"Hello." "I am a singer..." "I come to make a replacement." "I was told to present myself at the entrance ..." "My name is Hazel Klein." "There are false invitations circulating ..." "You're late Mademoiselle." "I'm sorry, but I live two hours from Paris and ..." "I came on foot from the station." "Excuse me, do you know who I have to address about my salary?" "Do not worry, Mademoiselle." "Madame will be very generous." "You have some other shoes with you?" "No, but ..." "I can clean them." "Do not worry, Mademoiselle." "This is a work charity, right?" "Yes, the "war orphans", yes." "If that doesn't make you want to set everything on fire?" "Hey look, it's the Queen Mother." "She is rich!" "Oh yes." "What does that matter?" "I like it so much Kiril." "Hazel." "Herself." "So..." "Hazel." "Do you have something against poetry dear Madame?" "My God no." "I write myself." "To a good time !" "Kiril von Priest." "The paintings are also of me" "They are very nice." "How would you like to invest in a gallery, Princess?" "Hello." "Hello." "Ah, yes, it is much more elegant." "Thank you but I have to sing." "Lucien Beaumont." "Beaumont?" " Shh." "I came incognito." "I know your name." "You write very unfair things about a friend of mine in your newspaper." "Alice Jardinet." "Oh yes ..." "She sang ... like a frog, right?" "It did make many suffer." "No ... it made her very good." "What is this ?" "What is she singing?" "In fact Madame Dumont came to hear me singing in the conservatory." "She was looking for someone for a duet and ..." "I was told that it paid well." "Have you already heard her sing?" "No." "But mostly she sings for her friends, I think." "In concert." "Apparently yes." "It is going to be soon your concert, Mademoiselle." "The shoes..." "Thats perfect." "Thank you." "She is not eager for you to listen, the Marguerite?" "She is already looking at us if you want to know." "What do you mean ?" "There are holes in the large painting in the living room." "It was herself who told me." "It seems she is still waiting for her husband to be here to start singing." "You see..." "There is a lot of things you dont know." "And ... where is the husband?" "...OK with me, so here goes ..." "I made them myself ..." "You still do not have news of my husband?" "He is going to arrive soon Madame." "It's always the same thing..." "Do not worry." "I will return shortly, Caruso." "Hmm?" "Well ..." "Come on ... here we go?" "Notify me as soon as my husband arrives." "He has to have a problem ..." "Bravo." "Congratulations ladies." "Bravo." "Bravo." "Our association is always happy to introduce you to new and beautiful voices." "Bravo ... really well done." "This quarter, the Amadeus Circle is pleased to support the orphans of the war." "Our friend FraГ§oise Bellaire is available to you in the lobby to collect donations." "These orphans are our children." "The children of France." "We know how you can all be very generous." "It was beautiful, Mademoiselle." "And yet I know that it is not not an easy air." "Thanks a lot Madame." "The orchestra, it went alright?" "Yes, very well." "They are very good musicians." "Thank you." "And now..." "the moment that we're all waiting for." "Once again... our friend the Baroness Marguerite Dumont offers a very ambitious recital." "Music ... who among us loves it with as much generosity?" "... humility ... and especially ..." "demand?" "It is with immense joy" "I ask you to welcome our benefactor ..." "Baroness Marguerite Dumont ..." "So ..." "Either you enter or you leave Monsieur." "but don't leave the door open." "It's unbearable." "Does she always sings like that?" "Oh no..." "She has improved a lot ..." "Daisies for Marguerite." "It was interesting, right?" "But what happened?" "Perhaps she had a problem of ..." "It is the good Marguerite ..." "You heard it ..." "She ... she ... she's phenomenal." "I love it." "You love what?" "But her wild appeal." "You heard it?" "Finally there is something happening." "We are in the life!" "Brava!" "Calm down..." "It happens under the gilding, amid the aristocrats" "I will embrace this wonder." "Brava!" "I love you !" "Beautiful !" "Me ?" "Hey well go ahead, he will not bite you." "No, I dont know what happened ..." "Suddenly there was a noise ... the engine began to smoke, I skidded, and anyway" "I even got hurt ..." "No, I need to take it to the ..." "No, by the way I listened to feedback from some guests ... it is a success I believe." "Everyone says you have been wonderful." "Absolutely wonderful ... ..." "That is too much ..." "Thank you very much." "You have a very beautiful voice, Mademoiselle." "Thank you." "But Madame Dumont, she was uh ..." "she had troubles with her voice?" "Perhaps you may want to congratulate her?" "No, no, no, ... uh ..." "I do not want to bother her." "I'm going to go." "If you insist..." "No." "I do not insist at all." "Mademoiselle Hazel wants to talk to you." "She was very insistent." "Ah, yes!" "Have her enter, yes." "It was good what she did, right?" "Go ahead Mademoiselle ..." "Come ..." "Come Mademoiselle." "Hello." "You heard me a little." "I was unable to get out a high note." "Oh no!" "..." "It seemed good to me, Madame." "Ah, you see ..." "Mademoiselle, tell her what you heard after her recital." "A lot of emotions." "I believe that..." "everyone has enjoyed it." "Hey, well then, stop putting yourself in this state ..." "It needs to remain a pleasure, all that." "Yes, well that's a lot even when working." "Besides, I wanted to thank you also you have been very generous ..." "They told me you were leaving the Conservatory ... that you are very worthy." "I work with a group of young composers ..." "We are trying new things." "New music." "Anyway, I'd be happy to invite you, if one day you ..." "I'm sorry ... the guests are calling for a photo with you, Madame." "Ah ... the photo, yes, yes." "It makes them so pleased." "Your heels!" "I need to return your shoes!" "Oh no, no no no, keep them." "Like Cinderella." "A thousand thanks." "Where is FranГ§oise?" "FranГ§oise, it is also a small thanks to you for all that." "Come." "This is not an article to be written, it is a poem." "Hazel, come near me." "And live the music!" "Hold still ..." "One" "Two..." "Really good." "Really." "Look what I stole." "Wasn't everything like the Rockefellers, in the living room ..." "There is a signature ..." ""To the great Marguerite Dumont."" "It is her or her husband who has the loot?" "From what I was told, he had a title of nobility, and she, she had the money to save the walls and then ... the appearances." "Madame