Description

GASTON MICHELETTI (TAVACO, CORSICA, 5 JANUARY, 1892 – AJACCIO, CORSICA, 21 MAY, 1959)

 

 

 

 

A Corsican tenor, Micheletti spent the major part of his career (from 1925 to 1946) as one of the stalwarts of the Paris Opera-Comique, where he was justly acclaimed in a wide variety of roles, admirably represented by this careful remastering of his Odeon recordings. Since he has until now been best known as the partner of Supervia in her Carmen recordings and as Des Grieux opposite Emma Luart’s Manon (already reissued by Vintage, 4/97), this solo recital is most welcome.

His pleasing, plangent lyric tenor, with the quick vibrato typical of its era and operatic milieu, is used with the utmost artistry in a wide range of French repertoire, most notably perhaps as Faust, Roméo, Wilhelm Meister, and Werther, all four of whose solos are included here. Micheletti’s high notes were not produced effortlessly, so it is not surprising — indeed, rather gratifying — to hear him take the high C in Faust’s cavatina as an exquisitely produced head note.

In an age when Francophone singers, particularly tenors, are at a premium, it is a pleasure to hear these pieces sung with such sensitivity to the shape and timbre of the text, nowhere more so perhaps than in the duet from Hoffmann, where he is partnered by Luart — a gently romantic rendering, both artists singing lightly and naturally from the text in a manner rarely encountered in modern recordings of the work.

The same may be said of the “Chanson du Magali” from Mireille, where he sings with another of his Opera-Comique partners, Marie-Thérèse Gauley (who created the role of the Child in the premiere of L’enfant et les sortilèges). The recital concludes with four songs: two Italian pieces and, most hauntingly, two Corsican folk songs with guitar accompaniment — true collectors’ items, as the original recordings are exceedingly rare.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

A canzone di li fiori (Agostini) (w. Angelici) 281125 Ki7807 Odéon, Paris, 29 December 1936

A Pipa (Tessarech) Chanson corse 188.790 KI 3872 Odéon, Paris, 21 November 1930

Addio a Napoli (Cottrau) 188.878 KI 5632 Odéon, Paris, 27 October 1932

Air des Muletiers (Tessarech) Chanson corse 188.790 KI 3871 Odéon, Paris, 21 November 1930

Airs sérieux et à boire Pt 1 (Monteclair – L’Affilard – De La Barre) 98 AS188 L’Anthologie Sonore

Airs sérieux et à boire Pt 2 (Monteclair – L’Affilard – De La Barre) 98 AS189 L’Anthologie Sonore

Ajacciu bellu (Mario) 166710 Ki5958-1 Odéon, Paris, 13 April 1933

Carmen (Bizet) C’est toi, c’est moi!… Mais moi, Carmen je t’aime encore (w. Supervia) 123774, 123774, xxP7263, xxP7264 Odéon, Paris, 24 April 1931

Carmen (Bizet) Carmen (Bizet) Je vais danser (w. Supervia) 123772 xxP7266 Odéon, Paris, 24 April 1931

Carmen (Bizet) Je suis Escamillo (w. Endreze) 123776 xxP7271 Odéon, Paris, 9 May 1931

Carmen (Bizet) Je vais danser en votre honneur (w. Supervia) 123772 Odéon, Paris, 24 April 1931

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur123650 xxP6900-1 Odéon, Paris, 24 May 1929

Carmen (Bizet) Non tu ne m’aimes pas (w. Supervia) 123773 xxP7265 Odéon, Paris, 24 April 1931

Carmen (Bizet) Près des remparts de Séville (w. Supervia) 123714 xxP7098 Odéon, Paris, 10 July 1930

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) C’est toi, Santuzza… Oh marjolaines! (w. Cernay & Héna) 123819, 123819, xxP 7275, xxP 7274 Odéon, Paris, 13 March 1933

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Commère Lola, vous vous en allez… Vive le vin qui pétille (w. Héna & Chorus) 123821 xxP7348 Odéon, Paris, 13 March 1933

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Le bonjour, camarades (w. Endrèze) 123822, 123822, xxP7341, xxP7342 Odéon, Paris, 13 March 1933

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Mère, ce vin est généreux (w. Arty) 123822 xxP7342 Odéon, Paris, 13 March 1933

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) O Lola, blanche fleur à peine éclose 123817 xxP7345 Odéon, Paris, 13 March 1933

Comm’ ‘o zuccaro (Fonzo) 188880 Ki5636-1 Odéon, Paris, 27 October 1932

Faust (Gounod) Cavatine 123650 Odéon, Paris, 24 May 1929

Frasquita (Lehar) Ne taurai-je qu’une fois 166.659 KI 6000 Odéon, Paris, 17 May 1933

Herodiade (Massenet) Ne pouvant réprimer 171.023 xxp6471 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Hymne corse (Cottoni) 188.789 KI 3870 Odéon, Paris, 21 November 1930

La Vendetta (Casadesus) Odéon, Paris, 27 November 1933

L’Ajaccienne Traditional 188.712 Odéon, Paris, 28 March 1930

Lakmé (Delibes) Ah, viens dans la foret profonde 188819 Ki4428 Odéon, Paris, 13 May 1931

