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The French lyric soprano Germaine Feraldy (1894-1949) is another singer who
has operatic recordings that are not well known. Her voice is an interesting case - one may say typical’, of a French lyric soprano voice of the 1920s and 1930s with its limited and weaker upper register. With Feraldy in particular, the listener must also come to terms with a small but audible tremolo. On the other hand, one is also immediately impressed by the sophisticated spinning of her vocal line and with her perfect legato - both trademarks of a bygone era of excellence in French singing. This singer knows how to sing!.
It is exactly this emphasis on style and not vocal grandeur that makes many
renditions of French opera so difficult at first listening and consequently inaccessible to inexperienced listeners. This CD therefore holds much to be enjoyed for those who appreciate the elegance inherent in this more restrained style of singing.
The CD contains selections from works of Adam, Messe, Mozart and from three
complete operas, all now available on CD: The famous Thill-Vallin Werther where Feraldy sings the role of Sophie, the Cohen directed Manon where Feraldy sings the title role and Gluck’s Orphee
and Euridice with Feraldy as Euridicie to Alice Raveau’s Orphee. For most of us who may not be attracted at first hearing to the music of Adam or Messe, Feraldy’s high level of musicianship comes clearly through from the well known sections from these three operas and also from the two sections of Antonia’s music from Les
Contes d’Hoffmann which are also included.
Georg Polyzoides -
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