'Paris, I love you' A wonderful collection of songs inspired by the city. Songs selected around the themes of Paris city of light, the Paris suburbs, the roaring 20s, Paris by night, and revolutionary Paris. Includes renditions of Jacques Brel's 'Vesoul', Charles Trenet's 'Menilmontant in a Disney style', 'April in Paris' famously sung by Ella Fitzgerald, Bourvil's 'Les Ponts de Paris'. The Chour de l'Arme Franaise is accompanied by the Orchestre de la Garde Rpublicaine under their charismatic director major Aurore Tillac.
Rameau chez la Pompadour / Camboulas, Ensemble Les Suprises
Alpha
CD
$20.99Sep 23, 2022
The famous Marquise de Pompadour, favorite of King Louis XV for nearly twenty years, reigned over the arts at court. Rameau, whom she particularly admired, was omnipresent. He received a specific commission for the Théâtre des Petits Appartements, where the Marquise herself sang in the midst of a troupe of amateurs and professionals: the result was Les Surprises de l’Amour, from which the ensemble Les Surprises takes its name. Under the expert direction of Louis-Noël Bestion de Camboulas, the group presents here the very first recording of this ballet in its original 1748 version, including the prologue entitled Le Retour d’Astrée, and couples it with another commission for one of the court’s annual residences at Fontainebleau: Les Sybarites (1753), an acte de ballet whose principal couple is reminiscent of the King himself and his favorite. A first-rate vocal line-up brings these two works back to life: Marie Perbost, Eugénie Lefebvre, Jehanne Amzal, Clément Debieuvre, David Witczak, Philippe Estèphe.
Franck, Fauré & Szymanowski: Works for Violin & Piano / Little
Chandos
CD
$21.99Apr 21, 2017
The indefatigable duo of Tasmin Little and Piers Lane returns with a unique recorded programme at the centre of which stand the violin sonatas of Szymanowski and Franck. Their joined expert musicianship reveals the intimacy and magic of these passionate, late-romantic works. The album encompasses the folk-like yet technically demanding Romance, Violin Sonata, and Notturno e Tarantella by Szymanowski, here more inspired by the German and French romantic tradition than by his native Polish one, as well as Franck's highly original Violin Sonata and Faure's Romance. It follows a much-lauded set of Schubert's complete works for violin and piano, and also marks the eightieth anniversary of Saymanowski's death. Tasmin Little will continue her tribute to the composer with a concerto album this autumn and with a series of concerts of his music, which will take her around the world.
Noel Rosa creait la chanson populaire urbaine, le bahianais Dorival Caymmi imposait la magie afro-bresilienne et Vinicius de Moraes fut le poete par excellence de la bossa nova. Aux cotes de ces trois geants, l'anthologie ouvre aussi le spectre a la chanson romantique de Catulo da Paixao Cearense et de Candido das Neves ainsi qu'a quelques autres plumes de reference (comme Orestes Barbosa, Cartola, Ronaldo Boscoli, Humberto Teixeira...). Noirs, mulatres ou blancs, originaires de Rio de Janeiro ou du Nordeste, auteurs - compositeurs - interpretes comme Noel Rosa ou Caymmi ou seulement paroliers, ils epousent les evolutions stylistiques de la chanson populaire bresilienne sur un demisiecle et leur talent litteraire donne a leur versification un halo hautement poetique. Noel Rosa fathered popular urban songs. Dorival Caymmi breathed Afro-Brazilian magic into them, and Vinicius de Moraes was the poet par excellence of bossa nova. This collection also celebrates other in uential artists in Brazil, the likes of Catulo da Paixao Cearense, Candido das Neves, Orestes Barbosa, Cartola, Ronaldo Boscoli and Humberto Teixeira. Whether they were black, white or mulatto, from Rio de Janeiro or Nordeste, composer songwriters or lyricists, each of these artists contributed to the stylistic evolution of popular Brazilian songs for half a century. Their literary talents made their verse a thing of extraordinary poetry.
This album of French piano rarities features seldom-heard and recently discovered works by composers who had an influence on Pierre Boulez, as well as the premiere recording of Boulez’s Prélude, Toccata et Scherzo. This large-scale early work looks back on virtuosic Romantic music, while at the same time exploring the new compositional styles that Boulez would subsequently embrace.