Butterfly" "Samson and Dalilah." "It's splendid." "They are real stage costumes, it appears." "They come from where, these photos?" "Where has she sung?" "Who knows..." "Do you think she realises that she sings badly?" "She hears her voice?" "No." "A singer does not hear her own singing." "So." " Not really." "A real singer, yes." "When she sings, she feels her voice is misplaced." "Yes, but she has nothing like her real singer friends there ..." "Oh yes ... the costumes." "Yes..." "You think she doesnt knows that she sings completely wrong?" "I dont believe so..." "Wrong ... but sublimely wrong." "Divinely wrong." "Wildly wrong!" "Yes!" "Are you going to work late?" "I have to read an important file for tomorrow   And I have all that ..." "What does that mean, important?" "It's about the rebuild of half of Pas-de-Calais, Marguerite." "I have no confidence in the Americans ... for them reconstruction, is firstly a business." "And not for you?" "I learned that FranГ§oise Bellaire opened a decoration store with a small art gallery, and all." "It would work for a review also." "One wonders what it costs her, she doesn't need to work." "Starting a business like that, for a woman alone is   I admire her, she is courageous." "I especially believe that you are very tired, Marguerite" "You should get some sleep." "tomorrow you should get up late ..." "Drag yourself to bed" "Why don't you go do a little shopping?" "Huh?" "Chapter 2 A NEW WORLD" "Georges!" "Georges ..." "Come see !" "My husband is there?" "He was in a meeting, Madame." "On the terrace." " Ah ..." "You read the newspaper, right?" "What is that all about?" "They all arrived this morning, Madame" "Gifts from admirers." "You see  Madame was a real success yesterday." "It's way too much." "It's been known that for a long time, about the secret of her shows." "Amadeus Circle supports lyrical opera but what our surprise was in discovering a personal interpretation of the Queen of the Night, by the mysterious Baroness Dumont." "Since Lina Cavalieri, or the great Marthe Chenal, we had not heard anything so new so intense, incarnate, exhausting ..." "There is in this voice, human truth who tears the heart." "And now notice the most beautiful..." "Crowned with a majestic peacock feather, we had the feeling that this singular artist was trying to exorcise a demon inside." "And that continues." "Thank you..." "This is your success, all of you, your children, thank you." "So what do you think ?" "He has a style this boy, right?" "I love the idea of an inner demon." "You don't understand any of all that my darling." "Marie-Jeanne!" "Where are the chocolates?" "Madelbos, here we go?" "... Human truth ..." "I know you ..." "And this journalist?" "What does he want ?" "What is he looking for ?" "And we said to stop with the flowers ..." "Madame has many admirers, Sir." "He still has reservations about ..." "about my highs." "I told you so..." "This proves that you are skilful, Madame" "That is true." "Ah ..." "I have the jitters about meeting him." "Hello." "You're Lucien Beaumont?" "Yes..." "Well ..." "I have read your article, and ... it moved me deeply." "Certainly..." "We have the right to thank a journalist ?" "Ah, but it is I who thanks you." "You know how many original scores I have at home?" "I do not know..." "A lot." "1487." "And I even have a score of Tosca with notes by the hand of Puccini." "Ah, you're a real collector, in fact." "I also have sets, costumes, accessories..." "Oh ..." "last week I bought two magnificent pieces... a giant eye and a fat bird suit with colorful feathers created for La FlГ"te EnchantГ©e in Garnier." "And did you try them on at home?" "These costumes?" "Oh yes, yes..." "yes as it happens." "For fun yes." "Marguerite." "It did not say you were there!" "How goes the Queen of the Night?" "Oh..." "I present Kyrill, who put your picture in the newspaper." "Ah ... it said a lot about me from this picture, you know." "I will offer you the original." "Oh no !" "No." "I will buy it from you." "It's very expensive." "Ah ..." "You buy art ..." "That interests you?" "I don't know much, but ... it happens." "My heart swells." "If you want one day we will take time to talk." "But I do not understand,..." "you... you also work here, Kyrill?" "This brave Lucien orders my poems or a drawing from time to time." "He understood that one day, it has to be worth millions." "My God..." "The money does not matter, you know ?" "The important thing is just to have them." "And have you already sung in front of a real audience, dear Madame?" "No, it was in question for a while and then the life, the people ..." "And frankly I was never encouraged eh, I will not lie to you." "Yet you work to further improve... with a teacher I imagine ..." "No ..." "I have never found someone who... who understands..." "who ultimately feels that ..." "At the same time, there are so many charlatans." "So ..." "I work alone." "you know, with opera." "I'm listening to the music" "I ..." "I sing at least 4 or 5 hours per day you know." "At the same time it is a minimum, if one has a bit of demand, right?" "Can I tell you a secret?" "To me ?" "It took me time to find my voice." "And where can we buy these works?" "Where is this gallery?" "In the past, it was at my home." "One can very easily organize something at one's chateau with friends." "It is a gift and I insist ..." "You can keep the frame." "We pinched it from your home last night." "Oh yeah, I recognise it." "That touches me deeply." "She seems completely mad, which I love." "Hey well where is she?" "There it is..." "It's brilliant!" "This woman kills me ..." "Look." "We will be able to sell her anything my dear." "She is going to save us, our Marguerite." "And if we left for a few days to the interior?" "I can not leave Paris at the moment, FranГ§oise." "Business,... my wife,..." "I feel that everybody wants me." "If my associates overtake me, it is my ruin." "I have no money..." "I do not have it." "But she, she has money." "She has always been there." "I've had enough of all that." "She bought my title." "Not me." "You read the article?" "It's interesting what this journalist wrote in it." "But what does he want?" "What is he looking for ?" "Something has touched, that man... and he may be heartless." "Why does she need to bellow like that?" "It makes me feel uncomfortable." "It makes me feel uncomfortable, so much." "But why does she need to do that?" "She came past my shop this morning." "I saw her in her car." "You tell me that, like that?" "Yes, I did not think you sing." "Do not