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Franck: Complete Songs & Duets / Graziani, Gens, Christoyannis, Cohen
Bru Zane

Franck: Complete Songs & Duets / Graziani, Gens, Christoyannis, Cohen

$29.99

Details

Composer
Cesar Franck
Artist
Tassis Christoyannis, Veronique Gens, Jeff Cohen
Format
CD
Label
Bru Zane
Released
Mar 25, 2022
Catalog #
BZ2003
UPC
8055776010038

About

Abundant though it is, César Franck’s vocal music (operas, sacred music, oratorios, mélodies) does not occupy a prominent place in the current repertory. His instrumental compositions – headed by the Violin Sonata in A major and followed by the organ works – represent virtually all that today’s audiences and musicians know of his output. Yet the mélodies and vocal duets, neglected by performers and publishers alike, deserve to be plucked from oblivion, both for their own sake and for their place in the history of French music. The alluring voices of Tassis Christoyannis and Véronique Gens immerse the listener in the atmosphere of the nineteenth-century Parisian salons and the mélodies performed there. The composer and organist César Franck, famed for his instrumental music, proves himself equally skilled in setting poems by Musset, Hugo, Chateaubriand, Daudet and Dumas. This first complete recording of his works for voice and piano ranges over his entire creative life.

REVIEWS:

Of Franck’s overlooked works, probably none are more so than his mélodies (songs). Now, with this new release, Bru Zane provide what is described as the first complete recording of Franck’s works for voice and piano. This collection of 22 mélodies and 6 duos range throughout most of Franck’s compositional life, commencing in 1843 when he was just out of his teens with Robin Gray and Le Sylphe through to 1889 with Les Cloches du soir and La Procession written close to the end of his life. For his melodies, Franck elected to set French texts headed by Victor Hugo with six and also François-René de Chateaubriand, Alphonse Daudet, Alexandre Dumas, Joseph Méry and others.

Bru Zane has entrusted this Franck collection to Greek baritone Tassis Christoyannis and American pianist Jeff Cohen...Christoyannis shines throughout for his reliably warm and appealing tone coupled with the responsive accompaniment from Cohen.

In the set of 6 Duos Christoyannis is partnered by renowned French soprano Véronique Gens who also sings a single mélodie...Her voice remains in outstanding condition and dependably attractive, displaying a special gift for expression. Written in 1888 the 6 Duos, settings of text by five different writers, best evokes the atmosphere of the Parisian salon in the Belle Époque. Christoyannis [has] ease of delivery and Gens[,] engaging charm... 

Sound engineer Matteo Costa has achieved splendid clarity and balance between singers and piano. It’s hard to fault the presentation of Bru Zane releases and this album is no exception. In the accompanying booklet there are a pair of essays Another side to César Franck by Alexandre Dratwicki and The Songs and Duets of César Franck by Jean-Philippe Navarre. There is also detailed and helpful information given for each of the twenty-eight songs/duets together with several reproductions of artworks and documents of the period. The French texts provided with English translations alongside are invaluable.

Beautifully performed, recorded and presented, this album of the complete Songs and Duets of César Franck is an appealing addition to the catalogue.

--MusicWeb International (Michael Cookson)

Tracklist 28 tracks

  1. Disc 1
  2. 1 Les cloches du soir, M. 87 02:26
    Track
    1
    Title
    Les cloches du soir, M. 87
    Duration
    02:26
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  3. 2 Nocturne, M. 85 03:38
    Track
    2
    Title
    Nocturne, M. 85
    Duration
    03:38
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  4. 3 Le vase brise, M. 84 03:47
    Track
    3
    Title
    Le vase brise, M. 84
    Duration
    03:47
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  5. 4 Roses et papillons, M. 81 02:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    Roses et papillons, M. 81
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  6. 5 Le mariage des roses, M. 80 02:17
    Track
    5
    Title
    Le mariage des roses, M. 80
    Duration
    02:17
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  7. 6 L'emir de Bengador, M. 72 04:28
    Track
    6
    Title
    L'emir de Bengador, M. 72
    Duration
    04:28
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  8. 7 Ninon, M. 71 02:21
    Track
    7
    Title
    Ninon, M. 71
    Duration
    02:21
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  9. 8 Lied, M. 83 01:55
    Track
    8
    Title
    Lied, M. 83
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  10. 9 Robin Gray, M. 74 05:14
    Track
    9
    Title
    Robin Gray, M. 74
    Duration
    05:14
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  11. 10 S'il est un charmant gazon, M. 78 01:59
    Track
    10
    Title
    S'il est un charmant gazon, M. 78
    Duration
    01:59
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  12. 11 S'il est un charmant gazon, M. 78 (1857 version) 02:03
    Track
    11
    Title
    S'il est un charmant gazon, M. 78 (1857 version)
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  13. 12 Aimer, M. 76 04:21
    Track
    12
    Title
    Aimer, M. 76
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  14. 13 No. 6. La chanson du vannier 03:04
    Track
    13
    Title
    No. 6. La chanson du vannier
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  15. 14 No. 1. L'ange gardien 02:42
    Track
    14
    Title
    No. 1. L'ange gardien
    Duration
    02:42
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  16. 15 No. 2. Aux petits enfants 02:15
    Track
    15
    Title
    No. 2. Aux petits enfants
    Duration
    02:15
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  17. 16 No. 3. La Vierge a la creche 02:49
    Track
    16
    Title
    No. 3. La Vierge a la creche
    Duration
    02:49
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  18. 17 No. 4. Les danses de Lormont 02:57
    Track
    17
    Title
    No. 4. Les danses de Lormont
    Duration
    02:57
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  19. 18 No. 5. Soleil 01:56
    Track
    18
    Title
    No. 5. Soleil
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Véronique Gens, Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  20. Disc 2
  21. 1 L'ange et l'enfant, M. 75 05:00
    Track
    1
    Title
    L'ange et l'enfant, M. 75
    Duration
    05:00
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  22. 2 Passez, passez toujours, M. 82 06:45
    Track
    2
    Title
    Passez, passez toujours, M. 82
    Duration
    06:45
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  23. 3 Souvenance, M. 70 02:58
    Track
    3
    Title
    Souvenance, M. 70
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  24. 4 Pour les victimes, M. 86 02:28
    Track
    4
    Title
    Pour les victimes, M. 86
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  25. 5 Paris (arr. for voice and piano) 07:15
    Track
    5
    Title
    Paris (arr. for voice and piano)
    Duration
    07:15
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  26. 6 Patria (arr. for voice and piano) 06:35
    Track
    6
    Title
    Patria (arr. for voice and piano)
    Duration
    06:35
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  27. 7 Les trois exilés, M. 77 06:00
    Track
    7
    Title
    Les trois exilés, M. 77
    Duration
    06:00
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  28. 8 A cette terre, ou l'on ploie sa tente 05:46
    Track
    8
    Title
    A cette terre, ou l'on ploie sa tente
    Duration
    05:46
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen
  29. 9 Le sylphe, M. 73 04:20
    Track
    9
    Title
    Le sylphe, M. 73
    Duration
    04:20
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen, Enrico Graziani
  30. 10 La procession, M. 88 (version for voice and piano) 04:44
    Track
    10
    Title
    La procession, M. 88 (version for voice and piano)
    Duration
    04:44
    Composer
    César Franck
    Performer
    Tassis Christoyannis, Jeff Cohen