Gilbert Py

Gilbert Py is a Ténor French, born with Sète in 1933. The power of its voice classifies it among the heroic tenors, fullest and most powerful of the tenors (Samson), also called tenor robusto (Otello of Verdi) and whose German equivalent is Heldentenor Wagnérien (Tristan, Siegfried). It is characterized by plenitude, the roundness and the equality of the stamp, until in the acute one.

Biography: The Travelling acrobat with the Opera

Gilbert Gaston Benjamin Py, open, child of the ball, Pianist, Violonist, Dancer, painter, stuntman, gardian, going down from the noble line of the Sibour Bona fide, by his Jeanne mother, girl of lady Marie Jeanne sister of the Archbishop of Good Foix Sibour, and Alfred Py his father saw the day the December 9th 1933 in Sète in the department of the Herault, in France. He passed his life on the grounds of fair, in company of his family. Mister and Mrs Py, open of trade, lived in a caravan. The small Gilbert made his education on all the roads and all the ways of France. The family lives with Montpellier for enough a short stay, while continuing to travel, because the open trade the fact food. Gilbert is five years old, it takes his first piano lesson, the parents do not have money, it will thus not have an instrument to work, it will make his ranges on an accordion. The following year it begins the courses of violin. Mr Anzi Batal, concert performer of reputation, exiled in France, will offer its first violin to him. One moves again, but the family always turns with the caravan. Gilbert begins his “turns” with the Toto circus, it returns in the cage of a wild lion and a “concerto” with its accordion plays to him. It is just seven years old. He sings and dances in the streets, with his Pierrot brother, then they tighten their small cap to receive “two pennies” a help for the family, which just manages to survive. Mrs Py registers it with a course of dance, it takes her first lesson in Montpellier. It is eight years old. He dances with the corps de ballet, in the Bald person Mouse, the Polovsiennes dances of Prince Igor. He asks for the Ballet mistress of regulate the dances of styles Tziganes, Russian to him and Spanish. They prepare together extracts of the “Hungarian Dances” of Brahms, “Espana” and “Arlésienne”. She learns how to him to make use of the castanets. Provided with this serious luggage, he sings “Well far from my Bohemian” “This evening play Tziganes”, and naturally he dances, always in the streets. He is 10 years old. They are in Toulouse; behind Capitole, there is a nightclub. Gilbert enters and asks to see the owner. A Mister advances. ─ You cheeks of the accordion, my small catch. You want to show well me what you know to make? Play to me a tango. Gilbert played “Paloma” and “Jealousy” ─ It is well, my small, you have good bases. One starts again, I accompany you. The Mister took his bandonion and accompanied it. - C' is good! Good, my small, you can come this evening… but if you want to have world, it will be necessary that you come about midnight.

To leave at midnight! The parents did not allow it. Gilbert had heard the man play, it was felt very small beside him, and due this Mister was Carlos Gardela. Gilbert knew it the following day. The infernal ball was a sporting attraction. In a large sphere ten meters in diameter was held the spectacle. Gilbert, child bold was chooses to take part in attraction. A motorcycle combination driven by a highly skilled pilot hummed while turning in the sphere and all the directions, at an alarming speed. Gilbert sitting beside the pilot, played all while studding himself, the walk of the “Lancers of Bengal”, or “that of the Light cavalry”, on his accordion which it retained of force. One admired the small man whom one found quite courageous. He controlled a “large cube” in the wall of death, crossing and avoiding in his mad dash the motor bike that the owner of attraction led. He was just eleven years old ...... The years passed… it always sang. High-speed motorboat of the lottery of brothers PY, equipped with the costumes with Mariano which it had made copy, grimé like him, it mima its songs on the front of the stand. One day, he even sang them him. An young woman heard it, the voice was interesting, it led it in her professor who made him make some singing exercises. He highly advised “to work a so beautiful material”

The lyric career

Beginnings

In Nice, it found a professor who confirmed. “My boy you do not have the voice to sing the operetta, but that of a heroic tenor, you will sing Samson, Otello, Siegmund, Tannhauser, Fidélio, on all the scenes of the world. It was flattered, but did not include/understand completely. He studied with the Master, during four years. He was registered with the contest of Cannes (which was gained before, by the tenors Alain Vanzo, Guy Chauvet, Gustave Botiaux). One gave the chance to the winner to sing a great role, Miss A. First price chooses Butterfly. Organizing Fichefet Master of the contest, entrusted Pinkerton to the young tenor Gilbert Py who had not gained however, that a second price. The concert take place on the Small cross. Master Pernod leader of Lille, heard it, it complimented it. Gilbert hastened to entrust to him that he would sing soon a selection of Carmen, I Pagliacci, would follow and on August 10th, Otello. Mr Pernod did not hide his surprise: extracts of Otello very right after having sung Pinkerton; Gift Jose, rather astonishing Canio. The voice was dramatic, powerful. Good recruit for the opera of Lille. He advised to pass from hearings to Lille and to Belgium.

