The Art of Susan Graham
CD 1: Opera Arias by Mozart and Gluck
CD 2: Songs and Operetta Arias by Brahms, Debussy, Berg, Poulenc, Messager,
Simons, Hahn, Mahler, Moore
CD 3: Orchestral Songs Cycles by Chausson, Ravel, Debussy/Adams
CD 4: French Operetta Arias by Simons, Messager, Yvain, Honegger, Hahn
CD 5: Opera Arias and Songs by Handel, Berlioz, Ives, Heggie
CD 6: Songs by Ned Rorem
Susan Graham (mezzo)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Ensemble Oriol
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Yan Pascal Tortelier
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Yves Abel
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Harry Bicket
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon/Kent Nagano
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon/John Nelson
San Francisco Opera Orchestra/Patrick Summers
Full track details at end of review. DDD
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 68625-6 [384:15]
This is a generous and rewarding collection. It offers almost six and a half
hours of music although the details on the box state over an hour less music.
This agreeably comprehensive programme ranges from Handel and Mozart opera
arias to Mahler and Berg lieder, from Ravel and Debussy orchestral
songs to cabaret songs from contemporary composer Ned Rorem and Ben Moore.
Graham’s Grammy award-winning performances of Charles Ives’ Songs is
the highlight of the disc for me. My only disappointment was that it was seemingly
not possible to include any works from the pen of Richard Strauss; a composer
for whom I believe Graham has a special affinity.
A few biographical details of the may prove useful. Graham was born in 1960
at Roswell in the state of New Mexico. She was brought up in Midland, Texas
where she graduated from the Texas Tech University at Lubbock. It was a pivotal
occasion when she went up to New York City to study at the Manhattan School
of Music. The hard-working Graham has made a highly successful international
career in recital and has become a leading star in the world’s greatest opera
houses.
Graham’s artistic prowess and characterisation have made her a popular choice
in what have become signature ‘trouser roles’; notably Cherubino from Mozart’s
The Marriage of Figaro and Octavian in Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.
In 1991 she made her New York Metropolitan Opera debut in Mozart’s The
Magic Flute followed by her Covent Garden debut in 1994 in the title role
of Massenet's Chérubin. Surprisingly Graham had to wait until 2003
for her Carnegie Hall recital debut and it was 2006 before she finally appeared
at a BBC Proms Concert. A renowned specialist in the French song repertoire
Graham has been honoured by the French Government with their prestigious Commandeur
dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres. For her Charles Ives disc of the
Songs - Concord Sonata on Warner Classics, Susan Graham with pianist
Pierre-Laurent Aimard won the 2005 Grammy for ‘Best Classical Vocal Performance’.
The opening disc of the set titled ‘Il tenero momento’ contains
a selection of twelve opera arias by Mozart and Gluck. In these ‘trouser roles’
Graham displays her undoubted aptitude for the genre. I was impressed by the
fine support from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under Harry Bicket.
From Gluck’s opera Paride ed Elena (1770) I particularly enjoyed Graham’s
smooth and expressive rendition of Paride’s aria O del mio dolce ardor
bramato oggetto! (Oh, dear object of my sweet passion!). Here the
mezzo-soprano easily soars to float like an eagle. With Iphigénie’s aria Non,
cet affreux devoir je ne puis le remplir… Je t’implore et je tremble (No,
I cannot fulfil this dreadful duty… Trembling, I implore thee) from Gluck’s
Iphigénie en Tauride (1779) Graham demonstrates her wonderful flair
for dramatic expression. She is so very comfortable in her high range and
excellent under pressure. Of the Mozart scores the most pleasing was Cherubino’s
aria Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio (I don’t know what I am, what
I’m doing) from The Marriage of Figaro (1786). Graham’s tones are
consistently smooth and never in danger of being shrill. I marvelled at her
glorious creamy timbre together with splendid diction. This disc of Mozart
and Gluck opera arias is another high point of the set. Superbly recorded
the crystal clear sound secures an impressive balance between singer and orchestra.