worry..." "Since that time, if she had wanted to know ..." "For me it's not even a woman." "It has become... a kind of monster." "Christian is going to put you in place." "Raise your sword my little Christian." "Higher." "In this scene, you want to kill me." "Eh?" "You hate me." "I want to see it in your eyes." "Here, it will be very beautiful." "Here." "Higher." "Ah!" "Shout, shout, shout!" "Is there a fire, or what?" "Marguerite !" "I waited for the sun all day my darling." "This is for a photo." "Ah, I must tell you something." "Something very important, see you shortly." "And look in your office, there is a gift!" "We will do that with the horse and shields." "I am ready." "Am I bothering you ?" " Thank you." "Look what they make me support." "It is an invitation to sing in a small recital, in public, in Paris." "What kind of recital?" "It is this young journalist and his friends, artists who thought of me." "Listen Marguerite ..." "I understand that this article, you were really touched, but ..." "So I know there will also painters, poets, musicians, ..." "I will not be all alone, evidently." "They even offer to pay me." "It's amusing, right?" "Hmm... well you know ..." "I do not know if our Circle friends will appreciate it much if you go sing in this kind of place." "We do not know those people there." "So..." " Then come with me!" "There will also be a tribute victims of war." "Military, public officials ... a film screening ..." "I thought that with your reconstruction business ... it fell together nicely." "Imagine... singing in front of a real audience." "The curtain rises ... the lights the room." "I do not even know who will be there in that audience." "Imagine if someone threw tomatoes at me." "It happened to the larger Madame." "One day we should throw artwork on tomatoes." "That would make a change." "I'll carry Madame's gift to the car." "Monsieur, would you prefer if I prepared Madame's car?" "No no, this one will work." "It is a sensitive engine." "Powerful but fragile." "Is Madame ready?" "More than ever, Monsieur." "Go Marguerite!" "Oh no, no no no!" "I do not understand what happened, Marguerite" "I promised them we'd arrive before noon." "It must be a problem with the spark plugs or condensor.." "I do not know." "I'm really sorry Marguerite." "Oh no !" "What are we going to do ?" "Everyone is waiting for me ..." "It's so stupid." "I was joyful ..." "A car." "Madelbos!" "It's Madelbos!" "Ah ..." "Hmm!" "Madelbos!" "These were left behind in Madame's room." "I am sorry." "We will take this car Madelbos ..." "the other one never works." "It is a powerful but fragile engine." "Come on ... we'll be late." "It is important..." "Onward for music !" "Listen!" "Listen, patriots!" "Charlie Chaplin, the famous Charlot just arrived in Paris." "... with singers, painters, and dancers." "A show not to be missed on earth!" "Ah, my beauty!" "There you are you!" "How are you going?" "Michel!" "Finally!" "This time it's only a small orchestra, but come see this." "Hello." " Hello." "It's Michel Aurenbach." "He composed something for me." "Divine." "So what is it here?" "What are you up to?" "Kyrill in his element." "It's crazy to us!" "Will you explain what you want exactly?" "The surprise must be total." "Nobody can see you before, okay?" "You stay well hidden." "I promise." "Sit down." "It is I who will come for you to go on stage." "Just on the other side." "it is not far from us." "When you have commenced singing, whatever happens..." "you keep singing to the end." "Whatever happens ..." "Agree?" "I have to warm up my voice ..." "And go over my second verse again." "I love you." "At what time do you make your speech, my friend?" "I ..." "I'm not speaking!" "It was my wife who has to give a recital." "But they told me it was a debate on the crisis of change." "The crisis... of change?" "No no no." "It's an error." "I came to see Monsieur Chaplin." "It was you who invited Marguerite?" "She loves Kyrill." "It was she who wanted to come to buy her paintings." "You are going to swoop on a lot of money, like that?" "And she is very happy to leave his campaign if you want to know." "It's going fine." "Is it chic enough for you here?" " I'm fine." "More bread!" "More liberators!" "More cursed classes!" "More false thГЁses!" "More religion!" "More Republicans!" "More royalists!" "More specialists!" "More anarchists!" "More existentialists!" "More poetry!" " That's enough. it's obscene!" "More police!" "More proletarians!" "More Democrats!" "More bourgeois!" "More Aristocrats!" "More army!" "More louts!" "More homeland!" "Anyway ..." "Enough of all these stupidities!" "More nothing!" "More nothing!" "Nothing!" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "Nothing !" "It will soon be yours Marguerite." "Are you okay?" "Are you ready?" "The audience looks to me very  reactive." "They are right." "And Marguerite?" "This is the best day of her life." "They do not deserve all these idiots." "# Let children of the fatherland ..." "# The day of glory has come." "# Against us tyranny ..." "# The bloody banner is raised..." "# The bloody banner is raised." "# Can you hear in the countryside," "# Blared the wild soldiers." "# They are coming into your arms" "# Slay your son and your companions," "# To arms citizens!" "# Form your battalions!" " The voice of France!" "# March, march ..." " Down with the low floor profiteers ..." "Marguerite !" " Who want to destroy ... and speak of rebuilding!" "# Impure blood ... ..." "# Water our furrows," "Damn to the beauty!" "# ... of the Fatherland!" "# Lead and support our avenging arms!" "# Freedom !" "cherished liberty ..." "Thank the police." "You were great!" "It is very beautiful !" "They didn't want to keep me there." "Thank you..." "I have no right with my voice." "I'm stupid." "Oh la la ..." "My husband..." "Do not let them." "You are a true artist." "A truth." "Nobody has the right to prevent you from expressing yourself." "Hazel!" "Hazel!" "Next time, we will let you sing." "I promise." "There, there was a misunderstanding ..." "You are still grumbling." " Hmm ..." "Don't listen to bastards like me." "She was wonderful ..." "Can't you stop your accent once a year?" "But Lucien if you believe me, you'll believe anything." "Look at you, you have become a human treat." "I do not know what to tell you Marguerite." "I do not know anymore." "Come Marguerite." "Sit down." "I lost two sons in combat, Marguerite." "So I can not accept someone that ridicules our national anthem." "Why ridicules?" "I also wanted to pay my tribute to our soldiers." "and