Soprano Rachel Joselson performs songs by Gabriel Dupont.

Dupont (1878-1914) was born in Caen, Normandy and educated at the Paris Conservatory. His verisimo opera, La Cabrera won a prestigious competition in 1904. Unfortunately, he contracted tuberculosis, which was the eventual cause of his death. Despite his poor health, he put out an impressive output of sophisticated works, including three more operas, numerous songs, two piano suites, an orchestral tone poem, and a piano quintet. This album is a collection of Dupont’s songs, in an unusually satisfying programme of beautiful French songs.

While still a university student in voice, Rachel Joselson performed with the Indianapolis Symphony and with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Robert Shaw. Her first full-time operatic contract was in Darmstadt. She later performed a substantial soprano repertoire in Hamburg. Returning to the U.S., she was engaged by the Metropolitan Opeara for Kurt Weil’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. She has been on the faculty of the University of Iowa since 1997.