The music of legendary French singer Edith Piaf is coming to St. Louis through the voice of another renowned vocalist, Patricia Racette, who has spent more than three decades as an opera soprano.
Racette’s October 9 one-woman show "Patricia Sings Piaf" offers personal interpretations of Piaf’s music. Racette said her aim is to celebrate, rather than imitate, original chansons like Piaf’s 1960 hit “Non, je ne regrette rien” — a song in which Piaf proclaims that she regrets nothing, neither the good nor the bad.
Piaf’s music remains timeless, Racette noted, because “she manages to deliver and delve into a story in a way that draws us to her story, but still lets us imagine our own.”
Racette continued, “I find that so incredible, the visceral portrayal…It just seems to come from her core, and it speaks to anyone that hears her…. she turned her pain into absolutely unforgettable music, and had a very distinct way of delivering and being present in that delivery.”
In addition to Racette’s upcoming show, she also discussed her new role as artistic director with Opera Theatre of St. Louis. She is the first woman to hold the position.
“I thoroughly have enjoyed my tenure with this company for the past six years as the artistic director for the young artist program,” she said Thursday on St. Louis on the Air. “[The new position] is taking all those values, those skills, the vision for the young artists, and sort of broadening my arms around the company artistically as a whole.”
Related event:
What: "Patricia Sings Piaf" ft. Patricia Racette & Craig Terry
When: Oct. 9 at 8 p.m.
Where: The Sheldon (3648 Washington Boulevard St. Louis, 63108)
To hear the full conversation with incoming Opera Theatre of St. Louis Artistic Director Patricia Racette, listen to “St. Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The production intern is Darrious Varner. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
