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The Flatterer - Piano Music of Cecile Chaminade / Polk


Release Date: 09/09/2014 
Label:  Steinway & Sons   Catalog #: 30037  
Composer:  Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
In Stock: Usually ships in 24 hours.  

Notes and Editorial Reviews

Coming of age in Paris in the second half of the19th century, Cécile Chaminade’s major models were Berlioz, Meyerbeer, Gounod, Bizet, and Franck—all renowned composers of serious Romantic music. When she reached her own compositional maturity in the 1880s, she made her first mark writing in genres associated with these recognized masters. Yet her true voice emerged later, writing smaller character pieces for piano. Her so-called “salon” pieces are the same kind of short works that Brahms and Chopin made popular — many are true virtuoso works, equal in technical difficulty to any of the concert etudes of Chopin or Liszt. Based on this small collection of Chaminade’s music, we can only wonder why she has had to wait so long to be Read more admitted to the pantheon of great French Romantic composers.

Joanne Polk, noted pianist and champion of music by female composers, makes her debut on the Steinway label with an irresistible collection of Chaminade’s piano works. Recorded by Grammy-winning producer Steven Epstein, the album celebrates an underrated composer whose music deserves a wide audience.

R E V I E W S:

"Joanne Polk captures the technical splendor and passion of Cécile Chaminade’s music as well as Steinway piano's incomparable sound with absolute brilliance." -- Paula Edelstein, AXS Entertainment


Everyone needs at least one disc of Chaminade’s piano music, and this disc would make an excellent choice. Yes, she composed a great deal of “salon” music, but what matters is that she did it very well. These pieces are consistently attractive, and they never try to be more than what they are. Sample the Étude romantique, a piece full of virtuosity sentiment–and it’s not a minute too long. Clearly, Chaminade was more than just “a woman composer.” She needs no special pleading.

Joanne Polk plays all of these pieces with the necessary virtuosity, lightness and élan. There are some more imposing works here too. It’s not all fluff. The Piano Sonata in C Minor, in three movements, manages to project a sense of seriousness without turning pretentious, while the beefy Étude symphonique and the four Études de concert, Op. 35 achieve a genuinely cumulative impact. Credit Polk also for an especially well-chosen program, with lighter character pieces enfolding the series of etudes and the Sonata–a nice patter of tension and release.

As usual with this series, the piano is extremely well recorded, with plenty of presence but no harshness. The instrument’s upper register is particularly well caught. A very enjoyable release.

-- David Hurwitz, ClassicsToday.com

"Polk has been an advocate of female composers for nearly 30 years. This is her first CD for the Steinway label, and it is tip to the high standards I have come to expect: superior sound, excellent booklet, repertoire a little outside of the mainstream, and of course, brilliant pianism.

The Piano Sonata is a wonderful composition, inventive and well-constructed to be sure, but a solid and satisfying romantic piano work. We tend to view Chaminade through the lens of the small piece. Polk, based on her performance here, would be completely at home with any of the piano sonatas by the great romantic composers. Her technique and interpretive abilities bring Chaminade's sonata to life in 17 pleasant minutes. It should be heard far more often.

The Etudes display a wide range of piano techniques and are akin to the concert-level etudes by Chopin and Liszt. These are not run-of-the-mill piano exercises. Chaminade was a melodist as well as an excellent pianist, and that's what sets her etudes above most. It takes someone of Polk's abilities to bring these off. The character pieces lighten the mood effectively and round off this exceptional program."

-- Harrington, American Record Guide [January/February 2015]
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Works on This Recording

1.
La lisonjera, Op. 50 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by c1890; France 
 Length: 4 Minutes 19 Secs. 
2.
Etude mélodique for Piano in G flat major, Op. 118 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1906; France 
 Length: 3 Minutes 53 Secs. 
3.
Etude romantique, Op. 132 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1909; France 
 Length: 6 Minutes 7 Secs. 
4.
Sonata for Piano in C minor, Op. 21 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1895; France 
 Length: 16 Minutes 44 Secs. 
5.
Etude pathétique for Piano in B minor, Op. 124 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: France 
 Length: 4 Minutes 2 Secs. 
6.
Etude symphonique, Op. 28 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1890; France 
 Length: 5 Minutes 39 Secs. 
7.
Concert Etudes (6) for Piano, Op. 35: no 1, Scherzo in C major by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1886; France 
 Length: 3 Minutes 16 Secs. 
8.
Concert Etudes (6) for Piano, Op. 35: no 2, Automne by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1886; France 
 Length: 5 Minutes 11 Secs. 
9.
Concert Etudes (6) for Piano, Op. 35: no 3, fileuse by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1886; France 
 Length: 5 Minutes 9 Secs. 
10.
Concert Etudes (6) for Piano, Op. 35: no 5, Impromptu by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1886; France 
 Length: 4 Minutes 0 Secs. 
11.
Les Sylvains, Op. 60 by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: by 1892; France 
 Length: 3 Minutes 53 Secs. 
12.
Pièces humoristiques, Op. 87: no 4, Autrefois by Cécile Louise Chaminade
Performer:  Joanne Polk (Piano)
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1897; France 
 Length: 3 Minutes 15 Secs. 

Featured Sound Samples

La lisonjera (The flatterer)
Piano Sonata: I. Allegro appassionato
Etude Melodique

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review:  ( 14 Customer Reviews )
 No MP3 December 18, 2015 By Thomas F Mallon (Rio Ranch, NM) See All My Reviews "Homegrown production, yet no MP3s! Those who don't stockpile media will just have to go without ...Go figure." Report Abuse
 james r April 8, 2015 By james r. (Saskatoon, SK) See All My Reviews "Never heard of Chaminade before this. Beautiful music. reminicsent of the french romantics like Debussy. but technically challenging. I sure wouldn't want to try this on stage. great stuff. Well worth a piano music fan's time and money." Report Abuse
 A Discovery February 18, 2015 By Guenter Zeno Steffens (London, England) See All My Reviews "A revelation, never heard of C Chaminade before and wish there was more. Romantic overall but with a hint into a more modern musical future. Joanne Polk gives it the appropriate touch." Report Abuse
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