Benita Valente - Saint-Saëns: Le bonheur est chose légère, New York 1985
Details
| Title | Benita Valente - Saint-Saëns: Le bonheur est chose légère, New York 1985 |
| Author | songbirdwatcher |
| Duration | 3:58 |
| File Format | MP3 / MP4 |
| Original URL | https://youtube.com/watch?v=JGFtkISjbfQ |
Description
THE SONGBIRD: California-born soprano Benita Valente had a long and varied career, partly because her voice retained its core strength of an airy, luminous vibrancy. She was born in 1934, had a career breakthrough in 1960 singing lieder at the Marlboro Festival. Valente specialized in recital and concert works. She made her Met debut as Pamina in 1973. I heard her live in recital in New York City in 1993 and she sounded amazing at 59 years old -- although her stage deportment was extremely withering and cold when someone applauded in the middle of a song set (I will never forget that diva glare).
THE MUSIC: Valente was a lieder and art song specialist -- and here she is singing the charming French salon bon-bon "Le bonheur est chose légère" written by Camille Saint-Saëns in 1864, arranged here for accompaniment by violin and piano. This delicate song does not require a fusillade of coloratura trickery (few art songs ask for for the vocal demands of opera or concert arias), but it’s an ideal match for a light soprano with a demure touch.