Disc two is an appealing recital titled ‘Susan Graham at Carnegie Hall’
given in 2003. The recital was recorded live with Malcolm Martineau accompanying
the mezzo-soprano. The programme comprises a wide-ranging assortment of thirty
songs and operetta arias. In the eight song selection from Brahms’s Zigeunerlieder
(Gypsy Songs), Op.103 (1887/88) arranged for voice and piano I especially
enjoyed the contrasting character of the final two songs. In Kommt dir
manchmal in den Sinn, mein süßes Lieb (Do you sometimes remember, my
sweet) the tender rendering borders on the melancholy and in Rote Abendwolken
ziehn am Firmament (Red evening clouds drift in the sky) one is
aware of the score’s robust and determined character. From Debussy’s Proses
lyriques (Lyrical Prose) setting his own verse from 1892/93 the
first song De rêve (About a dream) is the pick of the crop;
sung with such tenderness and expression. The interpretation just radiates
colour and benefits from superb piano accompaniment. Sad and emotional De
fleurs (About flowers) is a most affecting song with the soloist
conveying suggestions of vulnerability. Technically excellent, Martineau manages
to play so slowly towards the conclusion yet stops short of grinding to a
halt. Graham delivers a brisk and summery rendition of De soir (About
evening) that feels remarkably uplifting. Of Berg’s splendid set Sieben
Frühe Lieder (Seven Early Songs) from 1905/08 I enjoyed immensely
the atmospheric and colourful Nacht (Night), the song Die
Nachtigall (The Nightingale) reaches dramatic heights from a tender
platform and the Liebesode (Ode to love) just exudes passion
and romance. Another performance to cherish is Graham’s interpretation of
Hahn’s 1913 pastoral song setting À Chloris (To Chloris) to
a text by Théophile de Viau which serves as homage to the Baroque. We hear
magnificent heartfelt singing of the impressive vocal line from Graham and
exceptional accompaniment from Martineau. The Mahler song the serious Liebst
du um Conceit (If you love for beauty) is the last of his cycle
of Five Rückert Lieder from 1901/2. Sung here with dedication and immense
passion this is a fine achievement that the audience clearly greatly appreciated.
In this live recording Graham explains from the stage that this is the first
time that she and Martineau have performed the song together. The final song
of the disc is the New York premiere of Sexy Lady written especially
for Susan Graham by Ben Moore in 2001. Bright and amusing this exuberant cabaret
song with elements of the pastiche receives rapturous applause.
Released with the title Poèmes de l'amour soon after winning her Grammy
for ‘Best Classical Vocal Performance’ the third disc consists
of orchestral song-cycles by composers: Chausson, Ravel and Claude Debussy/John
Adams. Susan Graham recorded them in 2004 at London’s Maida Vale studios with
the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Yan Pascal Tortelier. Generously mellow and
densely atmospheric these orchestral songs generally inhabit a similar sound-world.
They are all about mood-painting and Graham reigns supreme here. Technically
the mezzo-soprano never seems challenged and the songs suit her tessitura
splendidly.
Chausson’s Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Poem of Love and of the
Sea) to a Maurice Bouchor text was composed in 1882/92. At times
the orchestral accompaniment to the song La Fleur des beaux (The
Flower of the waters) reminded me of Elgar’s Sea Pictures, Op.
37. it is evocative of a gently swaying boat anchored in a quiet bay. On occasions
the sea breeze picks up and in a squall the water becomes increasingly choppy
as if anticipating the onset of a storm. Wind instruments and strings blend
together to create a soft mellow quality for the short orchestral Interlude.
Generally warm and sultry the song La Mort de l’amour (The death
of love) is an atmospheric and romantic nocturne convincingly suggestive
of a shimmering seascape. Graham expertly conveys the contrasting moods that
range from severe tension to intense passion.
Ravel wrote the seductive Shéhérazade in 1903 to three poems by his
Parisian friend Tristan Klingsor, a pseudonym of the poet Léon Leclère. With
a humid and almost stifling atmosphere all three songs easily evoke the sound,
sight and smells of Eastern exoticism.
Le Livre de Baudelaire (The Book of Baudelaire) by Debussy is
one of his early works. The songs are taken from Debussy’s settings of his
Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire (The five poems of Charles Baudelaire)
after French poet Charles Baudelaire's collection Les fleurs du mal (The
Flowers of Evil). Originally composed in 1887/89 for solo piano
these four settings were orchestrated by John Adams in 1993. A fifth song
La mort des amants is not included here. I especially enjoyed Graham’s
delightful rendition of the song Le Jet d’eau (The fountain)
together with its light and affectionate orchestral accompaniment. Calm and
gently rocking with a slight melancholic tinge the support from the BBC Symphony
Orchestra is outstanding in the final song Recueillement (Meditation).