I did it with all the love of the world." "This was certainly not the place, Madame." "A woman of your quality, has nothing to do with small exhibitionist anarchists" "Bolsheviks, extremists, forward thinkers." "What I don't know is, in times as troubled as today, what can they bring to our society?" "To our artistic heritage?" "Freedom." "I risked my life to defend freedom, Madame." "Precisely the Marseillaise is the Song of Freedom." "Therefore, wouldn't we have freedom to sing the Song of Freedom?" "According to our customs, our Circle will now meet ... and make a decision." "I understand." "Enter Marguerite." "I wanted you to be proud of me, and I led you to the madhouse." "I understand the anger of our friends, Marguerite." "Me too." "Next time, I will not make the same mistake." "What do you mean ?" "The next time ?" "Georges ... this little stage..." "I felt something very new." "Something important..." "What are you saying?" "Well, it is the audience which makes music live." "The audience ..." "Without them nothing exists ..." "nothing is alive." "Not necessarily." "Without the audience ..." "uh ... we are in ... in the secret of the music." "alone with it ... in its mystery." "Ah, it's beautiful." "It's beautiful too." "I'll organize a real concert Georges." "In front of a real audience." "How?" "..." "A real concert ..." "But this time, in the rules of art, a classical recital." "in a classic ballroom." "But..." "We can not give a show like this ... overnight..." "But I worked for years darling." "Then we can organise ..." "a big concert here!" "With our friends of the Circle, as usual !" "But more then ..." "But they come slamming their door in my face." "You were there ..." "No no no, that must be able to be arranged." "Don't go risking yourself on a real stage." "It does not make sense." "Georges ... all my life I have obeyed you." "I busy myself with our interior." "I helped you in your business ..." "I accompanied you in dozens of tedious dinners without ever complaining." "But now I would like to ..." "be more than that." "This is not a reason to do anything." "I am not going to do anything!" "I'll find a real teacher with people who... who surround me, who advise me..." "Hmm well, I prohibit it." "But what exactly are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid for you." "You appear ... all the time..." "But why ?" "What is it?" "Is it pride?" "You want to be applauded, play divas, like a child ..." "Then you don't understand what I do." "understand nothing of what I am ..." "Only music matters to me." "The music... that's all you have left me." "But I am still ready to sing once more before your empty chair." "It's that or go mad, you hear me ?" "Crazy." "Crazy!" "I'm going to need you Madelbos ..." "It's going to be magnificent." "I had an Indian dance teacher who repeated to me often ..." "Perfection is not doing something great and beautiful but ... doing what we do with grandeur..." "and beauty." "You did Indian dancing?" "Sacred dancing, yes." "I was on the wrong path." "It helped me forget myself." "Look." "They are all there for you, Madame." "Hey!" "..." "Ho!" "Wait!" "Wait!" "She's decided to give a big concert." "A real concert with a real audience." "I'm sorry my dear Georges, but your lovely wife is no longer a part of our Circle of music." "No no no no." "She doesn't need to go on a real stage." "It would be a disaster." "Uh ... you know we found a new benefactor?" "Frankly, that's a relief." "All these years hurting our ears." "I forbid you to talk about her like that." "You've suddenly discovered a love for your wife's singing talents?" "And have you thought about her?" "Huh?" "What will happen when she understands?" "Because you too ... All of you have lied to her!" "Bunch of bastards!" "By the way..." "my love to the beautiful FranГ§oise." "Otherwise you would be crying, I believe." "Let's go." "The bastards greet you well." "Let's go." "The curtain rise is at 9:00am." "It is late Madelbos." " Marguerite." "I am going to join some friends at the opera." "You don't want to go with me?" "I imagine..." "Marguerite, I really have to talk to you." "Uh well come with me for once." "I am going to see Pagliacci." "This is the story of an actor who wants to kill his wife." "That ought to amuse you." "No ?" "Let's go." "Bye beautiful!" "I was wrong Marguerite." "It was at 8:30am." "But I have something else to show you." "You'll see..." "We'll go right after." "We'll have to talk about your gallery project, Lucien." "It's very good." "And then he restarted a personal project." "Will you leave your newspaper?" "Uh ..." "It's not that simple." "Hey, if you want me to help you you know I'm here." "One day, you have to take the plunge." "Oh, it happens every day." "We are going just below the stage here." "The prompter is placed there." "But now it's not done anymore, he prefers it to stay behind the scenes." "All is well, Marguerite?" "We finish here." "Come into the gallery." " Ah yes." "Is it possible?" "Ah ... there you are, old source ..." "My old Lucien." "How are you ?" " Well, well thank you." "A drink for breakfast ..." "Thank you." "You use binoculars now?" "Yeah, what do you want?" "To win three rounds ..." "Okay, is there anybody here?" "What do you think?" "It's not working at all ..." "They want to cancel the last 10 performances, so ..." "He wails like an wretch ..." "Do you hear it?" "Is it Pezzini who pays you?" "No, no, no, it's the theatre that called me to rescue the applause." "but ... it changes nothing." "It's not working." "That's a wonderful job, being paid to applaud." "Or whistle!" "But that is more expensive." "When I think that I have 10 guys on the balcony applauding every night... but people don't follow." "Like yesterday ..." "I added some Spaniards downstairs ... the guys they go there, eh, I can tell you." "It does not work either." "So she's crazy about opera ... and as she needs a singing teacher, I said to myself ..." "Pezzini." "He is completely broke." "To win 3 rounds, he will do what you would like, you think!" "Nevertheless I like Pezzini." "He was even the first who asked me to whistle." "I didn't know it had started so early!" "Say, my grandfather whistled Victor Hugo!" "A magnificent piece elsewhere ..." ""The love and the fortune." "Somewhere else, as in Spain. "" ""Are games from long ago:" "it is the thief who wins. "" "Not bad !" "It swung him 40 crates of tomatoes." "Hey." "Did you know that little Hazel found a patron?" "Yes I know." "It working out well for her too   Recitals and all ..." "You want me to send her my Spaniards?" "It's not their thing, modern music, eh!" "You're too much..." "Bravo!" "Congratulations!