He began on November 14th, 1964 with Verviers (Belgium) in the role from Pinkerton of Mrs Butterfly. March 14th, 1965, he sang its first great role: Mario in Tosca with Tourcoing. Success was such as all France knew it at once. Its career started dice this day… it sang Jean d' Hérodiade with Tourcoing, Carmen in Rennes. Helped in Liege (Belgium) the same season, Otello with Tourcoing, in 1966, Samson in Ghent (Belgium) with Rita Gorr like Dalila… Otello, Radamés, Fidelio, Samson, Gift Jose, Mathis der Mahler, Nemrod in the tower of Babel, for the creation of the opera from Wallonia, in Liege (Belgium), in 1966. Fidélio in Bordeaux in 1968 Adoniram in the Queen of Sheba to Toulouse… in 1969, beginning in Nice, with Turridu, and Canio, then the same season with the Open-air theater of Cimiez: Samson, partners of luxury: Rita Gorr, White Ernest. Rene Nicoli Administrator of the Opera of Paris and Jean Giraudeau directing of the Comic Opera, present at the spectacle, decide this evening there, to insert it in the troop of the Opera. Raskolnikoff de Sutermeister in Nice, in December 1969. The public niçois discovers on January 16th, 1970 “…. Otello which swept of only one blow, all those which since Luccioni had approached the role, including the famous LED Monaco” I. Ugo Fidélio in Nice Trovatore, Helped, Carmen, in Wien in Berlin, in Munich, in Hamburg Aida in Passau in Kiel the same year. Tosca with Bern, Samson with New Orleans, Samson, Carmen in Palermo and Catania.

Beginnings in Paris

Beginnings with the opera of Paris, always in 1969, with Carmen, the Damnation of Faust de Berlioz, production Maurice Béjart, then Mario Caravadossi with Hanna Janku. Catch of role of Manrico of Trovatore on June 13rd, 1973. With the Comic Opera: Werther, Hoffmann, Straw mattress, Tosca. Arrival of Rolf Liebermann Administrator of the Opera, closing of the Comic Opera and dislocation of the troop.

The United States and the World

Beginning in States with the Damnation of Faust to Miami The career continued normally in France, in Germany, in Austria, in Belgium, in the world. Fidélio in Bordeaux, in 1972. Lohengrin and Carmen in 1973 in Turin. Samson for the inauguration of the lyric season of the Arenas of Verona in 1974, with Fiorenza Cossotto, it always encloses with Fiorenza Cossotto, the season, with Aida. Canio with Frankfort. Lohengrin in Rome. Calaf with Bari in Palermo. Naples Gift Jose, Barcelona Otello, Gift Jose, Samson. Samson Valencia. Lisbon Radamés, Mexico City Samson, Santiago - Chile Samson, Gift Jose, Siegmund de Die Walkure, Sao Paolo Gift Jose. Manrico in Budapest. Canio, Gift Jose, Mario in Belgrade. Otello, Radamès, Canio with the festival of Split. Gift Jose Hamilton. Samson for the creation of Eno Nort. Samson, Otello in Dublin. Gift Jose in Toronto. San Gallen (Swiss) 21 representations of Otello. Pollione - Normalized at Las Palmas. Gift Jose in Geneva. Samson with the Opera of Paris. Metropolitan of New York, Washington Helped….Troyens in Marseilles Canio in Liege. Samson in Bordeaux, Lille. Jean d' Herodiade with Acropolis Nice and Orange Dyed with carmine Burana, (two roles) in Tallin (Estonia) Otello, Lohengrin, Canio, Gift Jose, Andre Chénier in Ankara. With the Festival of Aspendos in a circus and in front of 18.000 people he sings his Otello last.

Translation of the criticism of Samson to Mexico City April 16th, 1978

It has been enormously years that with Bleated Artes, a beginning is not reached the apotheosis, that Gilbert Py received at the time of his service of Samson. Absolute musical quality. This very excellent French tenor has a powerful voice and an impeccable diction. Virile figure and good actor. He gave life of the beginning to the end to the character. There is not a fault, not one but which one can comment on. Its work was PERFECT That to say reaction of the public which dice the end of the first act claimed its presence only on scene. Knight by excellent, it did it only at the end of the representation, it then accepted ovation that only to date had received Caballé, Pavarotti Irma Gonzalés, Scotto, Cruz Romo on this same scene. We are on Gilbert Py will return to Bleated Artes, this same year. We all await it.

Discography

External bonds

http://janpy.free.fr/ (personal site)
http://www.francoisnouvion.net/french/py.html

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