Country

:

France

Birth

:

January 12, 1899 in Paris, France

Death

:

October 17, 1979 in Avignon, France

Period

:

Romantic

Genre

:

Vocal

 

Pierre Bernac was a French baritone and one of the most renowned interpreters of French art song in the 20th century. He was born on January 12, 1899, in the town of Anduze, in the south of France. His father was a schoolteacher, and his mother was a pianist who gave him his first music lessons. Bernac showed an early talent for singing, and he began his formal musical education at the age of 16, studying at the Conservatoire de Montpellier. In 1920, Bernac moved to Paris to continue his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied with the famous baritone Jean Lassalle. He made his professional debut in 1922, singing in a production of Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Bernac quickly established himself as a leading baritone in France, and he began to specialize in the performance of French art song, or mélodie. Bernac's career took off in the 1930s, when he began a long and fruitful collaboration with the composer Francis Poulenc. Poulenc had written a number of songs for voice and piano, and he was looking for a singer who could interpret them with the sensitivity and nuance they required. Bernac was the perfect choice, and the two men began a partnership that would last for more than 20 years. Bernac and Poulenc gave their first joint recital in 1935, and it was an immediate success. Bernac's clear, pure voice and his impeccable diction were the perfect match for Poulenc's witty, sophisticated songs. The two men went on to perform together all over the world, and they recorded many of their songs for the French label EMI. Bernac's reputation as a singer of French art song continued to grow throughout the 1940s and 1950s. He performed with many of the leading pianists of the day, including Francis Poulenc, Jacques Février, and Dalton Baldwin. He also recorded extensively, making more than 200 recordings of French art song for EMI and other labels. In addition to his work as a performer, Bernac was also a respected teacher and author. He wrote several books on French art song, including "The Interpretation of French Song" and "The French Song Companion." He also taught at the École Normale de Musique de Paris and the Conservatoire de Paris, where he trained a generation of young singers in the art of French song. Bernac's contributions to the world of music were recognized with many honors and awards. In 1953, he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, one of the highest honors in France. He was also awarded the Grand Prix du Disque, the highest award for recorded music in France, several times throughout his career. Bernac continued to perform and teach well into his 70s, and he remained an important figure in the world of French art song until his death in 1979. His legacy lives on through his recordings, his writings, and the many singers he trained and inspired over the course of his long and illustrious career.

More....