Soprano Sandrine Piau seems to go from strength to strength with each new recording. Her first solo disc of Mozart arias was widely praised, and this recent release of Debussy songs proves to be just as delightful. Although she does not possess a big voice, Piau's astounding purity and evenness of tone, excellent diction, and thoughtful phrasing suits this intimate music perfectly. Her partner, Jos van Immerseel,Read more cleverly chooses to play a vintage Erard piano from 1897, providing a lighter, crisper background and, in his expert use of this unique instrument's special mechanics, adding "authentic" stylistic/interpretive insight to the salon sound to which Debussy himself would have been accustomed. Together, they make a fantastic duo--seamless in their interpretation and often breathtaking in execution (the swirling "Papillons", for one)--and offer many compelling reasons to return again and again to this recital of songs that span Debussy's career.
From the opening early song, "Apparition", we immediately hear that Piau loves this music, as she milks the intensely expressive line with vigor and nails the improbable high-C with ease. In "C'est l'extase", the first song of the Ariettes oubliées, note how she gently caresses the words, virtually giving each syllable meaning. And just listen to the exuberant abandon she lends to the "Paysages belges: Chevaux de bois", giving us the wide-eyed excitement of a merry-go-round as viewed through the eyes of a child.
Purists weary of vocal breathiness to convey breathlessness or longeurs (à la Renee Fleming) may find Piau to be guilty of this mannerism at times, but her intent seems so guileless that she deserves to be forgiven for indulging in some of these well-worn effects. For the most part, her "acting" is thoroughly convincing, and who wants to hear Debussy without at least some indication of mood? Either way, her way with these lovely mélodies infuses each one with the character and individuality necessary to convey their differences, something only a few of today's Debussy interpreters have achieved with success.
–Michael Liebowitz, ClassicsToday.com
Times are great for fans of mezzos and contraltos, especially ones who perform song recitals as well as opera and oratorio roles. And among today's several young stars, Quebec-born Marie-Nicole Lemieux has the versatility, technique, artistic instincts, and of course, the
voice to ensure a long and illustrious career. Most impressively here, she shows how a sizable instrument can adapt perfectly to impart the most subtle nuance, gentle lyricism, and simmering sensuality inherent in these late-19th/early-20th century French mélodies. And when she does open up, there's never a sign of the fleshy, throaty quality or tendency to scoop that many less technically assured mezzos exhibit. And her diction is marvelously unaffected, as natural as sung French can be. Her operatic flair comes into play in several songs, most notably Georges Enesco's playful, humorous, and characterful "Changeons propos..." (Let's change the subject, that's enough singing of love) and Reynaldo Hahn's "Fêtes galantes".
The majority of the songs belong to Hahn, the majority of the texts to Paul Verlaine, although Victor Hugo, Alphonse Daudet, Clément Marot, and even Robert Louis Stevenson make appearances. Enesco's Sept Chansons de Clément Marot Op. 15 are alone worth hearing in Lemieux's stylish, confident performances. She's not just singing pretty music; like all great singers she's inside it, and she gives the impression that it's inside her, that she owns and understands it.
The Hahn songs are among the finest in the repertoire, highlighted by the disc's title work, "L'heure exquise", which Lemieux delivers with truly exquisite control and just the right amount of understatement at its climactic moment. But Hahn's Debussy-like "Offrande" and surprisingly Brahmsian "Puisque j'ai mis ma lèvre" are equally compelling, as are the oft-performed Debussy Fêtes galantes. If there's a weak point, it's Hahn's Cinq petites chansons (five little songs) set to poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, whose English parlor-song demeanor doesn't really fit the mood and sophistication of the rest of the program. No matter. This is a first-rate recital by a truly extraordinary singer. Accompanist Daniel Blumenthal is a perfect partner, as you never notice a note or dynamic or aspect of phrasing out of sync with Lemieux. Solo singing rarely if ever gets better than this, and the quality of the recording matches the high standard of the performances. [10/26/2005]
– David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Now this is very profound, what rhythm is,” wrote Virginia Woolf to a friend. “A sight, an emotion, creates this wave in the mind … and as it breaks and tumbles, it makes words to fit it.” Stéphane Degout’s handsome and heroic voice, in happy alliance with rhythm, word, and finally melodic line, brings one back, full circle, to the visual/emotional source she speaks of. Just as Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s recent recordings of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky romances (Ondine) raised the genre’s performance to a new standard of excellence, so Dégout, in this recital, has raised an already high standard of excellence in regard to the French
mélodie.
