Search - Maurice Renaud :: Complete Gramophone Recordings 1901-1908

Born in 1869, Renaud inherited the mantle of French baritone actor/singers Jean Lassalle and Victor Maurel. He deploys his ample resources with supple restraint and tonal eloquence. Note values are often stretched beyond anything we hear today. One will scarcely recognize Mozart's Don Giovanni Serenade (in French and Italian), for instance, but the traditional ornaments are in place. Perhaps "Pour tant d'amour" and "Leonor, viens" from Donizetti's La Favorite are a tad garish, yet Renaud's ardent approach suits Massenet's Vision Fugitive to a tee, in three different versions. Conversely, the singer's attention to details of rhythm and phrasing in Berlioz's Serenade never detract from the purity of tone. Thorough annotations and splendid transfers add up to a desirable, though specialized, reissue. --Jed Distler