Notes and Editorial Reviews
Here is a bit of a surprise. And a delight. A disc from Berlin Classics of essentially Parisian songs, with Lynne Dawson, more often associated with the classical repertory, proving herself totally at home with music of the belle époque and the 1930s. She is accompanied by Julius Drake in splendid form. He seems to find an original way with each song, so that even something as familiar as Chabrier’s L’île heureuse emerges fresh, and the tiny touches of rallentando and unexpected soft echo effects make one listen to the song as if for the first time. In one or two of the big, dramatic settings such as Chausson’s Le temps des lilas one might ask for a fuller sound than Dawson produces, but her feel for the texts, silvery tone and
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completely unfussy way with the language bring rewards in every track.
Poulenc gets the lion’s share here. Three of the melodies are to poems by Louise de Vilmorin. In ‘C’est ainsi que tu es’, Drake and Dawson manage to suggest the lover whispering at ‘Voila, c’est ton portrait’, while the solemn ‘Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant’ has a definite foretaste of Carmélites. ‘Violon’ is taken very slowly, bringing out all the erotic tension. In ‘Les chemins de l’amour’ the final verse has just the right mixture of nostalgia and mystery. As for the outrageous ‘Nous voulons une petite soeur’, I suspect this is one of Julius Drake’s favourite songs; many years ago he gave an explosive performance of it with Hugues Cuénod at the Wigmore Hall.
The Hahn songs are all well known, the sprightly rondel ‘Quand je fus pris au pavillon’ contrasting with the reflective A Chloris and the ecstatic Le rossignol des lilas, a poem by the enigmatic composer/ writer Léopold Dauphin. Chausson’s Hébé is something of a rarity, a beautiful evocation of ancient Greece. The three Fauré songs are like episodes in a love story, two Armand Silvestre poems framing Après un rêve by Romain Bussine. There are too many good things here to detail: the entire programme is a celebration of the best in French song.
-- Patrick O'Connor, Gramophone [8/2005]
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Works on This Recording
1.
Mélodies (6): no 1, Villanelle des petits canards by Emmanuel Chabrier
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1890; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 15 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
2.
Mélodies (6): no 4, L'île heureuse by Emmanuel Chabrier
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1890; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 3 Minutes 19 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
3.
Mélodies (7), Op. 2: no 6, Hébé by Ernest Chausson
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
4.
Chansons (4) de Shakespeare, Op. 28: no 3, Chanson d'Ophélie by Ernest Chausson
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1896; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 47 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
5.
Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19: no 3b, Le temps de lilas by Ernest Chausson
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882-1890; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 4 Minutes 15 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
6.
Lamento by Henri Duparc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1883; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 3 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
7.
Mélodies (5), Op. 58 "de Venise": no 1, Mandoline by Gabriel Fauré
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1891; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 51 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
8.
Chanson d'amour, Op. 27 no 1 by Gabriel Fauré
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 47 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
9.
Le secret, Op. 23 no 3 by Gabriel Fauré
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1880-1881; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 29 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
10.
Après un rêve, Op. 7 no 1 by Gabriel Fauré
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: Romantic
Written: 1877; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 55 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
11.
A Chloris by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1916; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 3 Minutes 27 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
12.
Le rossignol des lilas by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
13.
Rondels: Quand je fus pris au pavillion by Reynaldo Hahn
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1899; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
14.
Léocadia: Les chemins de l'amour by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1940; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 3 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
15.
Banalités: no 2, Hôtel by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1940; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 47 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
16.
Fiançailles pour rire: no 5, Violon by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1939; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 16 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
17.
Fancy by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1959; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 13 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
18.
Chansons pour enfants (4): no 1, Nous voulons une petite... by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1934; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 5 Minutes 41 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
19.
Banalités: no 4, Voyage à Paris by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1940; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 0 Minutes 54 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
20.
Banalités: no 1, Chanson d'Orkenise by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1940; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 29 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
21.
Métamorphoses (3): no 2, C'est ainsi que tu es by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1943; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 18 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
22.
Fiançailles pour rire: no 4, Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1939; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 3 Minutes 6 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
23.
Fiançailles pour rire: no 1, La dame d'André by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1931; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 1 Minutes 38 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
24.
A sa guitare by Francis Poulenc
Performer:
Julius Drake (Piano),
Lynne Dawson (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1935; France
Venue: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany
Length: 2 Minutes 42 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Broadcast Hall, German Radio, Germany (10/02/2004 - 10/06/2004)
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