The difficulty in this, deceptively simple, song is that the pace of the piano can urge the voice on, and rush the tempo. I sang this for a recital, after working on the heavy weights, like Handel, and it took some time, in rehearsal, to pull back on the voice. The nature of this song is that it should feel elastic; the beginning is an awakening that is liquid and dreamy, and the end is urgent and full of despair, and the tempo should reflect this. In music history we learned that the French did not take to the new heavy operatic voice styles and developed their own, lighter, techniques, often using little in the way of 'head voice'. This 'lighter' voice is more able to trip about on the quick changes in musical direction and create the 'feel' of the French musical style. You can hear that in very old recordings of French singers. I enjoy all genres and all voice types and this one is no exception; a very lovely voice.
IMHO, it was Kathleen Battle who was greatly honoured by being named alongside Elly Ameling. I always think myself very lucky to attend Elly's concerts in 70's, 80's and 90's.
@hedgechair: I once had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Ms Ameling's guest lectures at the Conservatory in The Hague. She speaks four or five languages fluenty, and when she gets excited about something, she'll continue talking about it in the language the student happens to be singing... She's something special!
I got her "after hours" album at an estate sale and after listening a bit I was going to throw it away. I had never heard of her and thought it was some "local" talent that was so-so. Then I googled her and found this (and wiki and other sites detailing her career. I've never liked this style myself, but she is talented.
Cher Madame she was taught to use her hands in this position to enhance the breathe and control the muscles. That is part of the training and she is quite correct. It is my hope that I have helped you to get rid of hate which poisons the mind and heart.
Too wonderful for words : the song (oh the song!!), your singing of it and Dalton Baldwin at the piano. What a marriage of musical minds. I send you my love and blessings! I believe Dalton Baldwin knows my friend Ned Rorem - yes?
yes, thats what I meant! I have never seen anyone sing the way KB does: its so physical. Ameling too, you can actually see the whole body and face working... funny old world the singing one...Te Kanawa looks comparatively still when siinging, Bartolis eyes eyes yet all producing glorious and sopunds and in most cases art!
@goldenthroat86 I think we can agree on the your last remark, although I can remember when that wasn't necessarily so. I was in a production with Kathleen in 1980, when she was still a rather appealing young lady with a voice that carried in any situation, such was its focus. I might add that this was also a quality I prized in Ameling, whose every syllable could be heard clearly over a large orchestra in an outdoor venue. But I haven't heard Kathleen sing in years, and the stories...
@goldenthroat86 At any rate, while Ameling's voice type may seem fairly common, and as far as the category is concerned I will concede it, the actual voice is, at least in my opinion, uncommon within the vocal category. Once again, it is a combination of vocal technique, musicianship and personality that make Ameling unique among her similarly voiced colleagues...
So beautiful. None of the distracting showmanship so characteristic of the mediocre artists today. Old school, yes, with the posture, but all the focus is on the music, not the performer. The difference is a plunge into the depths of spirit, and not some superficial dalliance on the surface. If you want to hear a baritone performance with this same depth and beauty, listen to Gerard Souzay's version of this same song.
Sorry, That is rubbish. Do you even GO to concerts? I do. Constantly. What you are saying is utter nonsense. Ameling and Souzay were wonderful artists in their prime, and seeing them live was about the music AND the performance. Otherwise, just sit home and listen to a record. When DID you hear a recital last? 1980?
Yes, lagunagreg, IT was exactly what I meant. I adore that album....and I adore Barbra and her stunning versatility! Sorry...what's the meaning of "OMG"?
Hi Firsa, OMG= oh my god. Look, I like Babs as a pop singer and an actress, but she always sings in exactly the same way. I remember that she sang Handel's piangero and the aria from Carmina Burana. Now she sang those sings well, but she sang them just like a pop singer and just as she always had... as if she were on Broadway. And that just won't do pour les melodies francais du 19eme siecle, l'age d'or de l'art lyrique francais. That certainly goes for the slides Handel as well.
@goldenthroat86 With all due respect, I doubt that. And before you doubt my right to this comment, let me tell you that I am an alumnus of both Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music and have heard some of today's top musicians in their student recitals...
@goldenthroat86 If by this you mean that her voice was much bigger, quite true. However, while I admire Denyce Graves greatly, bigger isn't necessarily better. I would prefer to say that each lady has her strengths and is great in her own way...
New metric match ENGLISH singing translation by Gloria Merle Huffman: "Apres un Reve, D min., p/voc, *new English* w/ French, Tuscan" www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/20446804 Samples: "There, as I slept, you appeared in a vision;" "Brightly you shone, like a sky in the first light of morning." "Heav'n broke its vaulted dome and granted us passage ..." [Th8-6-20-1617E]
Hi Cav, I have to agree, the approach to the rhythm is very germanic. She has a lovely sound, sings legato and the french is not execrable. Mais le rythm et les phrase, les cadences, ceux-ci ne sont pas francais
@philipvanlidth Bigger isn't necessarily bigger...true. It's all about the end result...making music and serving the composer. It's just that Ameling's voice TYPE is very common. A voice like Graves comes along with somewhat less frequency. That said...I'd rather listen to Ameling ANY DAY over Kathleen Battle....