Lakmé (Delibes) C’est l’amour endormi (w. Gauley) 188515 Odéon, Paris, 18 February 1927

Lakmé (Delibes) C’est Le dieu de La Jeunesse (w. Gauley) 188.507 Ki1100 Odéon, Paris, 18 February 1927

Lakmé (Delibes) Fantaisies aux devins mensonges 123528 xxP7278 Odéon, Paris, 13 May 1931

Lamento (Tessarech) 188.789 KI 3869 Odéon, Paris, 21 November 1930

Lamento di u castagnu a un corsu (Lambroschini) 188.872, 188.872, KI 5536, KI 5537 Odéon, Paris, 27 September 1932

Le Chant du Soleil (Bizion) 166.945 Odéon, Paris, 5 June 1935

Le Pays du Sourire (Lehar) Je t’ai donné mon coeur 166.646 KI 5960 Odéon, Paris, 13 April 1933

Le Pays du Sourire (Lehar) Toujours sourire 166.646 KI 5959 Odéon, Paris, 13 April 1933

Le Roi d’Ys (Lalo) Aubade 188.654 KI 2375 Odéon, Paris, 19 April 1929

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) C’est une chanson (w. Luart) 188.574, 188.574, KI 1610, KI 1611 Odéon, Paris, 30 March 1928

Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach) Légende de Kleinzach 188.533 KI 1231 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Les Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Parjure à mon serment 188.898 Odéon, Paris, 26 November 1934

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Adieu séjour fleuri 188.898 Odéon, Paris, 26 November 1934

Maitre Pathelin (Bazin) Je pense a vous 188.813 Odéon, Paris, 9 May 1931

Majorquina (Brinville) 166.658 Odéon, Paris, 17 May 1933

Manon (Massenet) Duo de la lettre Pt 1, Pt 2 (w. Luart) 123.529, 123.529, xxP6617, xxP6618 Odéon, Paris, 26 March 1928

Manon (Massenet) Je suis seul! 188.660, 188660, Ki2408, Ki2409 Odéon, Paris, 22 May 1929

Manon (Massenet) Le reve de Des Grieux 188.655 Odéon, Paris, 17 April 1929

Marechiare (Tosti) 188.878 KI 5633 Odéon, Paris, 27 October 1932

Martha (Flotow) Air des larmes 188.813 Odéon, Paris, 9 May 1931

Mignon (Thomas) Adieu, Mignon, courage! 188.506 Ki1101 Odéon, Paris, 18 February 1927

Mignon (Thomas) Elle ne croyait pas 171.019 xxP6458 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Mireille (Gounod) Air de Vincent 188510 Ki1133-2 Odéon, Paris, 9 March 1927

Mireille (Gounod) O Magali! (w. Gauley) 171.017 xxP6567-2 Odéon, Paris, 27 January 1928

Mitrane (Rossi) Ah! Rendimi quel core  AS 131-1 Anthologie sonore

Moglie e maritu (Agostini) (w. Angelici) 281125 Ki7806 Odéon, Paris, 29 December 1936

Ninni nanna (Lacuire) 281189 Ki8075 Odéon, Paris, 8 June 1937

Paese nativu (de Bozi) 281189 Ki8074 Odéon, Paris, 8 June 1937

Paillasse (Leoncavallo) Avec moi tenter ce jeu 188.708 KI 3190 Odéon, Paris, 24 March 1930

Paillasse (Leoncavallo) Non, Paillasse n’est plus 188.582 Odéon, Paris, 19 April 1928

Rigoletto (Verdi) Comme la plume au vent 188867 Ki5399 Odéon, Paris, 13 May 1932

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) Cavatine de Romeo 171.019 xxP6463 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Romeo et Juliette (Massenet) O nuit divine… Ah ne fuis pas (w. Norena) 123605 xxP6785, 123606 xxP6786 Odéon, Paris, 28 December 1928

Sérénade nocturne (Barbirolli) 166.945 Ki7328 Odéon, Paris, 26 June 1935

Sigurd (Reyer) Esprits gardiens 171023 xxP6472 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Sigurd (Reyer) Le bruit des chants 171.023 xxP6472 Odéon, Paris, spring 1927

Tarantella sincera (De Crescenzo) 188880 Ki5637-1 Odéon, Paris, 27 October 1932

Tosca (Puccini) Lamento 188.657 Ki2393 Odéon, Paris, 17 May 1929

Tosca (Puccini) O de beautes egales! 188.657 Ki2391 Odéon, Paris, 17 May 1929

Un Autre Baiser (Rinaldi) 166.658 Ki6007-1 Odéon, Paris, 17 May 1933

Vado ben spesso (Bononcini) 64 AS132 L’Anthologie Sonore

Vocero (Tessarech) 188.712 KI 3206 Odéon, Paris, 28 March 1930

Werther (Massenet) Invocation a la Nature 188.510  KI 11352 Odéon, Paris, 9 March 1927

Werther (Massenet) J’aurais sur ma poitrine 188.655 Odéon, Paris, 19 April 1929

Werther (Massenet) Lorsque l’enfant revient 188.654 KI 2376 Odéon, Paris, 19 April 1929

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me reveiller 188.582 Odéon, Paris, 19 April 1929