, Wheel of Fortune Woman |
Author:
While they were both at the Salzburg Festival in 1934, Pierre Bernac wrote a three-line note to Francis Poulenc: ‘I have been asked to sing some Debussy in three days’ time. Would you agree to accompany me? Handsome fee, give me your reply quickly.’ Thus, on the spur of the moment, began a partnership in song that was to last for 25 years. Together Bernac and Poulenc built up a repertory, based on Poulenc’s own songs, but exploring the works of the great French songwriters and occasionally dipping into the Lied.
Bernac’s voice had such an individual beautiful sound, even though it was not especially full or sensuous. His palette of vocal colours was vast, within such a limited range of volume. He had in common with the greatest recitalists the ability to make every word seem new. Once you have heard Bernac, either in the ghostly drama of Debussy’s Colloque sentimental or the ephemeral charm of Chabrier’sL’ile heureuse, it’s very difficult to imagine it being done better. I don’t think he ever used a spoken effect, it is all sung, but his genius lay partly in the complete fusion of music and words that he achieved so that certain phrases have such verbal clarity that one hears them as if spoken in a play.
Most of the recordings on this set were previously available on three LPs issued in the 1980s by The Friends of Pierre Bernac (10/85), and once again they have contributed to this larger-scale survey. The BBC recital of songs by Gounod is particularly charming, and Bernac’s reading ofL’histoire de Babar with the young Graham Johnson at the piano is one of the best versions. The title given to these CDs, ‘The Essential Pierre Bernac’ is a bit optimistic – anyone who knows Bernac’s and Poulenc’s recordings made for American Columbia in the early 1950s and for Vega-Ades later will be able to make a list of extra ‘essentials’.
Bernac recorded Dichterliebe with Robert Casadesus for CBS – a performance and recording greeted at the time with rapture by Poulenc. This earlier version with Gerald Moore seems not to have been issued, though Bernac was in excellent voice. Even as early as 1952 Poulenc was writing ‘we are entering the autumn of our association – we must at all costs avoid the winter.’ His last great song-cycle written for Bernac was Le travail du peintre, songs based on Paul Eluard’s evocation of the work of seven contemporary painters. The BBC recording here was made just after they performed it for the first time at the Edinburgh Festival in 1957. Bernac’s voice is nearer the microphone than in the later studio recording on Ades (8/90). There isn’t a lot to choose between the two; Bernac has lost nothing in his way with phrasing and words, even though there is more of a ‘loose’ sound about the voice, verging on a wobble. This third CD ends with an interview, recorded in 1977, with Graham Johnson asking the grand old man to talk about his career. It’s delightful: his English is wellnigh perfect, spoken with that mixture of courtesy and irony which seem to sum up his character.
Texts and translations are included but there is no note about the composers so those unfamiliar with the names of Louis Beydts (1895-1953) and Pierre Vellones (1889-1939) may like to know that the former, whose output included several operettas, was a pupil of Messager, and the latter, a painter as well as a composer, wrote a concerto for saxophone.PO’C
Bernac’s voice had such an individual beautiful sound, even though it was not especially full or sensuous. His palette of vocal colours was vast, within such a limited range of volume. He had in common with the greatest recitalists the ability to make every word seem new. Once you have heard Bernac, either in the ghostly drama of Debussy’s Colloque sentimental or the ephemeral charm of Chabrier’s
Most of the recordings on this set were previously available on three LPs issued in the 1980s by The Friends of Pierre Bernac (10/85), and once again they have contributed to this larger-scale survey. The BBC recital of songs by Gounod is particularly charming, and Bernac’s reading of
Bernac recorded Dichterliebe with Robert Casadesus for CBS – a performance and recording greeted at the time with rapture by Poulenc. This earlier version with Gerald Moore seems not to have been issued, though Bernac was in excellent voice. Even as early as 1952 Poulenc was writing ‘we are entering the autumn of our association – we must at all costs avoid the winter.’ His last great song-cycle written for Bernac was Le travail du peintre, songs based on Paul Eluard’s evocation of the work of seven contemporary painters. The BBC recording here was made just after they performed it for the first time at the Edinburgh Festival in 1957. Bernac’s voice is nearer the microphone than in the later studio recording on Ades (8/90). There isn’t a lot to choose between the two; Bernac has lost nothing in his way with phrasing and words, even though there is more of a ‘loose’ sound about the voice, verging on a wobble. This third CD ends with an interview, recorded in 1977, with Graham Johnson asking the grand old man to talk about his career. It’s delightful: his English is wellnigh perfect, spoken with that mixture of courtesy and irony which seem to sum up his character.
Texts and translations are included but there is no note about the composers so those unfamiliar with the names of Louis Beydts (1895-1953) and Pierre Vellones (1889-1939) may like to know that the former, whose output included several operettas, was a pupil of Messager, and the latter, a painter as well as a composer, wrote a concerto for saxophone.
Pierre Bernac
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