Airs pour Farinelli

Yesterday, my friend and I attended a concert at L'Eglise St. Julien le Pauvre. The music was sung by contre-tenor Duy-Thông Nguyen, and he was accompanied on the piano by M. Olivier Dauriat. I have long loved baroque music, and have been fascinated by the castrato for quite some time. However, this was my first time listening to music composed for castrato performed live by a contre-tenor.

The venue, the Eglise St. Julien, is the oldest church in Paris. The acoustics are echo-y, and are not the best I have heard, but that does not diminish the magic listening to a well-sung aria reverberate throughout the building. Prayer candles lent their soft glow to medieval icons hung on the walls. A large grill threw its flickering shadow on the stone walls. It felt like a sacred place, more than, for example, the much more famous Cathédrale de Notre Dame just across the river. This church was tucked away in a small pedestrian street, and demanded to be searched rather than seen.

The singer began in the back of the church, and slowly made his way to the front as he sang his first aria. Unfortunately, I recognized none of the songs and cannot give you their names! However, he sang Baroque pieces during the first half. His voice was not sufficiently warmed up to tackle the difficult runs and trills of the Baroque with 100% ease, but I could still feel my hairs standing on end listening to his voice. It was as I had imagined, the masculine power and endurance imbued into a delicate high tone. I was enraptured during the entire concert.

The second half of the concert was dedicated to the romantic era. I sensed that the singer prefered this type of music, and was better warmed-up, as his voice gained clarity and embraced the music easily. During one well-known piece, the Ave Maria by J.S. Bach, he drifted into the sides of the church so that all that remained to the audieance was his light voice filling the interior. It was truly wonderful. He was singing so well by the end that I did not want the concert to finish.

I went home on the metro that night with the voice of angels in my head.