Cavendishable, si la prononciation n'est pas parfaite, ça ne signifique pas qu'il n' y ait pas l'atmosphère de Fauré. As-tu jamais écouté cette "chanson" par Barbra Streisand ?
lagunagreg, I don't agree with You.....IN TRUTINA is not sung in the exact same way as, for ex., SOMEWHERE.....or MY MAN....... Anyway this in only an opinion.... ;-)
Wow, it's a mess rythmically. Take a drink every time she casually and bluntly discards a full value on half notes! She sticks the landing, true, but at the ruthless expense of a dozen precious notes before it!
Too much touring has taken a toll on her voice in this recording. She sounds ready for a break. Hope she got one! Her anchoring is not secure, her breath ragged. She hangs on, but she sounds tired.
Leslie, perhaps a constructive comment might be better, one recognizing the positive aspects of her voice, performance and interpretation, while at the same time mentioning what you may consider to be imperfect facets. A performance is demonstrative of so many things in the moment and in life.
***** Not at all. Professional classical vocalists are treated like trained poodles - except the poodles get more respect. If you didn't know, their touring schedules are brutal. I study opera and am aware of the culture of abuse in our profession. Open your eyes.
Christina Annabel She is working in her profession, she doesn't need any approval or recognition from me. I was pointing out the ways in which her exploitation and professional mistreatment at the hands of directors, producers and management have damaged her voice (hopefully not permanently, but it happens a lot.) It is nearly universal, unless you are so big and powerful that you can negotiate a better touring schedule that is humane. Thanks for writing!
I had the same thought as Leslie - Elly is great, but she does sound somewhat tired and short of breath here (at least to a professional musician's ears). Still better than 99.9% of singers on Earth, of course!
As a trained musician, I prefer to view such videos as an appreciative listener rather than as a critic. There may be imperfections, but when I consider the range of talent in this world and the skill and artistry of this particular musician (and others, as well), I hope I have the grace and wisdom to suspend judgment unless constructive criticism is truly warranted. In any case, 'tis my first responsibility to tend to my own musical garden, so to speak.
And, I'm sorry to be a nag about these things, but Babs is not stunning in the classicasl rep. She slides, she's flat, she's pinched, and she never rings ever. How is THAT versatile? I know (and play for) at least a dozen singers who don't need amplification to sing in a 1,000+ seat hall. Babs can't do that, despite her good points.
The difficulty in this, deceptively simple, song is that the pace of the piano can urge the voice on, and rush the tempo. I sang this for a recital, after working on the heavy weights, like Handel, and it took some time, in rehearsal, to pull back on the voice. The nature of this song is that it should feel elastic; the beginning is an awakening that is liquid and dreamy, and the end is urgent and full of despair, and the tempo should reflect this. In music history we learned that the French did not take to the new heavy operatic voice styles and developed their own, lighter, techniques, often using little in the way of 'head voice'. This 'lighter' voice is more able to trip about on the quick changes in musical direction and create the 'feel' of the French musical style. You can hear that in very old recordings of French singers. I enjoy all genres and all voice types and this one is no exception; a very lovely voice.
Great singer and one of the best Faure interpreters of all time.
Thats true
Her voice is crystalline. My voice teacher back in the 1980's in California adored Miss Ameling.
I guess I'm pretty off topic but does anyone know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online ?
@Jack Bodhi I use Flixzone. You can find it by googling :)
@Zaid Amos Yea, I've been watching on Flixzone for months myself :D
@Zaid Amos thanks, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there =) I really appreciate it!
@Jack Bodhi no problem xD
Elly Ameling is one of my favorite singers in any genre. Gorgeous, clear, alluring voice.
Superb.TY AmelingElly for posting this treasure.
C'est exquis!
IMHO, it was Kathleen Battle who was greatly honoured by being named alongside Elly Ameling. I always think myself very lucky to attend Elly's concerts in 70's, 80's and 90's.
@hedgechair: I once had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Ms Ameling's guest lectures at the Conservatory in The Hague. She speaks four or five languages fluenty, and when she gets excited about something, she'll continue talking about it in the language the student happens to be singing... She's something special!
Voice and piano ... Lovely. Thank you. Beauty selection.
that's one exquisite singer!!
Beautiful dress, beautiful voice, beautiful artistry. Thank you. Lorna
A complete lesson of breathtaking as how to" put air" in this Lied/Song.
Quelle musicalité et prononciation parfaite 😍
I have goose bumps! I love Elly Ameling!
