This new mini-series (three in total) of uploads is dedicated to something of a most pleasant enigma of the musical world: two people, a married couple, who can be considered one of the truly best and complementary singing partnerships in the twentieth century. Both of French-Canadian heritage, both possessors of light, lyric voices of excellent technique; both most suited to classicist works of the 18th century; both extremely lovely people. I’m talking, of course, of Leopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie. Their recordings, both presented and available in other sources, testify to a personal and artistic relationship that can only be properly described as “the perfect vocal marriage”.
As an additional point of interest, I’m providing a short biography of Simoneau, the male part of the duo.
Tenor, pefagogue and administrator, Simoneau studied at Levis College and Laval University before continuing voice studies in Montréal with Salvator Issaurel. There he met Pierrette Alarie. A year later he won the Prix Archambault; this led to studies in New York in 1945. He and Pierrette were married in 1946. He moved with his wife to Paris in 1949 to make their debuts at the Opéra Comique. The couple’s reputation continued to grow following appearances at the Aix-en-Provence, Edinburgh, Glyndebourne, Vienna, Munich and Salzburg Festivals. Many of their performances on stage, in concerts and in recording studios were made together: Romeo and Juliet, Vincent and Mireille, Tonio and Marie, Almaviva and Rosina, Alfredo and Violetta, and, most often, Belmonte and Blondchen.
The third and last except is Nemorino’s stunning romance from Donizetti’s “L’elisir d’amore”, sung, of course, by Simoneau. Just like in the case of the first piece, the aria is well-known and well recorded, but again I can’t really say if I had the pleasure of hearing a more charming rendition of the piece. Enjoy :)!