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "You hear my Spaniards?" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Bravo ..." "Bravo!" "What beauty ... what delicacy ..." "Bravo!" " Bravo!" "What elegance  But fuck you!" " Poor bitch!" "You make me believe that it's the last call." "and yet you go in front of the curtain for the applause." "You think I don't understand your little tricks, you old faggot?" "Whatever..." "Fuck you!" "But look at this big ass!" "Ah ... you were there yourself?" "Dear Master, I present Baroness Marguerite Dumont." "Ah ... yes ..." "it is you who claps so hard!" "It was magnificent." "Hey well then ... that is what annoys that fat bitch!" "Because she's a bitch, she made all of Paris to have good papers," "Here it is the truth ..." "Go have a drink in my dressing room." "I will tell him of our business, you come, just down the hall." "Come in, come in dear Madame ... we are going to give you to drink ... champagne, drink without thirst." "I read the article from our friend Lucien but I hadn't realized it was you." "This is your idea ..." "the feather on the head?" "I love it." "Lucien has already told you I am looking for a teacher to prepare a recital." "It stirred in me two words ... yes ... uh and I understand, a voice without a teacher is like a ship without a captain ..." "Is it not, my little Lucien." "This is very well said, Maestro." "You know..." "or rather, you do not know that many teachers put their pupils to work regardless of the nature even their voice." "It still exists." "This is why ... with Madame Dumont we thought that a teacher as you ..." "Hello !" "..." "excuse me." "How are you ?" "You know ... the great Marguerite Dumont" "She's a singer." "At the Opera." "Not in Jazz." "Go, go, they are waiting for you." "And there you go  And so the best thing is a master makes you pass a small audition." "Yeah, why not?" "But beware Marguerite, if he tells you you are not ready to go on stage, you need to listen." "He may even give up." "We do not cheat with music, dear Madame." "Or, it retaliates." "And I know what I'm talking about." "It's time I return." " No." "But my husband has already been waiting." "It will do him good ..." "And moreover it's fun here, right?" "That's you changing, right?" "I never imagined ..." "This is a great artist, right?" "He has been one." "Now he is a great teacher." "Ah, there you are ..." "What do the tarot cards say?" "I saw that today I was going to meet a Queen of Hearts ..." "Good evening Madame Dumont." " Good evening Madame." "Bliss is also holding a sГ©ance." "But it was you who forbids me from blackmail." "You can blackmail a sГ©ance?" "Yes..." "Yes, some ..." "It's weird ..." " Yes it's weird." "It's weird at first and then after that it's like always, you get used to it" "We joke ..." "Really !" "I had forgotten that it was my Diego's birthday ..." "This is a great teacher you know." "He sees everything, he feels everything." "You see ?" "The music is the dream." "I know." "I knew that you have helped Hazel a little." "They needed a little money to rent a room." "There, they went to Italy for a recital" "He has talent, huh?" "This boy." "Why haven't you ever written about her?" "I know she was expecting that you would be encouraging." "She really expected it." "Don't be afraid." "At first I thought you only wanted to profit from me." "Ah, but that's the truth ... and then there it is, you tie youself up." "It's silly." "You seem to be going well." "I must go home." "Well, we'll find you a car." "No, I ..." "I feel like walking a little." "Thank you." "See you later, dear Madame!" " See you soon." "Thank you." "It is for you I'll sing." "Ah, all the same!" "This is the big room ... before we had a piano here but it sounded too ... then you climbed on it." "Ah!" "..." "Georges!" "I present the great Atos Pezzini." "whom I asked of come help me work." "Yes ... before taking any lesser decision, it's necessary that" "I listen to you sing, Madame" "Because you have never yet heard her sing." "But I came for that, dear Monsieur." "So I'm really curious to have your opinion dear master." "You know me, I believe that to work." "Work, and more work." "Work to survive our sensitivity." "Ah ... the true destiny of artists." "If Monsieur is willing to take his place." "I am listening to you, dear Madame." "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart." "The Marriage of Figaro." "Yet the story of a woman deceived." "One more..." "We are listening to you, Countess." "No." "I am not singing the Countess." "I'm singing cherub in "Voi che sapete."" "This is the young man who lives for the first tumults of love ..." "Yes yes, we know." "Let's go, dear Baroness." "Concentrate your energy." "It really is..." "It's ... really the music of a man that has never been lucky in love." "Thank you." "Poor Mozart." "You've sung in D major, right?" "A higher tone." "I coloratura soprano so for me it's easier to ..." "sing higher." "This is more convenient." "There it is." "But if you think it's better lower ..." "Oh no, no, no, no." " I can do it." "Of course, of course, of course ..." "No, it's ... very interesting ..." "It's very personal." "You worked hard ..." "I imagine to deploy all your talents." "I have devoted my life to music, dear master." "Like what, there's no secret." "Well ..." "I'm happy." "Ah, that makes me happy!" "Bravo." "Thank you and bravo." "So dear master, this audition?" "Your wife has..." "a real talent you know ... and a true desire ..." "No, the real problem is me." "Having a new student ... uh ... this is not a decision to take lightly." "Obviously, I am tempted by the adventure." "But I have my classes at the conservatory, a major project with Moscow, and then Pagliacci every night ... that's a lot to do for one voice." "No!" "..." "They told me they had replaced you for Pagliacci." "What is that story?" "Who told you that?" "The theater, so you are free." "Yes... good." "Anyway, I promise to think very carefully about your so generous proposition." "I hope, dear master, you understand the situation?" "Uh, I think, yes ..." "Well, Madelbos will accompany you home." "And you, dear Madame, stay as you are." "With your freshness." "You'll thank Madame for the flowers." "Where does Monsieur want me to drop him off?" "At home, in Boulogne." "Does Monsieur want to go through the well of Breuil?" "You know the well of Breuil?" "I saw you singing last night." "I was