French operetta arias is the theme of disc four. It offers a total of seventeen
works by Moisés Simons, André Messager, Maurice Yvain, Arthur Honegger and
Reynaldo Hahn. Here I was struck just how supremely talented the composer’s
André Messager and Reynaldo Hahn are in this genre. This disc was titled ‘C'est
ça la vie, c'est ça l'amour: French Operetta Arias’ on its
release. Recorded in 2001 in Birmingham, England, Graham is given sterling
orchestral support from the CBSO under Yves Abel. The following songs are
notable. From the Moïses Simons’ operetta Toi c'est moi (You are
me) fun and entertainment abound in the excellent Latin-infused song C’est
ça la vie, c’est ça l’amour! (That’s life, that’s love!). Messager’s
song J’ai deux amants (I have two lovers) from L’amour masqué
comes across as operatic in the late-romantic Italian style of Puccini. Graham
gives a delightful performance in Messager’s Ô mon bel inconnu (O
My Handsome Stranger) from the operetta of the same name. I love the solo
violin and clarinet accompaniment. For some reason we are not told the identity
of the supporting singers on this track. Messager’s Les hommes sont biens
tous les mêmes (Men are all the same) and L’amour est un oiseau
rebelle (Love is a rebellious bird), and also Hahn’s Air de
la Lettre (Letter aria) are typically light-hearted and wonderfully
uplifting. I was struck by the mournful cello part in Messager’s splendid
Mon rêve (My dream) from L'Amour Masqué (Masked love)
and I especially enjoyed the melodic and delightfully stirring final song
Vagabonde (Roaming) from Moisés Simons’ Toi c'est
moi (You are me). In spite of the generally slight nature of these
charming operetta arias Graham displaying her noted generous affection maintains
total involvement.
A collection of twenty-four opera arias and songs from several recordings
make up the contents of the fifth disc from the composers George Frideric
Handel, Hector Berlioz, Charles Ives and Jake Heggie. Susan Graham’s performances
of seventeen songs by Charles Ives won her a Grammy in 2004 for ‘Best Classical
Vocal Performance’. The award-winning disc was coupled with the Ives Concord
Sonata played by Pierre-Laurent Aimard who accompanies Graham here on
the Ives songs. The remaining seven songs are taken from other releases and
could have been programmed better. Throwing together heavy opera arias by
Handel and Berlioz with songs from Charles Ives seems a strange mix that doesn’t
sit entirely comfortably.
The two Handel arias were recorded live at the Opéra de Paris Garnier. From
Handel’s 1735 opera seria Alcina Susan Graham does not seem comfortable
with the technical challenges provided by the aria Di te mi rido (I
laugh you to scorn). The Texan bred singer fares better with the aria
Mi lusinga il dolce affetto (My tender passion bewitches me)
delivering a delightfully tender and affecting interpretation. Here William
Christie directs the impressive period instrument chamber orchestra Les Arts
Florissants with subtlety and a natural feeling for the music.
From the Berlioz’s 1846 dramatic legend The Damnation of Faust Marguerite’s
aria Autrefois un roi de Thule (Once upon a time, a King of Thule)
is an atmospheric piece beautifully sung and performed. It would be remiss
not to mention the impressive support from Kent Nagano and the Orchestre de
l’Opéra de Lyon. Noteworthy are the low strings that play splendidly throughout.
No details are given of the recording venue. Beatrice’s beautiful air Dieu!
Que viens-je d’entendre? (Heavens! What have I just heard?) from
Berlioz’s 1862 comic opera Beatrice and Benedict demands broad emotional
contrasts from the performer. Adroitly performed by the New Mexican-born singer
who demonstrates her innate aptitude for theatre and characterisation. On
this song the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon is conducted by John Nelson. We
are not told where this performance was recorded.
The highlight of the disc and of the whole set is the award-winning collection
of seventeen Charles Ives songs that Susan Graham recorded with pianist Pierre-Laurent
Aimard in 2003 at the Vienna Konzerthaus. Varied in style, expression and
length these songs, a treasure trove of invention and discovery, are well
worth getting to know. I enjoyed the Ives setting of his own text The Things
Our Fathers Loved (1917) where the gentle mood is broken only by the weightier
central section. Occupying a dreamy sound-world the beautiful 1921 setting
The Housatonic at Stockbridge of a Robert Underwood Johnson text builds
to a robust closing section. In the Louis Untermeyer setting Swimmers
from 1915 Graham paints a squally quality that together with the more aggressive
rhythms adroitly depicts a storm at sea. Another setting of the composer’s
own words Memories (A—Very Pleasant, B — Rather Sad) from 1897
begins upbeat, jolly and humorous and even includes some whistling. From 0:34
the mood changes drastically to one of calm, tinged with melancholy.