Elly Ameling is one of the three great art song singers of the 20th century: Victoria de los Angeles, Ameling, and Benita Valente.
I can see your generous soul just listening to your voice. That's what the world needs.
magnifique!
I got her "after hours" album at an estate sale and after listening a bit I was going to throw it away. I had never heard of her and thought it was some "local" talent that was so-so. Then I googled her and found this (and wiki and other sites detailing her career. I've never liked this style myself, but she is talented.
DEAR ELLY AMELING..I.DID ENJOY YOUR VOICE AT WIGMORE HALL...BLESS YOU .
Pocos cantan la cámara como la extraordinaria Elly Ameling, brava!!!
One of the best renditions ever! Excellent enunciation, much better than by native French singers including among the crop of current young singers!
This is no doubt the best Faure interpretation by a female voice. Her cycle with Gerard Souzay is outstanding.
Love Elly Ameling.
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Happy Birthday Dear Elly, much Music for you!!!!!!!!!!!
This is up a tone, isn't it? Gorgeous.
Still magnificent after all this time....
Very nicely sung. The arrangment was just a little faster than others I have heard. I wish I could sing like that!
her prononciation is very good and it is not not easy at all !!
cavendishable, je suis d'accord avec toi!
Ici il y a la voix, la technique mais le coeur...mhm...
Cher Madame she was taught to use her hands in this position to enhance the breathe and control the muscles. That is part of the training and she is quite correct. It is my hope that I have helped you to get rid of hate which poisons the mind and heart.
The hand position does nothing, psychologically perhaps but not physically.
Too wonderful for words : the song (oh the song!!), your singing of it and Dalton Baldwin at the piano. What a marriage of musical minds.
I send you my love and blessings!
I believe Dalton Baldwin knows my friend Ned Rorem - yes?
AMAZING MIRACLE
she is spot on
Un duo straordinario
Yes, I love you!
yes, thats what I meant!
I have never seen anyone sing the way KB does: its so physical.
Ameling too, you can actually see the whole body and face working...
funny old world the singing one...Te Kanawa looks comparatively still when siinging, Bartolis eyes eyes
yet all producing glorious and sopunds and in most cases art!
LOVE her! She's my French diction idol. I have the Faure set that she, Baldwin and Souzay made. Top stuff.
💕💕
🌹
1:40! Her face! It lit up all of a sudden like the aurora.
@goldenthroat86 I think we can agree on the your last remark, although I can remember when that wasn't necessarily so. I was in a production with Kathleen in 1980, when she was still a rather appealing young lady with a voice that carried in any situation, such was its focus. I might add that this was also a quality I prized in Ameling, whose every syllable could be heard clearly over a large orchestra in an outdoor venue. But I haven't heard Kathleen sing in years, and the stories...
Wow what a voice
@goldenthroat86 At any rate, while Ameling's voice type may seem fairly common, and as far as the category is concerned I will concede it, the actual voice is, at least in my opinion, uncommon within the vocal category. Once again, it is a combination of vocal technique, musicianship and personality that make Ameling unique among her similarly voiced colleagues...
R.arientetrés belle interprète de Fauré.
c"était magic
Buitengewoon mooie utvoering. Ontroerende muziek.
So beautiful. None of the distracting showmanship so characteristic of the mediocre artists today. Old school, yes, with the posture, but all the focus is on the music, not the performer. The difference is a plunge into the depths of spirit, and not some superficial dalliance on the surface. If you want to hear a baritone performance with this same depth and beauty, listen to Gerard Souzay's version of this same song.
Sorry, That is rubbish. Do you even GO to concerts? I do. Constantly. What you are saying is utter nonsense. Ameling and Souzay were wonderful artists in their prime, and seeing them live was about the music AND the performance. Otherwise, just sit home and listen to a record. When DID you hear a recital last? 1980?
@philipvanlidth Well...I attended Denyce Graves' senior recital at Oberlin. I think you can safely say at age 21 she blew Ameling out of the water!
I'm dreaming~~~~~
This song sounds easy to sing. I can assure you, it is not!
Oh Lord. Ameling is absolutely NOT a mezzo. Where do you get that from this recording?
@cavendishable Qui sont les meilleurs chanteurs pour l'esprit français? J'etudie la musique de Chausson et Hahn a l'universite. Merci beaucoup!!!
Yes, lagunagreg, IT was exactly what I meant. I adore that album....and I adore Barbra and her stunning versatility!
Sorry...what's the meaning of "OMG"?
Hi Firsa,
OMG= oh my god. Look, I like Babs as a pop singer and an actress, but she always sings in exactly the same way. I remember that she sang Handel's piangero and the aria from Carmina Burana. Now she sang those sings well, but she sang them just like a pop singer and just as she always had... as if she were on Broadway. And that just won't do pour les melodies francais du 19eme siecle, l'age d'or de l'art lyrique francais. That certainly goes for the slides Handel as well.
