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Madame Bizet – December 2, 2012 | Walter Hall, Toronto
French songs from Gounod to Poulenc illustrating the life of Geneviève Halévy, who married the composer, Georges Bizet.

Date: December 2, 2012

Geneviève Halévy was the daughter of the opera composer, Fromental Halévy. Though her first husband, Bizet, died in 1875, Mme Straus (as she became after her second marriage, to the rich lawyer, Emile Straus) lived on until 1926. She presided over an artistic salon and was a great friend of Marcel Proust – in fact, was one of the models for the Duchesse de Guermantes in his novel, The Remembrance of Things Past. In our concert, songs and piano music spanned the 77 years of her life; excerpts from letters and diaries, and from Proust’s novel, were read by actors Nancy Palk (Mme Bizet) and Mike Shara (Georges Bizet and Marcel Proust). We were greatly indebted to Ms Palk for taking the place (at a few weeks’ notice) of the originally advertised Fiona Reid.

SONG ARTIST COMPOSER POET
Les Quatre coins – Esquisse, Op.22/8 (Jeux d’enfants) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges n/a
C’est vous qui me devez de la reconnaissance (Le Nabab) Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Halévy, Fromental Scribe, Eugène
Viens, les gazons sont verts Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Gounod, Charles Barbier, Jules
Vieille chanson Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges Millevoye, Charles Hubert
Le Bal – Galop, Op.22/12 (Jeux d’enfants) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges n/a
Chanson d’avril Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Bizet, Georges Bouilhet, Louis
Absence Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Bizet, Georges Gautier, Théophile
Petit mari, petite femme – Duo, Op.22/11 (Jeux d’enfants) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges n/a
Trompette et tambour – Marche, Op.22/6 (Jeux d’enfants) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges n/a
Ouvre ton coeur Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Bizet, Georges Delâtre, Louis
Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Bizet, Georges Hugo, Victor
INTERMISSION
La Vie antérieure Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Duparc, Henri Baudelaire, Charles
Apparition Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Debussy, Claude Mallarmé, Stéphane
Quand je fus pris au pavillon Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Charles d’Orléans
Le Rossignol des lilas Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Dauphin, Léopold
Hymne à Eros Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Holmès, Augusta anon.
Le Parfum impérissable Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Fauré, Gabriel Leconte de Lisle, Charles-Marie-René
Kaddisch (Deux mélodies hébraïques) Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ubukata, Bruce, piano Ravel, Maurice anon.
Galop (Five Easy Pieces for Piano-Duet) Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Stravinsky, Igor n/a
Sagesse Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Stravinsky, Igor Verlaine, Paul
La Belle jeunesse (Chansons gaillardes) Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Poulenc, Francis anon. 17th cent.
Sérénade (Chansons gaillardes) Polegato, Brett, baritone; Ralls, Stephen, piano Poulenc, Francis anon. 17th cent.
La Dernière valse (Une Revue…) Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Ralls, Stephen, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Donnay, Maurice / Duvernois, Henri
La Dernière valse (Une Revue…) – ENCORE Paulin, Nathalie, soprano; Polegato, Brett, baritone; Palk, Nancy, actor; Shara, Mike, actor; Ralls, Stephen / Ubukata, Bruce, piano Hahn, Reynaldo Donnay, Maurice / Duvernois, Henri