Entre Brecht et Brel - Saule Iskakova

Entre Brecht et Brel was the finale of the famous Milva-Piazzolla concert at the Bouffes du Nord in Paris in September, 1984. Today's video features Saule Iskakova performing this rarely heard piece. It is a powerful, melodic canción tailored for the dramatic persona of Milva. The text is abstract but it seems to explore the nature of reality for the performer - is real life the character on the stage or the person remaining after the curtain closes? According to the sacem registration, the lyrics were composed by Angela Dania Tarenzi (wife of Piazzolla's agent, Aldo Pagani) and Alberto Favata (better known under his psuedonym of Simon Luca), presumably in Italian originally. The lyrics were adapted into french for Milva's performance by the well known french song writer, Claude Lemesle. All three are credited on the Bouffes du Nord recording. If that is not complicated enough, the piece was re-registered with sacem as Finale when it was performed by Richard Galliano and it is now known by both names, sometimes simultaneously. And, there is more: in the only other recording of the piece that I can find, José Angel Trelles performed the piece in 1993 on his Inedito recording under the title Final de función with the lyrics adapted into spanish by poet and lyricist, Horacio Ferrer. The differences in the lyrics are striking enough that I have included both the french and spanish lyrics below the video. I have not yet found the original italian lyrics to determine which adaptation is closest to the original but you can hear the lyrics in italian in this video by Mascia Foschi.

The vocalist in today's video, Saule Iskakova, is from Saint Petersburg, Russia. I believe that Ms. Iskakova is today's best Piazzolla vocalist outside of Argentina, and better than most in Argentina. She approaches Milva in both quality of voice and drama of presentation. The performance in today's video was captured in Petrozavodsk with a local tango band providing accompaniment. While I hear some good musicians in the band, they are clearly not familiar enough with the material to provide the accompaniment that such a high quality vocal deserves. You will find six other performances by Ms. Iskakova and the local band on MrTozi's YouTube channel - all of them are good, but I think the one featured here is the best.

If the video does not appear below, click here.



Lyrics as sung in french (from the Bouffes du Nord CD liner notes)

Un crépuscule artificiel joue "limelight"
Quand le silence des rappels éclate
Un n'est plus rien qu'une ombre pâle sur un plateau
Que polichinelle
Entre Brecht et Brel
Et balaie le tréteau
Quand un dieu coupe ses ficelles de pantin
L'artiste es nu comme un rebelle argentin
Quand les pleins feux le démaquillent et qu'il se réveille
Le lilliputien géant
Redevient l'enfant
Qu'il était la veille

Pont la nuit meurt
On a fait l'amour
On sort côté coeur, côté cour
C'est la vie de baladin
Lampe d'Aladin
Qui s'éteint aux portes du jour
Je vais chanter
Sur la voie lactée
Dans un rêve plein de ta voix
Et je vais me réveiller
Tout émerveillée
D'être encor ce soir avec toi

Un crépuscule qui annonce une aurore
Une éclaircie en réponse à la mort
c'est le spectacle, c'est la scène, et le rêve qui
m'ont donné des ailes
Entre Brecht et Brel
Entre l'ombre et l'oubli
je vais partir en emportant le décor
Je vais sortir en te criant "encore"
Moi Columbine qui salue et redeviens moi
Je me rentre dans ma peau
Et sous le rideau
Je dors avec toi

Lyrics in spanish from (Todotango.com)

Salió Chaplín a dirigir la orquesta.
La farsa estalla con su luz de gas.
Piensa Podrecca los aplausos de papel.
Seré Harpo Marx, mi amor, y por vos
daré la función.

Si el hilo corta el dios que da la letra,
la magia muere; pero, no llorés:
le rogaremos al autor unos versos más;
la ilusión revivirá, y en la escena tres
yo el amor te haré.

Fue nuestro novelón de abril,
vos de frac y yo de soirée.
Y era nuestro loco amor
bella inspiración
de un poeta que nos rimó.

Te amé y canté, extasiándome
en aquel final color vals.
Lararara,larará... Y soñar los dos.
Y jamás, jamás despertar.

¡Por Dios! Crispín trepó a encender el día.
¿Quién ya en las máscaras podrá creer?
Es el teatro, y el dolor de celofán.
Cruje mi galán y como un mal Gardel
me olvido de mí.

Incendia el sol nuestra escenografía.
Sangrando azul de candilejas vas.
Ay, Colombina, al caer, te saludaré.
Agonizo en mi disfraz. Ya bajo el telón.
Moriré con vos.

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