@goldenthroat86 With all due respect, I doubt that. And before you doubt my right to this comment, let me tell you that I am an alumnus of both Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music and have heard some of today's top musicians in their student recitals...
Too bad both the audio and video are blurred. I hope someone will post an improved version, because it’s lovely but could be better.
@goldenthroat86 If by this you mean that her voice was much bigger, quite true. However, while I admire Denyce Graves greatly, bigger isn't necessarily better. I would prefer to say that each lady has her strengths and is great in her own way...
New metric match ENGLISH singing translation by Gloria Merle Huffman:
"Apres un Reve, D min., p/voc, *new English* w/ French, Tuscan"
www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/20446804
Samples: "There, as I slept, you appeared in a vision;" "Brightly you shone, like a sky in the first light of morning." "Heav'n broke its vaulted dome and granted us passage ..."
[Th8-6-20-1617E]
Per chi vuol imparare a cantare: osservate il modo di respirare, qui è visibilissimo.
I hope she is still alive.....
Bjorling... go find it if you can.
Hi Cav,
I have to agree, the approach to the rhythm is very germanic. She has a lovely sound, sings legato and the french is not execrable. Mais le rythm et les phrase, les cadences, ceux-ci ne sont pas francais
@philipvanlidth Bigger isn't necessarily bigger...true. It's all about the end result...making music and serving the composer. It's just that Ameling's voice TYPE is very common. A voice like Graves comes along with somewhat less frequency.
That said...I'd rather listen to Ameling ANY DAY over Kathleen Battle....
its absolutely wunderbar! her technique reminds me of Kathleen Battle's, soubrettes.
Cavendishable, si la prononciation n'est pas parfaite, ça ne signifique pas qu'il n' y ait pas l'atmosphère de Fauré.
As-tu jamais écouté cette "chanson" par Barbra Streisand ?
0:49
Geen woorden voor!
c'est quoi, l'esprit francais?
Hi Cara,
I don't think so. Ameling is a mezzo.
Belle voix,diction impossible:Trop tubé!
Excuse me, but she's not dreaming here, not floating, certainly not dreaming at all. That's not it. She's so marvellous in other stuff...
Babs is far better than Ameling in this song.....she has got a "warm" interpretation...and in fact she's also an actress...
OMG, you mean Babs sings this song?!? Eeeww!!! Oh, that's right, she recorded that awful "classical Barbara" albumb when I was a kid.
A fine singer,but not on this one.
lagunagreg, I don't agree with You.....IN TRUTINA is not sung in the exact same way as, for ex., SOMEWHERE.....or MY MAN.......
Anyway this in only an opinion.... ;-)
I've heard undergraduate recitals at Oberlin that were better than this!
Wow, it's a mess rythmically. Take a drink every time she casually and bluntly discards a full value on half notes! She sticks the landing, true, but at the ruthless expense of a dozen precious notes before it!
Too much touring has taken a toll on her voice in this recording. She sounds ready for a break. Hope she got one! Her anchoring is not secure, her breath ragged. She hangs on, but she sounds tired.
Leslie, perhaps a constructive comment might be better, one recognizing the positive aspects of her voice, performance and interpretation, while at the same time mentioning what you may consider to be imperfect facets. A performance is demonstrative of so many things in the moment and in life.
***** Not at all. Professional classical vocalists are treated like trained poodles - except the poodles get more respect. If you didn't know, their touring schedules are brutal. I study opera and am aware of the culture of abuse in our profession. Open your eyes.
Christina Annabel She is working in her profession, she doesn't need any approval or recognition from me. I was pointing out the ways in which her exploitation and professional mistreatment at the hands of directors, producers and management have damaged her voice (hopefully not permanently, but it happens a lot.) It is nearly universal, unless you are so big and powerful that you can negotiate a better touring schedule that is humane. Thanks for writing!
I had the same thought as Leslie - Elly is great, but she does sound somewhat tired and short of breath here (at least to a professional musician's ears). Still better than 99.9% of singers on Earth, of course!
As a trained musician, I prefer to view such videos as an appreciative listener rather than as a critic. There may be imperfections, but when I consider the range of talent in this world and the skill and artistry of this particular musician (and others, as well), I hope I have the grace and wisdom to suspend judgment unless constructive criticism is truly warranted. In any case, 'tis my first responsibility to tend to my own musical garden, so to speak.
And, I'm sorry to be a nag about these things, but Babs is not stunning in the classicasl rep. She slides, she's flat, she's pinched, and she never rings ever. How is THAT versatile? I know (and play for) at least a dozen singers who don't need amplification to sing in a 1,000+ seat hall. Babs can't do that, despite her good points.
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡Happy Birthday Dear Elly, much Music for you!!!!!!!!!!!