Notes and Editorial Reviews
THE COMPLETE VANNI-MARCOUX
•
Vanni-Marcoux (b); Piero Coppola (pn, cond); Lucien Petitjean, Irène Aïtoff (pn); other artists
•
MARSTON 56001-2, mono (6 CDs: 451:11)
Arias from:
MUSSORGSKY
Boris Godunov.
DEBUSSY
Pelléas et Mélisande.
FEVRIER
Monna Vanna.
MASSENET
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class="ARIAL12bi">Don Quichotte. Panurge. Cléopátre. Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame.
PUCCINI
La Bohème.
MOZART
Don Giovanni.
BERLIOZ
La Damnation de Faust.
LAPARRA
La Habanera.
THOMAS
Hamlet. Mignon.
BERTHOMIEU
La Belle traversée. Robert Macaire.
CHARPENTIER
Louise.
GOUBLIER
La Nuit est belle
Songs by:
TOSTI, COPPOLA, CRAS, SÉVERAC, GLAZUNOV, BORODIN, MARTINI, CARPENTER, BROGI, SCHUBERT, DUPARC, ANON, HAHN, BEMBERG, LANCEL, WECKERLIN, FAURÉ, GOUNOD, DELMET, TORRES, DIHAU, RENARD, LEROUX, FRAGSON, YVAIN, LARBEY, LEWINNEK, CASTAGNARO
Last year in
Fanfare
33:5 I reviewed a Preiser collection featuring the legendary French bass Vanni-Marcoux. His presence on the label was most welcome, given the relative difficulty of finding recordings of this remarkable singer. Now we have the complete Vanni-Marcoux on six CDs, at a reasonable cost. If that single disc whetted your appetite, this is the full banquet.
It doesn’t disappoint. Unlike some singers of his time who infuriatingly recorded a narrow group of arias or songs over and over, Vanni-Marcoux explored a fair range of his repertoire on records. Here are excerpts from a few of his great stage roles, including Boris Godunov, Arkel, and Don Quichotte. There are curiosities, such as his Don Giovanni, Leporello, and Colline; a small collection of Lied and chansons, including Schubert, Schumann, Massenet, and Duparc; many popular songs by Tosti and Delmet; film music of varying quality; and traditional French songs in Weckerlin’s arrangements.
What is lacking from these recordings is youth. Vanni-Marcoux was 47 when he entered the recording studio for the first time, and he’d been singing for a quarter of a century by then. (His final album was cut in 1955, at the age of 77.) We don’t hear the voice of the man as it sounded at its fullest. This is likely responsible for the fact that some record critics consider Vanni-Marcoux a singing actor, rather than an excellent singer and actor. Yet a close listening to these discs shows that he was capable of remarkable vocal beauty—when it was required.
A good example is his 1933 recording of Delmet’s popular ballad
Envoi de fleurs
. There’s no sign of weakness anywhere in the production. The clarity of enunciation is exemplary, as is the extended phrasing, so carefully shaded in a wealth of colors as dictated by the text. The result is an apparently insouciant song of some difficulty being sung with the same ease as though it were a casually spoken confession. Much the same is true of Séverac’s
Ma Poupée chérie
, Dihau’s
Quand les lilas refleuriront
, and Leroux’s
La Lettre de Marsala
. There is no question of vocal dullness, not when confronted with a manner that combines such intimacy with so much shifting expressiveness. Or consider his 1927 “Deh vieni alla finestra.” Immediately it’s obvious that he’s been placed too far away from that relatively newfangled invention the microphone, just embraced widely in recording studios two years before, draining his voice of overtones. Yet far from being a failure, the aria is an object lesson in several respects. There’s the beauty of the artist’s Italian, the scrupulousness of his line, the absence of any superfluous sound around the tone. The music is seductive and the performance chaste, the rake in perfect disguise.
Vanni-Marcoux’s voice had great reach as well, and achieved volume without any extra apparent effort. His Lieder has a fastidious charm, avoiding the mawkishness of some German recordings of his period, as his unsentimental
Le Noyer
(
Der Nussbaum
) illustrates. The Italian popular songs he recorded possess moderate warmth, but none of the sloppy, grandiose gesturing that many (if hardly all) Italian singers of his day, and since, have demonstrated. He lacked the lowest notes in the bass register and found the highest ones occasionally difficult—not surprising, given his age, though he sang such deeper bass roles as Ochs and Sparafucile while young—yet his breath support was strong, and his production absolutely even throughout his range. Whether it’s something as simple yet effective as Yvain’s “Les Loups” from Marc Allégret’s 1934 film
Sans Famille
(and wouldn’t it be interesting to see it if it were available for viewing?), or the deceptively light-footed parody of “Devant la maison” (
La Damnation de Faust
), there’s never any question of the artist sounding harried, or even breaking a sweat. Vanni-Marcoux had the gift to make everything he sang seem effortless.
The summit of his artistry, however, was reserved for his interpretative realization of operatic characters. It was this that won plaudit after plaudit in reviews of live performances, and it comes across vividly in his recorded work as well. His world-weary yet powerful “Elle ne m’aime pas” is so notable an assumption that one wishes
Don Carlo
had been recorded complete at the time with his Philip II. Massenet came to prefer the mix of pathos and righteous strength in his Don Quichotte to that of Chaliapin, who premiered the work. As for Vanni-Marcoux’s Boris Godunov, consider the Bell Scene, recorded in 1927. (It’s the first of two included takes in this set, and the master. We can surmise that something must have happened to damage it for the Gramophone Company to unusually fall back on the second take in later disc pressings—though this was a common enough practice after matrices wore out in the phonograph’s first decade.) You can see Vanni-Marcoux acting the part in the mind’s eye, so vivid is the thought-by-thought psychological shifts in his voice, the gradually mounting anxiety as Boris’s imagination takes flight. Nor is it easy to forget the audible terror with which he barks out his staccato questions upon discovering the ghost of Dmitri in the room’s shadows; or the piteous lump of humanity that remains, nearly quiescent, once sanity returns.