Traditionally, the words “French baritone” bring to mind the heady, fragile, sometimes overly sensitive singing of Pierre Bernac, Martial Singher, Gérard Souzay, and Bernard Kruysen. Certainly these distinguished artists exhibit a variety of marvelous assets either collectively or individually, but they have their liabilities, too, and the liabilities are considerable, whether it be in one case an unreliable technique, in another a rather homely instrument, in another a rather limited range. Stéphan Degout has virtually all of their excellent qualities, and almost none of their shortcomings. His technique is generally more solid, the voice itself is more ample, more robust, more beautiful, and his artistry less overt, less self-conscious. One of course feels in his predecessors the strong presence of the performing artist behind the song, but with Degout one is further aware of the human being, the man himself, behind the artist.
The opening mélodie, La Mer est plus belle que les cathédrales, has a majesty, breadth, and beauty of tone unmatched by Gérard Souzay’s EMI performance. The song, the poem, the subject matter seem to loom larger than Souzay’s voice or personality. The dynamics are not as clearly defined, due perhaps to technical constraints. Degout’s vocal line is more broadly cast, depending less on consonants and more on quality of tone for effect. It is more declamatory, more lionhearted.
Chabrier’s L’Îsle hereuse, with its effusive and wide dramatic range, is a high point of this disc, as Degout has the power to express without affectation the many changes of scene and mood that pass in rapid succession throughout the course of the song. His expansive use of rubato captures the surge of the sea, the breadth of the surrounding landscape, and still skillfully bridges the entire octave of each stanza. His astute accompanist, Hélène Lucas, proves a strong support to his flowing phrases, but one notices that during the introduction and interludes, when the voice is absent, the phrases become mere isolated units, a spelling out of words rather sentences. She does not achieve the radiant tone and rhythmic buoyancy of Pierre Bernac’s accompanist, Francis Poulenc, in their Testament recording. Although Bernac gives an ebullient, sunny performance, and the piece is polished to a high luster, his enthusiasm seems rather self-conscious whereas Degout’s radiates authenticity.
It is very difficult to strike the right tone, or, better to say, a convincing tone, in Debussy’s Villon settings. First of all, the poems’ myriad, often conflicting elements of coyness, sincerity, passion, sarcasm, courtly medieval conceits, and low-life references make it so. Then there are the considerations of Debussy’s stringent musical demands to take into account. Bernac’s version of the “Ballade de Villon à son âme” is passionate and scrupulously constructed, but his wiry timbre and cosseted vocal production do not lend themselves to the florid temperament of the vagabond poet. The words are fussed with a great deal resulting in the dissolution of Debussy’s broad, albeit elusive melodic lines. Martial Singher’s performance (Historic Recordings) is more gracefully phrased, more elegant, formal, and muscular. There is less declamation, less rubato, and generally more pure singing. However the singer seems to stand aloof from the subject and the character, giving a sensation that he is listening to himself, monitoring his albeit superb style, striking his pose. Neither of these earlier artists creates the necessary illusion that style and technique are a given, born of instinct. In contrast, Degout bests the musical and poetic nuances of Bernac, and far exceeds him in vocal opulence. The young baritone also shares Singher’s fine qualities, but, unlike his predecessor, he seems to stand in the absolute center of the song. Degout’s abundant musical gifts, his intelligence and integrity, resurrect, as no other performance I know, the sights seen, the emotions felt, by the wild and vagabond poet of the 15th century. They are as alive and present as the man who sings them.
