Collection search - Anonymous - Interview

Record information – Brief

1

Anonymous - Interview

Item number (ISN):

290680

Hierarchical level:

Item (Accession level)

Date:

1991-03-22

Item number (ISN):

290680

Type of material:

Sound recordings

Found in:

Archives / Film, Video and Sound

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Record information – Details

Fonds/collection:

NISH, Cameron

Accession:

1997-0366

Media:

Sound

Part:

1 of 1

Production date:

1991-03-22

Production company:

Cameron Nish (Interviewer)

Production credit:

interviewer, Cameron Nish

Description:

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Interview between Nish and an anonymous "confrère" of Richard Verreau about the career and the personality of the famous French-Canadian tenor. The interviewee is himself a singer. The conversation starts by an analysis of the singing of Verreau, and his pronunciation which is different from the way it is today in operas: he followed Benjamino Gigli's way of singing - not for pronunciation but for his way of "producing the voice" and was influenced by Sir Wilfrid Pelletier, the famous Canadian maestro who had worked with so many great singers, including Gigli.~The registers were very well blended in his voice, but his acting was criticized. He was not really comfortable on stage: he prefered concert to opera, where he did not have to play a role; he also knew his limitations. He did not want to be tied down by contracts with Opera Houses: in New York, in 1955, there were 62 opera houses. He did not want to be "asked" to perform operas that he did not like to sing. There were no signs ever of voice deterioration. From 1949 to 1951, he was in Paris and had a very serious voice problem, a paralysis of a vocal cord. The reputation of certain teachers are built on the voices of the singers, even if these teachers are very poor teachers and in the end destroy the voices of the singers they taught.~He described himself as "bohême" and "timid". A singer's instrument is the most fragile of them all. One can hide his personality in an opera, not in a recital. Tonsillectomy was given as the reason for the loss of his voice. He also developed allergies, which always affect the voice and so do the medications to control them.~Was he considered a real professional by the "milieu"? Absolutely, says the interviewee, otherwise we would not be discussing him here today. He was not a "diva", he was not "impossible" either: he was timid. From 67 to 68 he put on a lot of weight: he needed better mental and physical discipline to help him when he was feeling a little less than 100% in shape. Did success go to his head? No! Around 1966/67 he went through a very deep depression because of the decline of his voice. He resented the reaction of people when he had problems with it. The interviewee mentions that it is a sadly normal reaction in Québec to put down artists the moment it seems they are not as good as before. <30mn>

Language:

English

Notes:

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1. The interview was made by Cameron Nish during his research on Richard Verreau's biography.~2. This interview is on cassette E.~3. The interview is abruptly cut on side 2 with "filler" music.

Detailed holdings information:

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Vault ISN:

356374

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

1997-0366/22

Vault code:

GAT

Number of items:

1

Kind of sound:

CASSETTE

Technical description:

POLY

Duration:

90:00

Made from:

DEPOSIT

Status:

ORIG

Vault ISN:

536257

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

290680-1997-0366-22-S1.wav
290680-1997-0366-22-S2.wav

Number of items:

2

Kind of sound:

WAV

Duration:

94:46

Made from:

1997-0366/22

Status:

MASTER

Vault ISN:

544333

Format:

SOUND

Location number:

290680-1997-0366-22-S1.mp3
290680-1997-0366-22-S2.mp3

Number of items:

2

Kind of sound:

MP3

Duration:

94:46

Made from:

1997-0366/22

Status:

REF
Ordering and viewing options

Conditions of access:

Restricted by creator/donor

Reproduction access:

avec la permission écrite du propriétaire des droits d'auteur : avec la permission de Richard Verreau

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