Leon Rennay

              1914

Figure

Léon Rennay


PRESS CRITICISMS

Daily Telegraph, London
Mr. Léon Rennay has a flexible and sympathetic baritone voice, which is under control, and he sings in genuinely artistic style, and with marked refinement.


Daily Telegraph, London
Mr. Léon Rennay introduced two songs new to London, and his interpretation showed that he thoroughly understood the character of the music; his singing of other typical modern French songs was warmly applauded.


Daily Telegraph, London
Mr. Léon Rennay sang with genuine artistic finish and notable skill.


Daily Telegraph, London
(Reynaldo Hahn Concert.)
The principal vocalist, however, was Mr. Léon Rennay, who simply delighted the audience with the charm of his agreeable style and voice.  This artist must have made a very careful study of the music he had to interpret.  Reynaldo Hahn's songs have an obvious distinctiveness.  Their construction is delicate, and they do not, so to speak, sing themselves.  The vocalist in this case needs to know every touch of the composer's refined art, and only a special singer can satisfy its many requirements.  Mr. Rennay met every demand with perfect ease and accuracy.  It was a lively pleasure to listen as he sang.



Morning Post, London
A particular success was achieved by Mr. Léon Rennay, who sings with great taste and refinement.


The Standard, London
Mr. Rennay's singing showed decided advance in significance and in finish, and he interpreted a number of French songs in a style perfectly in accord with their character, the last being sung with such delicacy and refinement that the audience demanded and secured its repetition.


The Standard, London
Fewrecitals recently have equalled, either in artistic unity or interest, that given yesterday at the Bechstein Hall, by Reynaldo Hahn.  His characterstic and essentially poetical songs have seldom been interpreted with such sympathy as by the composer, at the piano, and Mr. Rennay, as interpreter.  The cultured singer's voice and style, with his beautiful diction, exactly fitted the feeling of each song.


The Times, London
Mr. Léon Rennay has a baritone voice which he uses with the greatest skill.  His perfect diction was of the greatest value.


Daily Mail, London
A charming concert at the Bechstein Hall yesterday was chiefly noticeable for a series of French songs sympathetically sung by M. Léon Rennay.


Daily Mail, London
(Hahn-Rennay Concert.)
Yesterday at the Bechstein Hall the composer himself appeared, and a number of his works were sung by M. Léon Rennay, a baritone with a refined command of expression.



Pall Mall Gazette, London
Mr. Léon Rennay sang a number of songs belonging to a variety of schools with rare charm.


Daily Graphic, London
Mr. Léon Rennay sings with pleasant voice and a cultivated style.


Marylebone Advertiser, London
Mr. Léon Rennay also pleased the audience.  His French proved him a master of diction but his best interpretative effort was Schubert's Litanei, which merited and achieved a great reception.


The Scotsman (Edinburgh)
Several of the most characteristic of these melodies were interpreted by Mr. Léon Rennay, whose voice and style exactly fit the essentially poetical fancy and imaginative grace of these dainty compositions, while the composer's accompaniment at the piano added greatly to the effect.


Violin Times, London
Mr. Léon Rennay gave wholly artistic interpretations of several of the talented composer's songs.  They were all highly original and possessed unusual charm, which was heightened by the delicacy and refinement of the rendering and the beauty and sweetness of the well known baritone's voice.  A cycle, Chansons grises, was full of grace, which Mr. Rennay gave with exceptional charm and sweetness.


Weekly Times & Echo, London
Mr. Léon Rennay, as Jack Kenyon, acts very well and sings with marked success.


Court Journal, London
Everyone was delighted with Mr. Léon Rennay's singing, and his quaint old French chansons seemed to accord exactly with the old-world atmosphere of the place.  (Kensington Palace.)


Free Lance, London
Mr. Rennay has a good voice and he knows how to use it.


The Boudoir, London
…Mr. Léon Rennay whose artistic singing so delights intelligent audiences.


The Boudoir, London
It is doubtful if any English-speaking singer can sing French as well as does Mr. Léon Rennay.  Not only is his diction that of a Frenchman, but his manner of interpreting a French song serves as a model, even to those who sing—year in, year out—in France!


The Boudoir, London
Nothing could have been more delightful than M. Rennay's singing of L'heure exquise and in the difficult final phrase his fine command of voice enabled him to secure a perfectly graduated decrescendo—which terminated in a particularly alluring pianissimo.  Baritones who know how to sing and music critics who have devoted their attention to the subject, will agree with me that in L'heure exquise M. Léon Rennay secured for himself a veritable triumph.


The Referee, London
Mr. Rennay has made decided advance and he rendered a number of charming French songs to perfection.


The Musical World, Manchester
The other artists were M. Léon Rennay, who has an artistic flexible voice, which was heard to great advantage in L'Heure Exquise, which had to be repeated.


Ladies Field, London
But the success of the concert was won by M. Rennay, whose singing was wholly delightful.  M. Rennay has not only a beautiful voice, but he is also a master of style, and this can be said of very few of the singers of the day.


ladies Pictorial, London
Mr. Léon Rennay sang with great charm.


Black & White, London
Mr. Rennay's, delightful singing of French songs are bringing him a unique repute.


APPEARANCES IN PARIS
Figaro, Paris

Mr. Rennay of London was much applauded.

Gil Blas, Paris

Mr. Léon Rennay was warmly received in his singing of Hahn and Fauré.


Echo de Paris

Mr. Rennay of London is a baritone of the best school.

Gaulois, Paris

Mr. Rennay won the warmest applause.

La Liberte, Paris

Mr. Rennay of London was accorded a hearty welcome for his artistic singing.


St. Louis Globe-Democrat
One of the most artistic, musical events of the past week was the song recital by Léon Rennay who sang in German, French and English—appearing to be equally at home in all.  Few singers of the present day have so thoroughly realized the intimate relationship between poetry and song, and this intelligent artist may be fairly designated the poet among vocalists.  In manner he is unaffected and he has acquired such mastery of the art of placing his tone that there was no effort apparent in any of the eighteen songs which constituted the programme.  Perfect musical expression and clear diction are the first points aimed at by the young man, and in these respects he surpasses any other concert artist who has visited St. Louis this season.

(Saint-Saens Concert, Washington, D. C.)


The Washington Post
Not less attractive were the numbers by Mr. Rennay, whose characteristic interpretations and well modulated voice served the intentions of the composer to the best advantage.


The Washington Herald
M. Rennay's voice is exquisitely adapted for recitative work and themes of sentiment.  It is beautifully modulated and pure in tone and timbre.  As a medium of poetic expression, it is well fitted to exactly the sort of song into which Saint-Saens pours the ebullitions of his soul—a song like the Reverie.  M. Rennay's enunciation and the feeling manifested in expression and phrasing were thoroughly appreciated.


The Washington Star
Mr. Rennay's well-cultivated voice was heard to good advantage and his clear enunciation and poetic expression were appreciated.


The Washington Times
The French diction of Mr. Rennay was a revelation to many singers of French songs, and equal to a lesson.


The St. Louis Republic
A large audience greeted Léon Rennay yesterday morning when that artist interpreted a very interesting and well-chosen programme, consisting of song classics of the French, German and English schools.
His voice possesses great natural beauty and is of great range, as was shown in the varied repertoire of compositions.  It was a programme that required much versatility of style and expression.  Mr. Rennay proved himself a finished artist with a broad conception.  No singer now before the public possesses so faultless a diction and enunciation as this artist.  It was a revelation to his hearers.




Mr. Rennay's Personal Address:
675 madison Ave New York City

Agents: