To characterise the life and times of Gabriel DuPont as tragic and tormenting would be an understatement. A tuberculosis patient, he was in and out of hospitals most of the time, replacing the pains of his illness with manic episodes of creativity. No wonder then that most of his works seem to deal with suffering and the inevatibility of death, carrying ominous titles such as "Heures dolentes" (Hours of pain) or "Le Chant de la Destinee" (The song of destiny). He celebrated a triumphal entry into the scene with his first Opera "La Cabrera" in 1904, became a respected member of the musical community and continued to compose until he died on the very first day of World War I. French label Timpani is now paying hommage to this great "could-have-been" with a CD that features some of his finest songs. "Les melodies" are based on poems by Verlaine, Rimbaud and Vanor among others and feature Mezzo Florence Katz, Bariton Lionel Peintre and Marie-Catherine Girod on piano. Even though history has not exactly been kind to Dupont, this album could mark the beginning of a renaissance.

Homepage: Note 1
Homepage: "The Friends of Gabriel Dupont"