there." "You were beautiful." "As beautiful as the photo." "As which photo?" "Madame says there is often a snake under the flowers." "I know his name is Alberto." "and he isn't the age to be photographed naked with a transvestite." "It's that little bitch who gave you those pictures?" "No Monsieur." "She sold them to me." "You want to blackmail me, is that it, huh?" "It's a possibility indeed." "Here you are." "But what do you believe?" "One day or another they will include everyone who is lying to her." "One day or another." "Madame's photos will be famous because of that." "People will say ..." "And say that she has never known anything." "You are crazy." "Ask her husband to give her a good fuck." "and she will stop breaking your ears." "That's why she wails like a wretch." "Me ... have you thought of me?" "Everyone will laugh at me if I work with her." "Everyone already makes fun of you, Monsieur." "You have no project." "And we just canceled your upcoming performances." "This is a reflection of your debts." "Soon you will sing under a bridge." "Or maybe in Moscow in effect." "Take it as a game ..." "Madame will be very generous." "But if she ever goes to the farthest point ... and ends up on stage before a real audience?" "Who has enough pure heart to judge?" "Chapter 4 HIS MASTER'S VOICE" "Dear Madame." "Firstly, I would like to introduce my team." "Everyone will have a very specific role in your recital preparation." "First compliment ... we called it Nanny or The Catfish ... it depends." "She will be our artistic director for everything concerning decor." "the costumes ..." "she also has a psychic gift, believe me," "The Catfish is never wrong." "Absolutely never." "The Queen of Hearts." "I remember." "Diego Romano, my personal assistant, my pilot fish." "He's the only one I allow to tell me the truth." "The only one." "Do you believe that all truths are good to hear young man?" "It depends ... who sings, Madame." "And finally, the very serious Monsieur Callot said Jean-Loup our distinguished pianist ... he knows almost as much as you on the history of music." "My respects, dear Monsieur." "I have a whole collection of scores that might interest you." "Yes but he is deaf." "He accompanies the singers and reads their lips." "And it works very well." "Hey well, let's go children, it's noon already and we haven't started anything." "It is not work that ..." "Marguerite, the piano." "Looking for something, young man ?" "The teacher asked me to find a large mirror." "He needs it for work." "He seems to have..." "very personal methods, right?" "No, it... suits the student, that's all." "Besides ... how's that going to pass for the rules?" "I deal directly with Mr. Madelbos?" "I guess it was with him that uh ... you negotiated your services." "There you go, in fact, we invoice by the hour ... and triple time after 5 hours, and on Saturdays and Sundays." "Every hour started is due, of course." "Of course..." "There you go, magnificent." "Come dear baroness." "Do not be afraid." "There you are..." "Now you are ... facing the abyss." "While there, there   A voice that calls us." "A voice that needs help." "Your voice." "You hear?" "Hold your hand near don't be afraid." "Let's go." "Wider movement, wider." "And relax the pelvis." "So we release, we release." "When you sing, the whole body resonates, the toes to the peritoneum." "Pull in the perineum also." "Ouch, like little Chinese." "Seems they are very strong for that." "Your husband will appreciate it." "Come on!" "Ah, I shocked you?" "If you want to sing, there will be more to Baroness, more than good manners." "more than hypocrisy, you are in the truth." "If that scares you, then stop immediately my darling." "When you become fit, you find yourself before a full house." "You must not apologize for existing." "Come on ... we resume." "Oh la la la la ..." "Neither burn the stage, eh!" "True, you have a little tight cough in the throat." "I hear that ..." "You must be open." "Otherwise it is useless." "That you should feel it, huh ..." "Ah ... that's good." "Come on, breathe ..." "Lunch is served." "Ah anyway," "We will get there Madelbos." "It will be very beautiful ..." "No, there is a light in your voice ..." "a generosity ... really." "Well ... we'll have to correct two or three things, obviously hey, but nothing of ..." "and then, insist to exist." "That is true..." "insist to exist." "I only eat white food." "Rice, chicken, endives, leeks." "Good going ... and ..." "it makes you feel good?" "It has something clear that I like a lot." "Since I don't know what to eat, I say to myself, at least it's white." "... It gives me a goal." "Ah ... yes." "I understand." "I have an important question, dear Master." "Do you think I should continue to sing coloratura ... or mezzo?" "Yes, technically it is the only real question indeed." "But it may be too soon to conclude, right?" "A voice is a living matter." "We'll see what she wants." "And above all it depends on the rГ©pertoire." "Ah, ah ..." "I just have a small list with the tunes which I thought for the recital." "Eighteen titles." "Purcell, Donizetti, Gluck, hey well, they are all friends there" "Do you believe that we will be ready at the end of the month?" "Some champagne?" "Please." "Chin." "... So you can imagine being on stage." "before hundreds of people writhing with laughter..." "If her teacher finally said she should give up she will listen ..." "She will find another ten meters beyond what he tells her otherwise." "Then you tell her the truth." "Have some courage." "A life of lies ..." "She would burst." "And me too... of shame..." "What does she want ?" "Why is she doing this?" "For you to look." "She succeeded." "You do not understand." "Marguerite, are you sure you do not want me to accompany you?" "I worked all day darling." "What you're wearing is new." "It's a gift from my teacher." "It looks like what the Chinese whores go crazy for." "Today he forced me to stop singing and do vocalizations." "You must tell everyone that I'm completely crazy, right?" "Ah, but I assure you." "I spoke to anyone." "Well, I am going to go." "Yeah ... it's exactly that, Marguerite." "Perfect !" "We are progressing." "I would really love some little chocolates." "Some round ones." "Some small round ones with nuts inside." "Yes." "Oh ..." "She doesn't hear us my friend Don't you worry." "Just a little signature for my parents." "They have so much admiration for you." "I will return it to you later." "Ah ..." "I can't do this note." "I can't do it..." "It's ..." "I'm sorry." "So what do we