DESCRIPTION:
Mado Robin (1918-1960), the French coloratura, was quite popular in France, especially during the 1950's, when she did a lot of radio and TV work, in addition to her operatic and concert performances. While not a big international career, it was certainly a respectable and popular one, owing perhaps to her extraordinary voice, which, like those of Yma Sumac and Ivan Rebroff, were literally off the scale on the top end. She has recorded some of the highest legitimate soprano sounds ever made. In a way, she was an example of what might have happened if Yma Sumac had tried for an operatic career instead of exotica. It is not entirely a blessing. Pretty soon, the soprano becomes known only for the extreme range, and that can too easily turn into something like a vaudeville act. This was largely the fate of Maria Galvany, many years earlier. Robin is reported to have sung a D above double high C in a concert once. She commonly sang As and Bs above high C. She gives us an Ab above high C in this light-hearted song. This range is sometimes called a "whistle" range, and is commonly compared to bird song. I believe Robin's voice does not actually fit that category. It is simply an extraordinarily high voice, but the quality is still there, and she can sing very beautifully, and I believe it is a disservice to her memory to present her as a "vaudeville" act, which too many have tended to do. She deserves more respect.