Extremely brief and quirky the Maurice Morris setting Ann Street from
1921 illustrates the street of the same name in New York City and contains
a couple of barked announcements by a male voice. To a text from Czech poet
Adolf Heyduk (translated N. Macfarren) Songs My Mother Taught Me (1895)
is a splendid example of Graham’s consummate ability to convey peaceful and
soft textures. Of a convincing carnival atmosphere the joyous Ives setting
of his own text The Circus Band (1894) just struts along without a
care in the world. I found the yearning Ives setting from 1921 ‘A sound
of a distant horn’ rather comforting. By contrast September the
brief and strident 1920 Rossetti setting (after Folgore da San Geminiano)
contains traces of the austere. The absorbing Ives 1907 setting of his own
text Soliloquy (or A Study in Sevenths and Other Things) exudes
tenderness, bordering on the serene, quickly developing a degree of dissonance.
Containing an infusion of rugged power a distinct nostalgic quality envelops
the song A Farewell to Land (1909) to a Lord Byron text. The final
Ives song is Thoreau a 1915 setting of his own verse with the soloist
narrating the first forty seconds. So typical of Ives this is an achingly
tender and wistful score.
All three Jake Heggie arias are extracts from his first opera Dead Man
Walking (1998/2000). The libretto by Terrence McNally is based on Sister
Helen Prejean's successful 1993 book Dead Man Walking which draws attention
to the campaign for the abolition of capital punishment. I recall the 1995
Tim Robbins film version of Dead Man Walking starring Susan Sarandon
and Sean Penn. Featuring Susan Graham as the nun Sister Helen this live recording
is taken from the 2000 premiere run of the opera at the War Memorial Hall
Opera House, San Francisco with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and Chorus
under Patrick Summers. The first aria This journey to Christ from act
one inhabits eclectic territory over a bed of rich orchestral writing that
reminded me of a Nino Rota film score. From act two Who will walk with
me? is interesting and has a generally sultry and exotic quality. I was
struck by the forceful performance of Graham in He will gather us around
from act one. This is an a cappella piece that has a slight feel
of a Negro spiritual.
The sixth and final disc in the box is a collection of thirty-two songs by
American composer Ned Rorem recorded in 1999 at the Teldec Studios in Berlin.
The ‘Songs of Ned Rorem’ was released in 2000 by Susan Graham with
Malcolm Martineau as her piano accompanist together with the Ensemble Oriol
appearing on a couple of the songs. I enjoyed Graham’s warmly atmospheric
interpretation of Sonnet - an appealing setting of a Witter Bynner
verse from the fourth set of Rorem’s Santa Fe Songs (1980). Undoubtedly
the inclusion of both the piano and strings makes a significant contribution
to the success of the score. In the 1963 setting of the much used Lord Alfred
Tennyson poem Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal I enjoyed Graham’s convincing
and expressive feeling for the glorious text. With the setting of the well
known verse by Stephen Foster Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair the
mezzo performs with utmost care and confidence. Mainly located in her upper
registers the attractive Ode: Je te salue, heureuse Paix (1953)
uses a Pierre de Ronsard text. Graham sings this attractive song with generous
affection and a profound assurance. I wasn’t expecting the spiky rhythms of
the early song setting Alleluia (1946). To a Walt Whitman text I enjoyed
the soft and gentle character of Look Down, Fair Moon (1957) with its
contrasting central section of increased weight and intensity. In Far-Far-Away
(1963) an Alfred Tennyson setting notable are the interesting changes
of space and rhythms. Also impressive is the Walt Whitman setting Sometimes
with One I Love (1957) for its yearning quality and suggestions of austerity.
The 1947 setting of Robert Frost’s verse Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
is given a soft and tender rendition containing a convincingly fresh outdoors
feel. From 1963 the setting That Shadow, My Likeness a Walt Whitman
text is sung by Graham with a slow and sultry character and long vocal lines.
