In Strasbourg, the refinements of Cyrille Dubois

In an evening entirely devoted to French melody, if not French-speaking, and almost entirely from the 20th^e century, the tandem Cyrille Dubois and Tristan Raës takes us to shores known or unknown, but always marvelous.

Everything about the tenor exudes kindness, from his interviews to the way he speaks to the audience, and his joy in sharing a repertoire that is not necessarily the easiest to access is palpable throughout the evening. As for his talent as a singer, it is at its zenith. The light tenor, or high counter, as he sometimes defines himself, takes us on an extended tessitura, perfectly homogeneous and smooth, and his projection adapts impeccably to his intentions, from the interior murmur to the cry in the large chandelier in the room. His nuances are perfectly mastered, his breathing is long, and above all, his diction is superlative. Ha, this diction! We understand absolutely everything, every syllable, every sentence and every implication. His intelligence of the texts is ideally superimposed on his musical intelligence, and each interpretation shines brightly. We may not agree with certain interpretive choices, but we are obliged to recognize that they can always be justified, and that they are made with the best possible taste. Cyrille Dubois has already been accused of being precious (no, not at ResMusica…!), but that is a mistake. Refinement is not preciousness. With him, art never goes beyond the material, and the second degree only ever serves the first. Refinement: yes, and highly, but preciousness: never.

The evening begins with a series of Fauré, first of which the tragic ones Cribs. From the outset, absolute fidelity to the score and to the poetry is established. The banality of the landscape exudes the intensity of the human drama playing out there, and the emotion grips you from the outset. And then… with a big smile, Cyrille Dubois takes the floor and presents his program. Popular melodies or on popular themes, and always French-speaking. THE Sailors, Barcarolle, Tuscan Serenade And Moonlight allow you to enjoy its length of breath, its choices of color, while Tristan Raës’ piano knows how to be danceable, fluid, and shrouded in ambiguous chiaroscuros. The discovery, for those who have not yet rushed to their excellent CD dedicated to him, is Louis Beydts. His Six French Ballads are delicious. Smiling, falsely naive and a little naughty (very little), they are very “chic”, perfectly drinkable, and our two artists are right to defend them.

Six more extracts from the French Songs by Britten, more French than French because they are very anchored in a popular repertoire: The King goes hunting, Christmas pastetc.. ; The King goes hunting allows our performers to put a very successful subtle theatricality into the narration, but we will be allowed to find excessive the way in which When I was at my father’s house ends, in gangly buffoonery went Brueghel. But it’s true, the text allows it… Return to the interiority of the effects with Poulenc, one of which Song of Orkenise absolutely admirable in its sobriety. Hotel flies away in plumes of smoke, and the Trip to Paris makes the whole room smile. The concert ends with Beautiful Youth and the Bachic Verses, sung with an overflow of energy and a feigned lechery that made some ladies cough. This is an opportunity to remind them of what Cyrille Dubois and Tristan Raës do elegantly for forgotten or poorly known composers, such as the Boulanger sisters, Marie Jaëll, Augusta Holmès…

Such generous artists cannot leave an enthusiastic audience without rewarding them with a few encores. Return to Fauré, of whom they recorded a very remarkable integral (Clef ResMusica): Love song, The secret, After a dream delicate and sung on the edge of the breath, and finally Farewellwith a long decrescendo gradually becoming impalpable. Really, with such an art of singing, how can you not love Cyrille Dubois?

Photographic credit © Jean-Baptiste Millot

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Melodies of Fauré by Cyrille Dubois at Lessay Abbey

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