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Gateway to French Mélodies: High Voice Comb Bound Book

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Gateway to French Mélodies Cover Image

Gateway to French Mélodies: High Voice Comb Bound Book

An Anthology of French Song and Interpretation

Ed. John Glenn Paton

Item: 00-36533

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Description
Gateway to French Mélodies leads us into a fragrant garden of poetry and music that is both passionate and refined. Each song brings to life one of the great themes of French art---love, nature, the purpose of life---with sensuous beauty, beguiling grace, and often with humor.

Understanding what you sing is the basic concept of the Gateway series. Each lyric is translated, both word-by-word and in readable English. The singer can learn the song with confidence, as obscure points of phonetics, grammar and interpretation are made clear. The cultural context of each song is illuminated, along with its place in the life and works of the composer. The comb binding creates a lay-flat book that is perfect for study and performance.

Many of the marvelous songs found here been out of print for more than a century and a few are published here for the very first time. The songs include:
"Plaisir d'amour," the quintessential song of bittersweet love, edited from the composer's original 1784 edition
Seven works by women composers, including two sisters who were divas of Romantic opera, Maria Malibran and Pauline Viardot
Works of French operatic masters such as Gounod, Saint-Saëns, Bizet, and Massenet
Six songs by Gabriel Fauré and four by Claude Debussy
Two duets from contrasting historical periods

Piano accompaniments are heard on the companion CD, beautifully played by Joan Thompson and expertly engineered by Grammy Award winner Matthew Snyder.

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Additional Details
Series: Gateway Series
Publisher: Alfred Music
Page Count: 240
ISBN10: 0-7390-7414-8
ISBN13: 978-0-7390-7414-5
UPC: 038081403533
SKU: 00-36533

More about this title

Why we love this

This collection solves a genuine pedagogical challenge: singers want to perform French mélodies authentically, but language barriers and obscure cultural references keep them at arm's length. The Gateway series removes those barriers without condescension, offering word-by-word translations alongside readable English versions, historical context for each song, and biographical insight into composers from Fauré to Debussy. You get repertoire that's been largely unavailable for over a century, including works by Malibran and Viardot, alongside beloved standards like "Plaisir d'amour."

What to expect

A journey through French sensibility from the 18th century to the early 20th: bittersweet passion, romantic yearning, witty social observation, and moments of crystalline beauty. The repertoire spans from salon songs to operatic excerpts, moving between intimate confessions and dramatic declarations, all bound together by elegance and refinement.

Who it's for

High voice singers preparing recital programs, art song courses, or vocal jazz and contemporary styles programs that welcome classical crossover. This is equally valuable for students encountering French mélodie for the first time and experienced art song specialists looking to revive forgotten composers and eras.

How to get the most out of it

  • Consult the word-by-word translations before memorizing lyrics so you understand the precise French meaning, not just the English equivalent; this clarity transforms how you shape phrases and interpret text.
  • Study the cultural and biographical context provided for each song to understand what drew the composer to that particular text and what emotional world you're entering.
  • Use the companion CD accompaniments to hear how the piano part supports the vocal line, then work with your accompanist to develop your own interpretation while maintaining that harmonic foundation.
  • Pay particular attention to the performance notes in the book; obscure phonetic and grammatical points are flagged, which prevents stumbling over tricky passages during performance.

How to use it

Feature a French mélodie recital in the spring season, mixing the beloved "Plaisir d'amour" with works by Fauré and Debussy, and include songs by the Malibran and Viardot sisters as a thematic pairing. The lay-flat comb binding makes this ideal for summer study and fall audition preparation. Include the two duets in collaborative programming with another voice or as encore performances.

Skills your students will build

  • French pronunciation and diction in art song contexts
  • Translation literacy and text interpretation in a non-native language
  • Historical contextualization of vocal music across centuries
  • Understanding composer voice and style across multiple works by single composers (Fauré, Debussy, Gounod, Massenet)
  • Formal song analysis including harmonic and structural understanding of mélodie

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