do?" "Huh?" "What we do with this fucking note at the concert?" "We're going to go where like that?" "No reason for me to grieve that ..." "None." "I sang on the biggest stages in vogue my sweetheart, so now..." "I'm sorry." "It's very ugly what you do." "This is lamentable." "There you are." "So much for the future." "You want to know the truth?" "The real truth?" "Huh?" "Nobody dares to tell you." "You want to hear the truth?" "Hey well you will never coloratura soprano" "Because you are mezzo ..." "There's the truth." "And oh well if that does hurt." "It's like that." "Come on, we go back." "But I do not want you to hear ..." "Sing, but I don't want to hear you anymore." "Well obviously eh, no one forced you to like that." "Through to the end eh ..." "Marguerite ?" "You're not going well?" "Marguerite ?" "A little patience." "You have a voice ... the back of your throat ..." "It's finished." "You can sit down." "Thank you Doctor." "You force, you force and then it cracks." "You're not the first to whom it happens." "So right doctor ..." "Don't you believe that this is the moment to rest a little?" "Take a break, let your voice ..." "How, it is not possible ..." "But you are preparing a recital, I was told." "Yes, I'm full at work." "And what are you going to sing, dear Madame?" "Do you love the opera, Doctor?" "I also sing myself, well just like that in a small choir." "That makes me quite a fool." "Choirs have always found me to have too particular a voice." "As a child, they refused to let me sing with others." "So I was crying all the time." "Uh, right ..." "Doctor ... when you checked my wife's throat, are her vocal cords are they quite ... intact, well I mean ... normal?" "What do you mean, normal?" "I mean, there's no ..." "deformation... physical anomaly ... morphological   breaks ... something damaged since childhood perhaps, moreover, which would explain the" "She strained it, she hurt herself." "It's not very serious." "She can continue to sing as much as she wants." "Calm down dear Monsieur." "Thanks again." "You're welcome." "Thanks and good luck." "Goodbye Madame." " Monsieur." "Marguerite ..." "I would like to talk to you." "What Georges?" "There it is ... for a long time..." "finally..." "I do not know how to talk to you." "I have to tell you something important." "You are scaring me." "This recital project ... this accident with your throat." "I see that you give your all entirely." "But I must..." "When you look at me I am willing to hear everything." "Here it is..." "I find that you are very couragous." "I will not disappoint you Georges" "I promise." "Well then ... we are at the bottom, there is concern, we are told nothing!" "We are told nothing" "What did he tell you this charlatan?" "Everything is fine." "I got two spades in a row ..." "anxiety." "Marguerite hip hip hip!" " Hooray!" "Hip hip hip!" " Hooray!" "Oh ok." "And if nobody came?" "Why do you want nobody to come?" "We have ads everywhere." "And everyone knows that it's for a good cause." "Last night I drew a 7 of hearts, three times!" "And that's good?" "A 7 of hearts?" "Ah, excellent!" "That's what she drew for me when I made my triumph in Bucharest." "You remember ?" " Yeah yeah." "Seven recalls ..." "They really wanted to stop." "Well, you have not chosen the smallest room." "How are you going, awful?" "Do you need me and the girls to applaud at least?" "Well, it's going to make it seem full." "With Poles, Italians and all the bards." "If you don't shake the chandeliers with that..." "I am willing to bow out." "And we have to do that ..." "to cheat?" "It is you who decides Marguerite, this will be your evening." "And nobody will cheat you ..." "Where were you, we were looking for you everywhere?" "I locked myself away a little to try writing." "I am worried Lucien." "You are ... fresh." "As a young girl." "Look." " Tell me." "I would like my husband to be sitting there ... in that armchair, there." "Oh, no, pity." "No sentimentality." "Not of sentiments than of centimetres." "Well now, there is more than singing." "Has your husband already seen you dance like that?" "You look like a gypsy." "Instead, he believes that I'm rehearsing." "It makes me happy to see you like this." "You are doing better." "Have you worked well?" "This red scarf ... is it silk?" "I saw you tonight ..." "It was a farewell gift." "And if I did not sing tomorrow?" "If we both left?" "I know tomorrow is an important day for you." "If you ask me not to sing, I won't sing." "My husband..." "Chapter 5 THE TRUTH" "She is at first very eccentric, you know, very free ..." "I've just helped her through something of herself." "That's all." "The genius and the ridiculous." "it is often very close, right?" "These people know what to expect?" "They come to see the phenomenon." "Glory to the great ..." "Marguerite !" "Madame received a telegram." "You can count on my presence ..." "signed:" "Charlie Chaplin." "Do you really believe it's him?" "Who knows." "Has Monsieur arrived?" "He will not be late, Madame." "He even took his damn car." "Hello." "Hello doctor." "Good evening..." "I left you a message yesterday." "For us to come together." "I know." "He's there." "He came..." "You have to go prepare Madame." "Good evening." " Good evening." "I can see her singing alone in our room, and now ..." "There is everybody in your room." "She does not love you so much." "Neither do I." "Marguerite !" "Madame Dumont." "Marguerite." "Marguerite." "Did you love it?" "Marguerite." "She lost a lot of blood but we stopped the bleeding." "Can she still sing?" "It's too early to tell." "They say you must wait until she wakes up." "Her husband never had the courage to tell her she was singing badly." "And you never had the courage to tell me I sang well." "Maybe I was afraid of losing you." "You could do great things, Lucien." "I know." "No ... you know nothing." "People who are successful and have money can not understand." "Come listen to me next week." "I am singing at the Theatre des Champs ElysГ©es." "It will be a great evening." "I said to Marguerite," "What would we become without Marguerite ..." "Monsieur." "Thank you." "It's time that I told Monsieur ..." "I will be presenting my resignation." "I'm going to get married, Monsieur." "Marguerite will be glad to hear it." "I know ... that she is very attached to you." "It was maybe... waiting for you, Monsieur." "So ... today is Wednesday." "and I would like to ask you an important question, Madame Dumont." "No no no, there is no Madame Dumont." "No no, call me simply, Marguerite Okay ?" "The audience has