Susan Graham has an enthusiastic international following and this impressive
six disc set should not disappoint her fans. She certainly possesses an exceptional
talent for communicating songs. This coupled with a smooth and creamy timbre.
A tendency to roll her Rs will prove an annoying mannerism for many. At times
though she sounds a touch jaded in songs that do not provide her with sufficient
variety of texture and expression. One or two of these place a harsh test
on her lowest registers. Graham seems at her most comfortable in the mid to
top of her range.
There is an interesting little essay on Susan Graham in the booklet. Sadly
no texts are provided. So once again a major record company presents a considerable
vocal collection where the purchaser is allowed to hear the sound of the words
but not to understand their meaning. In addition there is virtually no background
information about any of the works contained in the set.
Michael Cookson
Full track details:
The Art of Susan Graham
CD 1
Opera Arias
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787)
Paride ed Elena (Ranieri Calzabigi) - Paris and Helen (prem. 1770)
1. O del mio dolce ardor bramato oggetto!/Oh, dear object of my sweet passion!
(Paride) [3.26]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–91)
Le nozze di Figaro (Lorenzo da Ponte after Beaumarchais) - The Marriage of
Figaro (prem. 1786)
2) Non so più cosa son, cosa faccio/I don’t know what I am, what I’m doing
(Cherubino) [2.48]
La clemenza di Tito (Caterino Mazzolà after Metastasio) - The Clemency of
Titus (prem. 1791)
3) Parto, ma tu, ben mio/I go, but you, my dearest (Sesto) [6.36]
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787)
Iphigénie en Tauride (Nicolas-François Guillard after Euripides) - Iphigenia
in Tauris (prem. 1779)
4) Non, je n’espère plus … Ô toi qui prolongeas mes jours/No, I have no more
hope … O thou who prolonged my life (Iphigénie) [3.19]
5) Ô malheureuse Iphigénie!/O unhappy Iphigenia! (Iphigénie) [4.03]
6) Non, cet affreux devoir je ne puis le remplir … Je t’implore et je tremble/No,
I cannot fulfil this dreadful duty … Trembling, I implore thee (Iphigénie)
[3.54]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
The Marriage of Figaro (prem. 1786)
7) Voi che sapete che cosa è amor/You ladies who know what love is (Cherubino)
[2.53]
La clemenza di Tito
8) Deh, per questo istante solo/Ah, for just one moment (Sesto) [6.43]
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787)
Orphée et Eurydice (Ranieri Calzabigi, trans. Pierre-Louis Moline) - Orpheus
and Eurydice (prem. 1762)
9) Qu’entends-je? Qu’a-t-il dit? … Amour, viens rendre à mon âme/What’s this
I hear? What did he say? … Love, restore to my soul (Orphée) [7.20]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
Idomeneo (Giambattista Varesco) (prem. 1781)
10) Non ho colpa, e mi condanni/I am blameless, yet you condemn me (Idamante)
[6.27]
Christoph Willibald GLUCK (1714–1787)
Orphée et Eurydice (Ranieri Calzabigi, trans. Pierre-Louis Moline) - Orpheus
and Eurydice (prem. 1762)
11) J’ai perdu mon Eurydice/I have lost my Eurydice (Orphée) [4.19]
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–91)
Lucio Silla (Giovanni de Gamerra) (prem. 1772)
12) Dunque sperar poss’io … Il tenero momento/So can I still hope … The tender
moment (Cecilio) [10.18]
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Harry Bicket
rec. 29 August-2 September 2000, Air Studios, London, England.
CD 2
Songs and Operetta Arias
Johannes BRAHMS (1833–1897)
Zigeunerlieder, Op.103 (Trad.) - Gypsy Songs (1887–88)
1) I He, Zigeuner, greife in die Saiten ein!/Hey, Gypsy, strum your strings!
