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Poulenc: La Voix Humaine on CD

FRANCIS POULENC 1875-1937 La voix humaine Denise Duval soprano Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra-Comique Georges Prêtre conductor JEAN COCTEAU 1889-1963 Le bel indifférent* Édith Piaf narrator STEREO/*MONO · RECORDED IN 1959 & *1955 Denise Duval was Francis Poulenc's muse, the soprano for whom he composed the roles of Blanche in Dialogues des Carmélites, Thérèse in Les Mamelles de Tirésias and "Elle" in La Voix humaine - the nameless Parisienne who, in Jean Cocteau's skillfully crafted libretto, engages in a tortuous, one-sided telephone conversation with her lover. This compelling solo opera is paired here with a Cocteau monodrama for spoken voice, Le bel indifférent. It stars Edith Piaf, best known, of course, as France's emblematic popular singer. Georges Pretre is the most prominent Frenchconductor of his generation. He is celbrated as a conductor of opera and orchestral music. A former music director of the Paris Opera, he has conducted the major orchestras of Europe and the US.