You won’t find scratches, editing bubbles, or off-swing content here, though the occasional distortion at peak singing levels could hardly be helped. An A-B comparison between Marston and Preiser 89728 reveals slightly greater treble filtering from the latter, with a bit more brilliance and freshness to the former. I find that Marston’s approach helps bring out the tenor-like overtones in Vanni-Marcoux’s upper notes. The liner notes for the most part follow the trajectory of the singer’s career in great detail, supplying casts, dates, numerous crisp photos, the occasional critic’s note, and anecdotal fact.
My enthusiasm for the singer’s recordings, and my self-evident pleasure in this release, make any final recommendation a given. Suffice to say that if you’ve enjoyed the excerpts of his work on Preiser, here’s everything Vanni-Marcoux is known to have recorded, in excellent sound, and for $12 per very full disc. If you haven’t heard him before, seek out those samples online, and be prepared to be impressed.
FANFARE: Barry Brenesal
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Works on This Recording
4.
Pelléas et Mélisande: Ah! Tout va bien by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1893-1902; France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1924
5.
Pelléas et Mélisande: Une grande innocence by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1893-1902; France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1924
6.
Monna Vanna: Ce n'est pas un vielliard by Henry Février
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1909; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1924
8.
Don Quichotte: Écoute, mon ami by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/13/1924
9.
Don Quichotte: Je meurs by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/13/1924
11.
Don Quichotte: Seigneur, reçois mon âme by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/13/1927
12.
Don Quichotte: Je suis le Chevalier errant by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/13/1927
13.
Don Quichotte: Écoute, mon ami by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/7/1927
14.
Don Quichotte: Je meurs by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1927
16.
La Bohème: Vecchia zimarra by Giacomo Puccini
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1896; Italy
Date of Recording: 10/12/1927
20.
Pelléas et Mélisande: Ah! Tout va bien by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1893-1902; France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1927
21.
Pelléas et Mélisande: Une grande innocence by Claude Debussy
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1893-1902; France
Date of Recording: 10/6/1927
26.
Il Segreto by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: Italy
Date of Recording: 9/24/1930
27.
Mélodies (20), Volume 1: Offrande by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1891; France
Date of Recording: 4/14/1931
28.
Rondels: Je me metz en vostre mercy by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1899; France
Date of Recording: 4/14/1931
29.
Ninon by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1884; London, England
Date of Recording: 4/14/1931
30.
Chant hindou by Hermann Bemberg
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: France
Date of Recording: 4/14/1931
32.
Hamlet: Etre ou ne pas être by Ambroise Thomas
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1868; France
Date of Recording: 10/5/1931
33.
Cléopâtre: Solitaire sur ma terrasse by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: France
Date of Recording: 10/5/1931
36.
Sans un mot by Federico Longás Torres
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 10/12/1933
37.
Havanais by Federico Longás Torres
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 10/12/1933
38.
Boris Godunov: My soul is sad by Modest Mussorgsky
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1868-1873; Russia
Date of Recording: 6/8/1934
39.
Don Quichotte: Écoute, mon ami by Jules Massenet
Performer:
Odette Riquier (Soprano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass),
Michel Cozette (Baritone)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1910; France
Date of Recording: 6/8/1934
Notes: This selection continues with "Prends cette île."
41.
Robert Macaire: A la belle Étoile by Marc Berthomieu
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Edouard Bervily
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 11/7/1934
42.
Sans famille: Les loups by Maurice Yvain
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Edouard Bervily
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 11/7/1934
43.
Sans famille: Ma Lola by Maurice Yvain
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Edouard Bervily
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 11/7/1934
45.
Mignon: Fugitif et tremblant by Ambroise Thomas
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Period: Romantic
Written: 1866; France
Date of Recording: 11/12/1934
49.
Jamais by Lewinnek,
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Marcel Cariven
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 12/7/1936
50.
Vous m’avez dit by Lola Castagnaro
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Marcel Cariven
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 4/13/1937
51.
Pour un baiser by Pietro Antonio Coppola
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
52.
Le meilleur de nous deux by Pietro Antonio Coppola
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 1932
53.
Grace au tango by Pietro Antonio Coppola
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 1932
54.
À quoi bon vous aimer by Pietro Antonio Coppola
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Conductor:
Piero Coppola
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Orchestra
Date of Recording: 1932
55.
Voi dormite, Signora by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1906; London, England
Date of Recording: 2/6//1925
56.
Tu lo sai by Giuseppe Torelli
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Period: Baroque
Written: Italy
Date of Recording: 2/6/1925
57.
Soupir by Piero Coppola
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Date of Recording: 2/6/1925
59.
Fontaines: De bon matin by Jean Cras
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Date of Recording: 2/6/1925
60.
Ma poupée chérie by Déodat de Sévérac
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1914; France
Date of Recording: 2/6/1925
62.
Sleeping Princess by Alexander Borodin
Performer:
Piero Coppola (Piano),
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1867; Russia
Date of Recording: 9/24/1925
63.
Plaisir d'amour by Giovanni Battist Martini
Performer:
Emile Vanni-Marcoux (Bass),
Piero Coppola (Piano)
Period: Classical
Date of Recording: 9/24/1925
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