[1.11]
2) II Hochgetürmte Rimaflut/Mighty waters of the Rima [1.22]
3) III Wisst ihr, wann mein Kindchen am allerschönsten ist?/Do you know when
my sweetheart is loveliest? [1.35]
4) IV Lieber Gott, du weißt, wie oft bereut ich hab/Dear God, you know how
often I have regretted [1.40]
5) V Brauner Bursche führt zum Tanze/A bronzed lad leads to the dance [1.45]
6) VI Röslein dreie in der Reihe blüh’n so rot/Three little roses in a row
bloom so red [2.02]
7) VII Kommt dir manchmal in den Sinn, mein süßes Lieb/Do you sometimes remember,
my sweet [2.17]
8) VIII Rote Abendwolken ziehn am Firmament/Red evening clouds drift in the
sky [1.38]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918)
Proses lyriques (Debussy) - Lyrical Prose (1892/93)
9) I De rêve/About a dream [6.30]
10) II De grève/About the shore [3.38]
11) III De fleurs/About flowers [5.46]
12) IV De soir/About evening [4.33]
Alban BERG (1885–1935)
Sieben Frühe Lieder (1905/08) - Seven Early Songs
13) I Nacht/Night (Carl Hauptmann) [3.37]
14) II Schilflied/Song amid the reeds (Nikolaus Lenau) [1.53]
15) III Die Nachtigall/The nightingale (Theodor Storm) [1.54]
16) IV Traumgekrönt/Crowned in dreams (Rainer Maria Rilke) [2.14]
17) V Im Zimmer/In the room (Johannes Schlaf) [1.12]
18) VI Liebesode/Ode to love (Otto Erich Hartleben) [1.20]
19) VII Sommertage/Summer days (Paul Hohenberg) [1.38]
Francis POULENC (1899–1963)
Quatre Poèmes de Guillaume Apollinaire (c. 1931) - Four Poems by Guillaume
Apollinaire
20) I Languidly/The eel [1.16]
21) II Carte postale/Postcard [1.22]
22) III Avant le cinéma/Before the cinema [0.51]
23) IV 1904 [1.21]
André MESSAGER (1853–1929)
Les P’tites Michu (Albert Vanloo et Georges Duval) - The Little Michus (1897)
24) Vois-tu, je m’en veux à moi-même/You see, I blame myself (Blanche-Marie)
[3.00]
L’Amour masqué (Sacha Guitry) - Masked Love (1923)
25) J’ai deux amants/I have two lovers (Elle) [2.39]
Moïses SIMONS (1888–1945)
Toi c’est moi (Bertal-Maubon et Chamfleury) - You Are Me (1934)
26) C’est ça la vie, c’est ça l’amour!/That’s life, that’s love! [2.39]
Reynaldo HAHN (1874–1947)
27) À Chloris/To Chloris (Théophile de Viau) (1913) [3.45]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918)
28) Fantoches/Marionettes (Paul Verlaine) [1.33]
Gustav MAHLER (1860–1911)
29) Liebst du um Schönheit/If you love for beauty (Rückert-Lieder) (1901/2)
[3.10]
Ben MOORE (b.1960)
30) Sexy Lady (2001) [5.09]
Malcolm Martineau (piano)
rec. live, 14 April 2003, Carnegie Hall, New York, USA.
CD 3
Orchestral Songs Cycles
Ernest CHAUSSON (1855–1899)
Poème de l’amour et de la mer (Maurice Bouchor) - Poem of Love and of the
Sea (1882/92)
1) I La Fleur des beaux/The flower of the waters [12.05]
2) II Interlude [2.30]
3) III La Mort de l’amour/The death of love [13.12]
Maurice RAVEL (1875–1937)
Shéhérazade (Tristan Klingsor) (1903)
4) I Asie/Asia [9.37]
5) II La Flûte enchantée/The enchanted flute [2.55]
6) III L’Indifférent/The indifferent one [4.16]
Claude DEBUSSY (1862–1918) orch. John Adams (b.1947)
Le Livre de Baudelaire (Cinq Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire I–IV) - The Book
of Baudelaire (orig. 1887/89)
7) I Le Balcon/The balcony [8.13]
8) II Harmonie du soir/Evening harmony [3.55]
9) III Le Jet d’eau/The fountain [5.52]
10) IV Recueillement/Meditation [5.09]
BBC Symphony Orchestra/Yan Pascal Tortelier
rec. 15, 19-2 December 2004, BBC Maida Vale Studios, London, England
CD 4
French Operetta Arias