always called me, Marguerite." "Heard." "On our last record." "you told me you have often sang at the Berlin Opera, Marguerite." "Can you tell us about that?" "You know doctor, I had the chance to sing on all the world's stages in all these magnificent operas." "When I look back," "It's a whirlwind ... a whirlwind it's a journey... without stopping," "If you like, it's as if the train had never stopped." "and I was singing on the train ..." "I open the window, and I sing to the train, anywhere in any city." "You understand?" "I understand, yes, but what is your best memory on stage?" "Ah ..." "I do not know." "There are so many." "Maybe before the war ..." "When I sang Wagner in Milan in front of my husband." "A huge room where you had to give a strong voice." "And now what are your plans ..." "Tell me a little?" "You should ask my agent, you know I ..." "Look, only just yesterday, I was asked to create Samson and Delilah in Covent Garden, with Vladimir Borowski and Linda Cavalieri." "This is a great friend, you know." "I love it." "The hospital, Monsieur." "But the most important for me." "it's that moment of sharing with the audience." "Without them, it turns music into a vacuum." "You understand?" "The emptiness." "Okay... but returning to your projects, Marguerite." "Tell me about your projects ..." "I know there was talk of a long tour in Asia to sing AГЇda." "but I have not yet signed anything because there is likewise a proposition in South America." "I've always dreamed of singing in Argentina." "In fact..." "I have the impression of having spent ... my life on stage, you see." "Yes." "On a stage, looking at me in all these characters ... it's a funny career all the same..." "Pretending not to pretend." "Norma, Tosca ..." "It's my family, they are my cousins, they are my friends, my sisters." "I can't do without them." "If you want." "I decided have the talk." "To record her memories..." "At least ... this is what she believes to be her memories." "She has maybe dreamed all that, but she never lived it." "Never." "Never, she wasn't a great singer." "Nor a happy woman in love." "I do not care who laughed." "Who laughed?" "This is all wind." "Noise..." "Then you'll help me save her." "She asked that we make him bring sheet music, costumes, at least... all that she needs to stay in ... in her delirium." "And on the contrary, I think that it helps to resume contact, with real life." "The people she knows." "Her habits." "Her habits." "It is exactly this madness always ..." "She needs to know the truth." "I have tried..." "Oh, there is nothing more beautiful than the applause." "Nothing ..." "Besides the look of the man you love." "At first, I believe that it is for my husband that I do this career." "for him to be proud of me." "he finds me beautiful and desirable for the longest time possible." "It's very sensual work for the voice, you know ..." "In singing it is ..." "his body that one seeks." "His body and his sex." "That explains everything, the lack of love is ..." "And even if it doesn't explain anything, it explains everything." "It is published in the newspaper this morning." "As she gave a recital tonight I said to myself..." "I know she was waiting for a long time." "She will become a great artist, you know?" "Then maybe that I don't feel worthy of her." "Who knows..." "It is interesting all the same, her suffering." "Right?" "It's okay Lucien it is in life, it is ..." "It will do you a lot of good." "Myself, I loved, loved suffering." "It has me ..." "When there are tastes, it is ..." "You know how the female peacock seduced the male peacock?" "I have a peacock at home." "His name is Caruso." "They are face to face." "He's literally a statue." "And she, with her beak, she taps him in the eye." "And he does not move." "He asks for more." "Tac, tac," "Hi Marguerite, how are you today ?" "Ah ... it's time for my recording." "Watch this amazing machine." "Ah, I told you that they offered me Carmen in Bucharest?" "Do you think it's a good idea?" "They expect my answer too." "Well, make them wait the time that it will take Marguerite." "I am going to go." "It records everything." "That must be exhausting to be able to forget nothing." "I thought that we could sing today." "What are you thinking about, Marguerite?" "Singing?" "With pleasure." "So they wanted to record her voice in the hospital." "They gave me this record, where she sings like she always sang." "Doctors believe that in hearing her real voice, she will experience a shock ... at least... they think it will provoke a reaction that will help her to retake possession of herself." "That she will wake up." "She will think maybe it's the voice of someone else." "I hope she has a strong heart, our Marguerite." "Maybe it will just make her laugh." "And if it goes wrong?" "If she can't stand to hear her own voice?" "I do not know." "What do the tarot cards say?" "Jack of Hearts and 7 of Spades." "There are only two directions with life." "Where you dream, or you accomplish them." "This portrait is beautiful." "When was it?" "My first photo of Madame." "She was young." "Now I miss the last." "The last ?" "The sacrifice of the heroine." "Madelbos!" "Madelbos ..." "Yes, Monsieur." "Tell ... tell the doctor Arnaud I've changed my mind." "Tell him, to cancel what is planned." "I do not want her to listen to her voice." "Hello." "No, I do not know where the doctor is." "He may be trying to install the equipment ... but," "I'll tell him to stop everything." "Do not worry." "See you soon, Monsieur." "... A recording of my voice?" "And I sing what exactly?" "I'll explain everything, Marguerite" "We will be in a canteen, at least ..." "a party room, with a small stage." "Ah ... that's superb." "Has my husband arrived?" "Not yet, Madame." "That misfortunate automobile." "It'll be on the first floor." "In the canteen." "And her husband ?" "In a long shirt, it's like that huh?" "Without fuss." "Hello..." "No !" "No !" "No !" "What is the date of this record?" "We made it last week in my office, Marguerite." "Ah yes ... when you made me sing, right?" "It was here in this room." "You can fit in everybody, huh?" "And what's so special about this recording in the end?" "But ... you'll see." "News from my husband, Madelbos?" "Not yet, Madame." "Ah ..." "It is beautiful, that one." "Oh thank you." "Ah ... it's nice you came." "Hello Marguerite." "Hello." "We are going to hear a recording of my voice." "Madame has never been so beautiful." "Let's go." "Marguerite..." "Marguerite !" "Marguerite." "Marguerite !" "Marguerite !" "Marguerite."