Fauré: Mélodies / Bernard Kruysen (2 CDs; not currently available separately) Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Chansons de Clément Marot (7), Op. 15by George Enescu Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1908; Romania Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 13 Minutes 26 Secs. Language: French
2.
Mélodies (20), Volume 1: D'une prisonby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1892; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 26 Secs. Language: French
3.
Chansons grises (7): no 5, L'heure exquiseby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: by 1893; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 1 Minutes 58 Secs. Language: French
4.
Fêtes galantesby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1892; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 1 Minutes 43 Secs. Language: French
5.
L'Albatrosby Ernest Chausson Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: Romantic Written: 1879; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 3 Minutes 23 Secs. Language: French
6.
Mélodies (4), Op. 13: no 1, Apaisementby Ernest Chausson Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 1 Minutes 58 Secs. Language: French
7.
Mélodies (20), Volume 1: Offrandeby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1891; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs. Language: French
8.
A Chlorisby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1916; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 48 Secs. Language: French
9.
Puisque j'ai mis ma lèvreby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: Romantic Written: France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 4 Minutes 34 Secs. Language: French
10.
Mélodies (20), Volume 1: Trois jours de vendangeby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: by 1895; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 3 Minutes 21 Secs. Language: French
11.
Quand la nuit n'est pas étoiléeby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano),
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto)
Period: 20th Century Written: France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 55 Secs. Language: French
12.
Poèmes (2), Op. 34: no 2, Le chevalier malheurby Ernest Chausson Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1898; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 3 Minutes 57 Secs. Language: French
13.
Poèmes (2), Op. 34: no 1, La chanson bien douceby Ernest Chausson Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1898; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 47 Secs. Language: French
14.
Cinq petites chansonsby Reynaldo Hahn Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1915 Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 8 Minutes 48 Secs. Language: French
15.
Fêtes galantes, Set 2: no 1, Les ingénusby Claude Debussy Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1904; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 21 Secs. Language: French
16.
Fêtes galantes, Set 2: no 2, Le fauneby Claude Debussy Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: Modern Written: 1904 Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 2 Minutes 3 Secs. Language: French
17.
Fêtes galantes, Set 2: no 3, Colloque sentimentalby Claude Debussy Performer:
Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Alto),
Daniel Blumenthal (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1904; France Date of Recording: 05/2005 Venue: Tibor Varga Studio, Sion, Switzerland Length: 4 Minutes 10 Secs. Language: French
18.
Songs (3) for voice & piano, Op. 18by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen (Baritone)
Period: Romantic Written: 1878 Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 5 Minutes 47 Secs.
19.
Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 27by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen (Baritone)
Period: Romantic Written: 1882 Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 3 Minutes 24 Secs.
20.
Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 46by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1887 Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 4 Minutes 10 Secs.
21.
Songs (4) for voice & piano, Op. 51by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1888-1889 Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 9 Minutes 23 Secs.
22.
Mélodies (5), Op. 58 "de Venise"by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1891; France Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 11 Minutes 28 Secs.
23.
La bonne chanson, Op. 61by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1892-1894; France Date of Recording: 02/1973 Venue: Théâtre de Suresnes Length: 18 Minutes 20 Secs.
24.
Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 76by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1897 Date of Recording: 02/1973 Venue: Théâtre de Suresnes Length: 4 Minutes 0 Secs.
25.
Songs (2) for voice & piano, Op. 83by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1894 Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 4 Minutes 4 Secs.
26.
Songs (3) for voice & piano, Op. 85by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1902 Date of Recording: 02/1973 Venue: Théâtre de Suresnes Length: 6 Minutes 33 Secs.
27.
Mirages, Op. 113by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1919; France Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 10 Minutes 38 Secs.
28.
