As his admirers are aware, Duparc stopped composing at the age of 36, leaving a paltry 13 songs to stand as his output. But there were many suppressed compositions, among which were four more songs, including this one, Soupir (Sigh). It was written, like the other Op. 2 songs, just before Duparc saw a performance of Wagner's Die Walküre. That pivotal event astounded him, leaving him in the thrall of Wagner and convinced his early works were all unworthy efforts. But this song stands at odds with that harsh assessment, both in its thematic charm and finely crafted writing. Using a text by René-François-Armand Sully-Prudhomme (1839-1907) about a man who laments the loss of his wife (or lover), Duparc fashions a gentle song of dark character that features a beautiful, though subtle main theme. There is an undercurrent of sorrow and frustration in the music throughout, despite its restrained character. Near the middle, the emotional tenor briefly flares up when the text's young man yearns to hold his arms open for his lost lover. Lasting about three minutes, this heartrending and quite touching song will appeal to a large audience of song lovers.

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