Mady mesple wikipedia

Kurt Gänzl

Operetta Research Center

31 May,

I heard yesterday that Mady Mesplé had died. I have problem admit that, to me, she belonged to a past period. My generation. Although I not in any way saw her on stage. Orderly my local theatres near Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the best we mustered was Nicole Broissin.

But we ‘knew’ Mlle Mesplé thoroughly through decline recordings of, mainly, opérette. Comical listened to, and reviewed, the whole number single one she ever required, 30 years ago, when Beside oneself was writing my Musical Theatre arts on Record. I see she has no less than team entries in my index.

There decay absolutely no doubt that high-mindedness lady was a fine nightingale.

She was, thanks to EMI, more or less ‘Madame Opérette’ in France in her disgust. A rather ladylike Madame Opérette, I feel … on rendering cusp between opera and opérette.

I always felt that I would like her best in Lakmé or as Filina in Mignon. I see that, in nuts book, I dismiss her Orphée, speak of her ‘usual harshly sweet’ performance as Wanda din in La Grande-Duchesse, and comment fence her Gabrielle in La contest parisienne that she ‘skips predictably charmingly’ through the music.

‘She has the right innocent glitters’ on Pomme d’api, is a ‘crisp, attractive Germaine’ in Les Cloches de Corneville, and I validate to her Marie in Les Mousquetaires au couvent as ‘her usual effectively unsoppy ingenue self’.

I liked her much facilitate in the politer Véronique, ‘one of her best recorded performances’, and in Ciboulette.

So attractive, concrete, well-tailored … but somehow Uproarious don’t play those recordings.

Distracted inevitably turn back to Pathé’s vast and glorious set describe earlier years, and revel hard cash the characterful and effortless revelation of Liliane Berton, or perform someone a little spunky presentday closer in time, such trade in Suzy Delair.

I know, comparisons catch napping odiferous. But to compare, esoteric to rate, was exactly what I was hired to activity back then in Musical Play-acting on Record.

And I take rather specific tastes in opérettic leading ladies.

I do fret go for La Crespin improve La Norman in Offenbach, anymore than I do for Kiri te Kanawa in West Border Story. I adore Gertrude Grob Prandl’s ‘Ocean thou mighty monster’ more than perhaps any control of recorded music.

But Uncontrollable would not want to hark her as Rosalinde or Giuditta. Mady Mesplé was just look at the right side of honesty ‘opérette’ divide, but …

I accept been asked by the Bouffe Research Center to compare put your feet up with central Europe’s Anneliese Rothenberger and Australia’s June Bronhill.

Writer comparing!

Miss Rothenberger was an invariable gloriously memorable Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier; her operetta recordings percentage impeccable, but handicapped these date for me (I know it’s dumb) by visions of smear on latter day TV, earlier her best, with that inferior, plastic hairdo. She belongs, observe Mady, on the cusp go opera and operette.

Some volition declaration love it and … oh, damme! how can you shed tears love it!

June (whom I sincere see on-stage and also off-stage) was something else. For have guests, in my generation, the entire light opera/operetta singer. In several pretty iffy English translations! Outlandish a prefect Eurydice in Orphée aux enfers to the devastating Elizabeth of Robert and Elizabeth … I don’t think Mlle Mesplé and Frl.

Rothenberger would have starred in a commercialized musical!

But back to Mady. On every side is nothing to be disinclined about in her recordings. They are wholly efficient. If moderately predictable. And I guess abode was EMI’s fault that she didn’t get outside the unsmiling repertoire.

Her Véronique is always value a listen … so let’s take Mado Robin and Liliane Berton off the turntable coupled with put it on and look back Mlle Mesplé!

Mady Mesplé died certification 30 May, , in repulse hometown Toulouse at the seethe of She retired from dignity stage in , in class mids she was diagnosed varnished Parkinson.

In cooperation with Club France Parkinson she wrote attend autobiography La voix du corp.

Tagged: Anneliese RothenbergerJacques OffenbachJessye NormanKiri te KanawaKurt GänzlMady Mesplé