Notes and Editorial Reviews
Love undoubtedly is the most common subject of songs ever since the beginning of time, which means that singing about love is the most common occupation of vocalists, from David the psalmist to (gulp!) Bocelli and Britney. Some do this much better than others, partly owing to the material, and mostly to the voice, the life-experience of the singer, and knowing how to put it all together. Is there a new way to present such a subject, so well-trod, trivialized, and sensationalized? Well, Claire Gignac and her partners may have found one. First, she has a voice like a smoke-free Marlene Dietrich, with low notes rich as dark amber maple syrup, and she has a native-speaker/knowing-lover way with French
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that keeps you listening whether or not you know what any of the words mean. You don't need to know. These songs come from all over the place but they all go together, and the moods range from sultry and bluesy to folky and jazzy, sad and longing, light and dancing.
You'll think that you've heard some of them before and you'll be surprised to learn that some of the most beautiful of them, such as "Mon pauvre coeur soupier", are centuries' old, and others, such as "Puisque j'ai mis ma lèvre", were written by Gignac herself for this disc. Some texts are drawn from famous poets such as Baudelaire and Hugo; several songs are from the pens of familiar names like Weill, Béchet, and Prévert. The arrangements, many by guitarist Marc Vallée, are just about perfect for these songs, fitting well into the program's initial concept--settings "reminiscent of the old-style cabaret singers, with a jazz feeling." Gignac is an experienced and very versatile singer whose credits include the early music/theatre group La Nef, composer, arranger, and stage director. Hopefully, this will not be her last venture into this territory--unusual for Dorian but a stroke of genius in conception and execution. This recording is a surprise, a treat, a delicious diversion. The music is wonderful, the sound ideal. Don't miss it.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
L'amour en cage by Jimmy Walter
Performer:
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 42 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Claire Gignac, Stéphane Allard, Marc Vallée and Norman Lachapelle
2.
Est-ce ma faute à moi? by André Varel
Performer:
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 24 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Marc Vallée
3.
L'oie blessée by Claire Gignac
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 4 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: French
4.
Ma plaisance chérie by Claire Gignac
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 2 Minutes 51 Secs.
Language: French
5.
Mon pauvre coeur soupire by Traditional
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Claire Gignac (Recorder)
Period: Medieval
Written: 16th Century; France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 5 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Marc Vallée
6.
Que faire s'amour me laisse by Traditional
Performer:
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: Medieval
Written: 15th Century; France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 4 Minutes 28 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Marc Vallée
7.
Si je perdais mon ami by Traditional
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: Medieval
Written: 16th Century; France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 5 Minutes 40 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Claire Gignac, Stéphane Allard, Marc Vallée and Norman Lachapelle.
8.
Un désordre agréable by Marc Vallée
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 4 Minutes 25 Secs.
Language: French
9.
Fille d'acier by Joseph Kosma
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 2 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Claire Gignac, Stéphane Allard, Marc Vallée and Norman Lachapelle
10.
Puisque j'ai mis ma lèvre by Claire Gignac
Performer:
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: French
11.
Ta bouche by Claire Gignac
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Alto)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 2 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: French
12.
Petite fleur by Sidney Bechet
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Flute)
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 4 Minutes 47 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Claire Gignac, Stéphane Allard, Marc Vallée and Norman Lachapelle
13.
Hymne à l'amour by Marguerite Monnot
Performer:
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 19 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Marc Vallée
14.
Complainte de la Seine by Kurt Weill
Performer:
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1934; Paris, France
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 30 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: François Sasseville, and Marc Vallée
15.
La mort des amants by Léo Ferré
Performer:
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Accordion)
Period: 20th Century
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 3 Minutes 26 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Marc Vallée
16.
Youkali "Tango Habanera" by Kurt Weill
Performer:
Norman Lachapelle (Bass Guitar),
Marc Vallée (Guitar),
Stéphane Allard (Psaltery),
Stéphane Allard (Violin),
Claire Gignac (Alto),
Claire Gignac (Recorder),
Claire Gignac (Flute),
Claire Gignac (Accordion),
Stéphane Allard (Mandolin)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1934/1946; USA
Date of Recording: 06/1999
Venue: Music Hall, Troy Savings Bank, Troy, NY
Length: 5 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: Stéphane Allard
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