Moïses SIMONS (1888–1945)
Toi c’est moi (Bertal-Maubon et Chamfleury) - You Are Me (1934)
1) C’est ça la vie, c’est ça l’amour!/That’s life, that’s love! (Viviane)
[3.48]
André MESSAGER (1853–1929)
L’Amour masqué (Sacha Guitry) - Masked Love (1923)
2) J’ai deux amants/I have two lovers (Elle) [2.31]
Maurice YVAIN (1891–1965)
Yes (Albert Willemetz, Pierre Soulaine et René Pujol)
3) Yes (Totte) [3.07]
Arthur HONNEGER (1892–1955)
Les Aventures du roi Pausole (Albert Willemetz d’après Pierre Louÿs) - The
Adventures of King Pausole (1929/30)
4) Si vous saviez/If you knew (Diane) [4.32]
Reynaldo HAHN (1874–1947)
Ô mon bel inconnu (Sacha Guitry) (1933) - O My Handsome Stranger
5) Ô mon bel inconnu/O My Handsome Stranger (Marie-Anne, Antoinette, Félicie)
[3.59]
André MESSAGER (1853–1929)
Fortunio (Robert de Flers et Gaston de Caillavet) (1907)
6) Je ne vois rien … Lorsque je n’étais qu’une enfant/I can see nothing …
When I was but a child (Jacqueline) [5.30]
Coups de roulis (Albert Willemetz d’après Maurice Larrouy) (1928) - Pitching
and Rolling
7) Les hommes sont biens tous les mêmes/Men are all the same (Béatrice) [1.57]
Reynaldo HAHN (1874–1947)
Brummell (R. Dieudonné et “Rip”) (1930)
8) Air de la Lettre/Letter aria (Lady Eversharp) [3.58]
André MESSAGER (1853–1929)
Passionnément (Maurice Hennequin et Albert Willemetz) (1926) - Passionately
9) “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”/“Love is a rebellious bird” (Julia) [2.51]
Les P’tites Michu (Albert Vanloo et Georges Duval) (1897) - The Little Michus
10) Vois-tu, je m’en veux à moi-même/You see, I blame myself (Blanche-Marie)
[2.32]
Reynaldo HAHN (1874–1947)
Mozart (Sacha Guitry) (1925)
11) Être adoré/To be adored (Mozart) [4:30]
André MESSAGER (1853–1929)
La Petite Fonctionnaire (Alfred Capus et Xavier Roux) (1921) - The Little
Office-Worker
12) Je regrette mon Pressigny/I miss my Pressigny (Suzanne) [2.30]
Les Dragons de l’Impératrice (1905) - The Empress’s Dragons
13) Amour! Amour! quel est donc ton pouvoir/Love! Love! What power do you
yield (Lucrèce) [3.15]
L’Amour masqué (Sacha Guitry) (1923) - Masked Love
14) Mon rêve/My dream (Elle) [4.02]
Reynaldo HAHN (1874–1947)
Ô mon bel inconnu (Sacha Guitry) (1933) - O My Handsome Stranger
15) C’est très vilain d’être infidèle/It’s very naughty to be unfaithful (Antoinette)
[3.41]
Ciboulette (Robert de Flers et Francis de Croisset) (1923)
16) C’est pas Paris, c’est sa banlieue/It’s not Paris, but it’s not far off
(Ciboulette) [2.53]
Moïses SIMONS (1888–1945)
Toi c’est moi (Bertal-Maubon et Chamfleury) (1934) - You Are Me
17) Vagabonde (Viviane) [3.08]
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra/Yves Abel
rec. 24-29 June 2001, CBSO Centre, Birmingham, England.
CD 5
Opera Arias and Songs
George Frideric HANDEL (1685–1759)
Alcina (Anon. after Ariosto) (prem. 1735)
1) Di te mi rido/I laugh you to scorn (Ruggiero) [4.14]
2) Mi lusinga il dolce affetto/My tender passion bewitches me (Ruggiero) [7.24]
Les Arts Florissants/William Christie
rec. live, June 1999 at Opéra de Paris Garnier, Paris, France
Hector BERLIOZ (1803–1869)
La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz & Almire Gandonnière after Goethe) - The
Damnation of Faust (prem. 1846)
3) Autrefois un roi de Thulé/Once upon a time, a King of Thule (Marguerite)
[5.27]
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon/Kent Nagano
rec. No details given
Béatrice et Bénédict (Berlioz after Shakespeare) - Beatrice and Benedict (prem.
