Léopold Simoneau, a French-Canadian tenor, was considered by critics to be the most refined male vocalist in Mozart literature active in 1957.
Performer Biography
Pierrette Alarie, a soprano and wife of Léopold Simoneau, was recognized as an artist of high rank and a superior stylist in Mozart's music.
Performer Biography
Léopold Simoneau retired from the operatic stage in 1964 after singing the role of Don Ottavio in Mozart's Don Giovanni 185 times, and continued to perform in recitals and concerts.
Recording & Production
This album includes a track, 'Schlafe, mein Prinzchen', attributed to Mozart but actually composed by Bernhard Flies.
Performer Biography
Léopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie, who met in 1940, were married in 1946 and often performed together, with their vocal partnership described as 'the perfect vocal marriage'.
Performer Biography
Léopold Simoneau and Pierrette Alarie co-founded Canada Opera Piccola, a chamber opera company in Victoria, BC, to provide performance experience for advanced opera students.
Performer Biography
John Newmark, the pianist on this album, was a German-born accompanist who fled the Nazis and was interned in Canada before becoming a prominent accompanist for many artists.
