Gaetano Donizetti - L’elisir d’amore - “Una furtiva lagrima“ (Leopold Simoneau)

This new mini-series (three in total) of uploads is dedicated to something of a most pleasant enigma of the musical world: two people, a married couple, who can be considered one of the truly best and complementary singing partnerships in the twentieth century. Both of French-Canadian heritage, both possessors of light, lyric voices of excellent technique; both most suited to classicist works of the 18th century; both extremely lovely people. I’m talking, of course, of Leopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie. Their recordings, both presented and available in other sources, testify to a personal and artistic relationship that can only be properly described as “the perfect vocal marriage“. As an additional point of interest, I’m providing a short biography of Simoneau, the male part of the duo. Tenor, pefagogue and administrator, Simoneau studied at Levis College and Laval University before continuing voice studies in Montréal with Salvator Issaurel. There he met Pierrette