1862)
4) Dieu! Que viens-je d’entendre?/Heavens! What have I just heard? (Béatrice)
[9.50]
Orchestre de l’Opéra de Lyon/John Nelson
rec. No details given
Charles IVES (1874–1954)
Songs
5) The Things Our Fathers Loved (Ives) (1917) [2.01]
6) The Housatonic at Stockbridge (Robert Underwood Johnson) (1921) [3.53]
7) Swimmers (Louis Untermeyer) (1915) [1.37]
8) Memories (A — Very Pleasant, B — Rather Sad) (Ives) (1897) [2.26]
9) Ann Street (Maurice Morris) (1921) [0.54]
10) Serenity (A unison chant) (Whittier) (1909) [2.18]
11) “1, 2, 3” (Ives) (1921) [0.37]
12) Songs My Mother Taught Me (Adolf Heyduk, trans. Natalia Macfarren) (1895)
[3.27]
13) The Circus Band (Ives) (1894) [2.23]
14) The Cage (Ives) (1906) [0.46]
15) The Indians (Charles Sprague) (1921) [1.58]
16) Like a Sick Eagle (John Keats) (1920) [1.52]
17) “A sound of a distant horn” (Ives) (1921) [0.53]
18) September (Dante Gabriel Rossetti after Folgore da San Geminiano) (1920)
[0.50]
19) Soliloquy (or A Study in Sevenths and Other Things) (Ives) (1907) [0.57]
20) A Farewell to Land (Lord Byron) (1909) [1.43]
21) Thoreau (Ives) (1915) [2.16]
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano)
rec. 6-8 November 2003, Große Saal, Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria.
Jake HEGGIE (b.1961)
Dead Man Walking (Terrence McNally) (1998/2000)
22) This journey. This journey to Christ [2.46]
23) Who will walk with me? [2.14]
24) “He will gather us around” [1.12]
Susan Graham (mezzo)
San Francisco Opera Orchestra/Patrick Summers
rec. live, 7, 13 October 2000, War Memorial Hall Opera House, San Francisco
USA.
CD 6
Ned ROREM (b.1923)
01) Sonnet (Santa Fe Songs IV) (Witter Bynner) (1980)[1.59]
02) Clouds (Paul Goodman) (1953) [2.08]
03) Early in the Morning (Robert Hillyer) (1954) [2.00]
04) The Serpent (Theodore Roethke) (1972) [2.06]
05) Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal (Alfred Tennyson) (1963) [4.19]
06) Opus 101 (Santa Fe Songs II) (Witter Bynner) (1980)[2.54]
07) I Strolled Across an Open Field (Theodore Roethke) (1959) [1.06]
08) To a Young Girl (William Butler Yeats) (1951) [1.33]
09) Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair (after Stephen Foster) [2.38]
10) Ode: Je te salue, heureuse Paix (Pierre de Ronsard) (1953) [1.39]
11) For Poulenc (Frank O’Hara) (1963) [2.33]
12) Little Elegy (Elinor Wylie) (1949)[1.18]
13) Alleluia (1946) [2.49]
14) Look Down, Fair Moon (Walt Whitman) (1957) [1.16]
15) O You Whom I Often and Silently Come (Walt Whitman) (1957)[0.32]
16) I Will Always Love You (Frank O’Hara) (1990) [2.23]
17) The Tulip Tree (Paul Goodman) (1953) [1.32]
18) The Wintry Mind (Santa Fe Songs VIII) (Witter Bynner) (1980) [2.34]
19) I am Rose (Gertrude Stein) (1955)[0.27]
20) The Lordly Hudson (Paul Goodman) (1947) [2.23]
21) O Do Not Love Too Long (William Butler Yeats) (1951) [1.23]
22) Far-Far-Away (Alfred Tennyson) (1963) [1.49]
23) For Susan (Paul Goodman) (1953) [1.09]
24) A Journey (Andrew Glaze) (1976) [1.26]
25) Sometimes with One I Love (Walt Whitman) (1957) [1.33]
26) Love (Thomas Lodge) (1953) [1.48]
27) Orchids (Theodore Roethke) (1959) [2.09]
28) Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Robert Frost) (1947) [1.53]
29) Do I Love You More Than a Day? (Jack Larson) (1962) [1.34]
30) Ferry Me Across the Water (Christina Rossetti) (1978) [1.34]
31) The Sowers (Santa Fe Songs XII) (Witter Bynner) (1980) [1.45]
32) That Shadow, My Likeness (Walt Whitman) (1963) [1.50]
Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Ensemble Oriol: (Christiane Plath (violin); Sebastian Gottschick (viola);
Friedeman Ludwig (cello))
rec. September 1999, Teldec Studio, Berlin, Germany