L'horizon chimérique, Op. 118by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Noel Lee (Piano),
Bernard Kruysen ()
Period: Romantic Written: 1921; France Date of Recording: 12/1965 Venue: Copenhagen, Denmark Length: 6 Minutes 34 Secs.
29.
Lieder (8), Op. 10: no 3, Die Nachtby Richard Strauss Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1885; Germany
30.
Lieder (6), Op. 17: no 3, Das Geheimnisby Richard Strauss Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1885-1887; Germany
31.
Lieder (4), Op. 27: no 4, Morgenby Richard Strauss Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1894; Germany
32.
Après un rêve, Op. 7 no 1by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1877; France
33.
Clair de lune, Op. 46 no 2by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1887; France
34.
Les berceaux, Op. 23 no 1by Gabriel Fauré Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1879; France
35.
Songs (6), Op. 71: no 6, Nachtliedby Felix Mendelssohn Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1847; Germany
36.
Songs (6), Op. 19a: no 4, Neue Liebeby Felix Mendelssohn Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: by 1833; Germany
37.
Schlafloser Augen Leuchteby Felix Mendelssohn Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Susan Manoff (Piano)
Period: Romantic
Les papillonsby Claude Debussy Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Jos van Immerseel (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1881 Language: French
50.
En sourdineby Claude Debussy Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Jos van Immerseel (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1882; France Language: French
51.
Apparitionby Claude Debussy Performer:
Jos van Immerseel (Piano),
Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1884; France Language: French
52.
Romance: Silence ineffableby Claude Debussy Performer:
Jos van Immerseel (Piano),
Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1883; France Language: French
53.
Regret: Devant le cielby Claude Debussy Performer:
Jos van Immerseel (Piano),
Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1884; France Language: French
54.
Ariettes oubliéesby Claude Debussy Performer:
Jos van Immerseel (Piano),
Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1885-1888; France Language: French
55.
Proses lyriquesby Claude Debussy Performer:
Sandrine Piau (Soprano),
Jos van Immerseel (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1892-1893; France Language: French
56.
Poèmes (3) de Mallarméby Claude Debussy Performer:
Jos van Immerseel (Piano),
Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1913; France Language: French
57.
Mélodies (6): no 4, L'île heureuseby Emmanuel Chabrier Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1890; France
58.
Chanson pour Jeanneby Emmanuel Chabrier Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1886; France
59.
Mélodies (6): no 5, Les cigalesby Emmanuel Chabrier Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: Romantic Written: 1890; France
60.
Mélodies (3) de Verlaineby Claude Debussy Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1891; France
61.
Ballades (3) de François Villonby Claude Debussy Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1910; France
62.
Le galopby Henri Duparc Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1869; France
63.
Lamentoby Henri Duparc Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1883; France
64.
Elégieby Henri Duparc Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1874; France
65.
La vie antérieureby Henri Duparc Performer:
Stèphane Degout (Baritone),
Helene Lucas (Piano)
Period: 20th Century Written: 1884; France
melodie francaiseJanuary 8, 2013By hans de Groot (Toronto, ON)See All My Reviews"lovely recordings and at a very reasonable price. The Marie-Nicole Lemieux performances are especially fine."Report Abuse
Sensitive singing of a rare repertoryDecember 23, 2012By Robert Holt (Truro, MA)See All My Reviews"I confess that I have not yet had time to listen to all of the music in this trove of vocal treasures. But I found the singing of Piau so ravishing that I feel impelled to put down this endorsement. Never have I heard a singer with more total control of a lovely instrument: effortlessly, she draws on an astonishing range of techniques to great artistic effect. In particular, I have never heard anyone so effortlessly perfect in hitting desired pitches at any level of tempo and volume, exactly as the score demands. She is surely my favorite soprano and I hope to hear everything she has recorded. Much of the music was unfamiliar to me, but all of it of high quality and worth getting to know better. That makes this collection of unusual value, comforting though familiarity of repertory may be. The other singers whose work I have sampled so far are very good, though not as consistently thrilling as Piau."Report Abuse