Duo lyrique: Laplante-Duval

A native of Beauce, France Duval began her musical studies with Rollande Dion at the Conservatoire de Musique before perfecting herself in Lyrical Art at the Laval University in Québec City with Michel Ducharme and Louise André.

Since 1985, she has been noticed for her imaginative interpretation of the role of the baroness Elsa in "Sound of Music", and her temperament for the stage was confirmed several months later when she participated in Jacques Offenbach's "Vie parisienne" at Montréal's Place des Arts and Québec City's Grand Théâtre.

As for Bruno Laplante, his career as a recitalist brought him to sing in some one hundred cities across over thirty countries. His numerous recordings of the "Livre d'or de la Mélodie française", in part for national European and Canadian Radios, in part on disc for France's Calliope firm and Japan's JVC, soon gave him an international reputation.

At the same time, he has produced and directed large operetta shows with choir and orchestra throughout Québec, several of which resulted in invitations to perform them in foreign countries.

Since the Orford Premiere, the France Duval and Bruno Laplante couple have laid more and more emphasis on different programs of "Love Duets". These performances have been both in Canada and also in Mexico (Festival Cervantina), in Korea (throught 8 cities), in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia, in Japan (40 concerts in a dozen cities, with radio and television coverage) and in France (Paris and Province) .

Recordings already available on disc include "Dialogues d'amoureux" with piano, and "Laplante-Duval chantent Noël", a Christmas program with string quartet, guitar, and instruments. Numerous projects in hand include a recording with orchestra of the most beautiful Waltzes of the world.

Conceived to be accompanied with piano or with several instruments, their programs evoke atmospheres (the Rolling Twenties, la Belle Epoque, Imperial Vienna, les Salons parisiens...), speak of famous characters (Yvonne Printemps, Reynaldo Hahn...), underline anniversaries (First Centenary of Cinema, LaFontaine's Tricentenary), but do so in an intimate fashion, customised, and with support of an extremely simple technique, ideal for touring.

The Laplante-Duval couple live now in the Historic Québec City, a Unesco Heritage site.

Reviews

SYDNEY

"...What a delightful recital it was when Bruno Laplante and France Duval brought us a repertoire which, to our loss, is almost totally neglected here . Poulenc and Duparc, we know, but add Satie,Reynaldo Hahn and Messager, and you have a program which blends charm and sophistication . Both singers had the full measure of these qualities.Laplante with a large voice susceptible to meticulous refinement; Duval can pass from fluorescent brightness to a coy operetta mode in the twinkling of a trill."
(The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia)
 

TOKYO

"... a delightfully masterful interpretation ..."
(Asahi Shinbun, Tokyo)

"... fascinating voices..."
(Mainichi Shinbun, Tokyo )

"... delightful and rewarding evening..."
(Japan Times, Tokyo)

"... each selection reflected the singer's exquisite taste and artistic sensitivity as well as his intelligent style and sympathy for the music..."
(Japan Times)
 

HONG-KONG

"The singing was full of passion and the piano full of vigour..."
(Wah Kiu Yat Po)
 

BEIJING

"Laplante moved between octaves with dexterity and complete ease. His eyes took on a faraway look as he sang, as if he was carried away to a panorama of fairy land, forests, and the sea."
(China Daily)
 

AMSTERDAM

"... sublieme sang van Laplante.. "
(Het Parool)
 

DEN HAAG

"... Laplante excelleert in liederen van Poulenc.."
(N.R.C.)
 

BRUXELLES

"... le choix des mélodies, l'utilisation expressive de la voix, l'interprétation grandiose et richement élaborée nous rappelaient les récitals de Bernac et Poulenc."
(Het Laatste Nieuws)

"... ce bel artiste me semble le plus attachant héritier des grands interprètes de la mélodie française..."
(Revue des disques)
 

LONDON

"Laplante has a timbre remarquably similar to Souzays's songs, a warm and expressive singer..."
(Gramophone)
 

PARIS

"... Bruno Laplante , Choufleuri désopilant..."
(Opéra international)
 

GENEVE

"... distinction de style, pureté de l'expression..."
(Le Journal de Genève)
 

FRANKFURT

"Bruno Laplante's zu leichtem Flattern neigendes Timbre gab der Kaputtheit des Roderick Usher adäquaten Ausdruck..."
(Frankfurter Allgemeine)
 

NEW-YORK

"... Duval sounds to me a good operetta soprano and she remains consistent throughout ..."
(Fanfare, New-York)
 

MEXICO

"El baritono y la soprano son dos artistas de solida formacion, de muy bellas voces, con diccion perfecta. Duenos de una agradable y simpactica personalidad, con vestuario elegante y siempre adecuado.."
(El Gallo Ilustrado , Mexico)
 

QUEBEC

"... Duval conserve le meilleur équilibre entre les interventions parlées et les chansons..."

"... intelligence musicale peu commune.."
(Le Soleil)
 

MONTREAL

"... Duval clearly has marvellous potential."
(The Gazette)

"... une jeune chanteuse fort douée, visiblement très à l'aise sur le plateau, France Duval a littéralement volé la vedette. .."
(Le Devoir)

"Charm is Bruno Laplante's long suit, not charm in the sense of an acquired social technique, but rather the magic variety. A number of modest and familiar ingredients are combined in a secret formula to produce a mysterious and fascinating result."
(The Star)
 

TORONTO

"Bruno Laplante was 'captivating' in the role of Sganarelle..."
(Opera Canada)

"This revelatory repertoire is superbly performed by the Québec baritone Bruno Laplante whose controlled and discreet singing presents the music in all its beauty without over-statement. Colour, phrasing, diction are all exemplary.
(The Globe and Mail)
 

OTTAWA

"Mr.Laplante is an exceptional interpreter. Each solo song was a vocal miniature masterpiece."
(Journal Review)

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