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Poulenc: La Voix Humaine / Gens, Bloch, Orchestre National de Lille

$20.99

Details

Composer
Francis Poulenc
Artist
Veronique Gens, Alexandre Bloch
Format
CD
Label
Alpha
Released
Jan 13, 2023
Catalog #
ALPHA899
UPC
3760014198991

About

Véronique Gens’s version of La Voix humaine has been eagerly awaited! This ‘lyric tragedy in one act’ might have been written for her, so ideally suited are her feeling for language and her dramatic intensity to Poulenc’s monologue on a text by Jean Cocteau, composed in 1958. This is a far cry from the ‘light’ Poulenc of the 1920s. Cocteau paid him the highest compliment: ‘Dear Francis, you have fixed, once and for all, the way to speak my text.’ Véronique Gens confesses that she had always wanted to perform and record this piece; now she has achieved her ambition, in close partnership with the Orchestre National de Lille under its music director Alexandre Bloch. Also featured on the album is the Sinfonietta: this is in fact a genuine symphony, but, as Nicolas Southon writes, ‘there is no denying that the work – commissioned by the BBC in 1947 – has a freshness and a freedom of tone that justify its title’.

REVIEW:

La voix humaine is a monodrama. Gens had long wished to sing and record the piece, and was asked to perform it many times. She waited till she was ready for such a demanding piece, a work she must carry for forty minutes of, at times, very intense solo singing. Poulenc’s favourite soprano Denise Duval performed it first. She almost co-composed the piece.

It is clear that Madame Gens has really thought through the work and what it requires. Her decision to wait to be certain before she was ready to tackle this piece would seem to have paid off handsomely. This is an outstanding interpretation, the right artist recording the right work at the right time. That top C is nailed alright, and at the few other moments of “real singing” her familiar sound and line are as eloquent as usual. But the rest, the ‘heightened talking’, is equally persuasive, realistic and moving. Of course, that realism is also distressing, as we eavesdrop on deep personal anguish. At one point, Elle confesses to a suicide attempt. Some listeners will surely find the work rather harrowing, not one for everyday listening. But if one of the duties of art is to portray life in all its grimness as well as all its glory, then La voix humaine should be heard.

-- MusicWeb International

Tracklist 25 tracks

  1. 1 Introduction 00:55
    Track
    1
    Title
    Introduction
    Duration
    00:55
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  2. 2 Allô! Allô! 01:00
    Track
    2
    Title
    Allô! Allô!
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  3. 3 Allô! C'est moi … 01:07
    Track
    3
    Title
    Allô! C'est moi …
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  4. 4 Hier soir, je me suis couchée tout de suite 01:55
    Track
    4
    Title
    Hier soir, je me suis couchée tout de suite
    Duration
    01:55
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  5. 5 Allô, chéri … Si on coupe redemande-moi tout de suite 01:10
    Track
    5
    Title
    Allô, chéri … Si on coupe redemande-moi tout de suite
    Duration
    01:10
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  6. 6 Quelle comédie? 01:22
    Track
    6
    Title
    Quelle comédie?
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  7. 7 Souviens-toi du dimanche de Versailles 01:45
    Track
    7
    Title
    Souviens-toi du dimanche de Versailles
    Duration
    01:45
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  8. 8 Demain? Je ne savais pas que c'était si rapide 00:54
    Track
    8
    Title
    Demain? Je ne savais pas que c'était si rapide
    Duration
    00:54
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  9. 9 Allô … et comme ça 01:44
    Track
    9
    Title
    Allô … et comme ça
    Duration
    01:44
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  10. 10 Oh! non, mon chéri, surtout ne me regarde pas 02:48
    Track
    10
    Title
    Oh! non, mon chéri, surtout ne me regarde pas
    Duration
    02:48
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  11. 11 Allô, allô, Medemoiselle 02:24
    Track
    11
    Title
    Allô, allô, Medemoiselle
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  12. 12 Allô! Ah! Chéri, c'est toi … 04:08
    Track
    12
    Title
    Allô! Ah! Chéri, c'est toi …
    Duration
    04:08
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  13. 13 Hier soir j'ai voulu prendre un comprimé 02:05
    Track
    13
    Title
    Hier soir j'ai voulu prendre un comprimé
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  14. 14 Il était quatre heures du matin 01:54
    Track
    14
    Title
    Il était quatre heures du matin
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  15. 15 Allô! J'entends de la musique … 01:07
    Track
    15
    Title
    Allô! J'entends de la musique …
    Duration
    01:07
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  16. 16 Pardonne moi, je sais que cette scène est intolérable 00:32
    Track
    16
    Title
    Pardonne moi, je sais que cette scène est intolérable
    Duration
    00:32
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  17. 17 Avent-hier soir? J'ai dormi 04:21
    Track
    17
    Title
    Avent-hier soir? J'ai dormi
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  18. 18 Allô, allô, Madame, retirez-vous 02:44
    Track
    18
    Title
    Allô, allô, Madame, retirez-vous
    Duration
    02:44
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  19. 19 Sois tranquille. On ne se suicide pas de deux foix 01:51
    Track
    19
    Title
    Sois tranquille. On ne se suicide pas de deux foix
    Duration
    01:51
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  20. 20 Allô! … Allô! … Mon dieu, faites qu'il redemande 03:57
    Track
    20
    Title
    Allô! … Allô! … Mon dieu, faites qu'il redemande
    Duration
    03:57
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  21. 21 Alors, voilà … J'allais dire machinalement: À tout de suite 02:06
    Track
    21
    Title
    Alors, voilà … J'allais dire machinalement: À tout de suite
    Duration
    02:06
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Performer
    Véronique Gens
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  22. 22 I. Allegro con fuoco 09:13
    Track
    22
    Title
    I. Allegro con fuoco
    Duration
    09:13
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  23. 23 II. Molto vivace 05:49
    Track
    23
    Title
    II. Molto vivace
    Duration
    05:49
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  24. 24 III. Andante cantabile 06:46
    Track
    24
    Title
    III. Andante cantabile
    Duration
    06:46
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch
  25. 25 IV. Finale: Prestissimo et très gai 06:38
    Track
    25
    Title
    IV. Finale: Prestissimo et très gai
    Duration
    06:38
    Composer
    Francis Poulenc
    Ensemble
    Orchestre National de Lille
    Conductor
    Alexandre Bloch