Among the rarities is a posthumously discovered piano study by Debussy, a reconstructed birdsong work by Messiaen, and a tiny masterpiece by Ravel found in a notebook.
Ralph van Raat has been fascinated by classical music of the 20th century since the age of 14. Although his repertoire ranges from Bach to Boulez, his primary focus has always been on composers dating from Debussy, Bartók and Ives to present-day masters. Van Raat helps audiences identify with modern day composers by adhering to a classical approach: he firmly believes that a strong sense of classical structure as well as a refinement of tone is essential in conveying the logic and poetry of any music. This has not gone unrecognized: he is the recipient of a substantial number of national and international awards, many composers have written solo works for him, and he has performed over 50 piano concertos with orchestras worldwide.
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REVIEW:
In addition to other solo piano writing from Boulez, van Raat’s new album shows his lustrous way of playing lesser-heard gems by Debussy, Ravel and Messiaen. Given this repertoire, the album’s title, “French Piano Rarities,” makes plenty of sense. Yet it doesn’t do justice to the worldliness that informs this pianist’s process, no matter which tradition he is exploring.
New York City-based viola da gambist Caroline Nicolas is one to watch - a captivating performer and "one of the finest gambists working today" (Gotham Early Music Scene). With her star rapidly in the ascendent, Caroline has performed with ensembles including The English Concert, Kammerorchester Basel, and Philharmonia Baroque, and collaborated with the likes of Jordi Savall, William Christie, and Kristian Bezuidenhout.
For her solo debut recording, Caroline brings out the big guns of the viola da gamba repertoire from France's defining era of the instrument - the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Pièces de viole were integral to the French instrumental baroque, and Caroline's programme leads with selections by the master of the genre, Marin Marais. For contrast, Caroline juxtaposes the first Suite by the iconoclastic Antoine Forqueray, and in between offers a pair of amuse-bouche: an intricate Chaconne by Marais' tutor, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe, and a Prelude by the pedagogue Le Sieur de Machy. In keeping with French viol music's nuance and relative restraint, Caroline is accompanied solely by theorbo, it's complementary timbre reflecting the repertoire's aesthetic.
Sainte-Colombe, Marais: À Deux Violes Esgales / Rignol, Vialle
Château de Versailles Spectacles
CD
$20.99Jun 25, 2021
Two viola da gamba players, two inspired soloists, two major composers of the century of Louis XIV: Marais and Sainte Colombe. What could be more sensually French? When Sainte Colombe published his Concerts à deux violes esgales, he made two almost human voices sing together, their complaints almost religious, and touched the heart with his poetry and perfection. His disciple Marin Marais found new colors in his viol duets, and a more dramatic discourse: the autumn of the Great King's life was immersed in this sumptuous music, so closely linked to the spirit of the French Court. To bring this intimate Versailles back to life, Mathilde Vialle and Myriam Rignol take us into the mysterious harmonies of two violes esgales… until the famous Couplets de Folies!
The Cajun legacy has a strong cultural identity - cuisine, hospitality, fishing, festivals, dancing and music - with ties to the history of both France and the New World. This great popular music tradition makes no distinction between professionals and amateurs, giving legitimacy to those whose music serves to defend the Cajun philosophy of life, "Let the good times roll." Marine biologist Tommy Michot (accordion, harmonica, vocals) and violinist Rick Michot (a District Court judge in Lafayette) have put together an excellent record, filled with rich musicological contributions to the Cajun legacy. It reveals the timeless nature of a collective memory spanning two and a half centuries.
On this release, the Red Army Choir sings traditional and orthodox Christmas songs. Even when singing such familiar music, the precision of the ensemble's sound reveals the full mastery of the choir's vocal skills. Combined with a unique feeling for these carols' arrangements, these performances remind the listener exactly why the Red Army Choir was one of the great artistic symbols of the Soviet era.
Widor is a composer best known for writing the thunderous organ symphonies that echoed throughout the Church of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, where Widor was organist for over 60 years. His famous Toccata for organ continues to be a favorite piece at weddings and concert halls around the world. We share this album in order to shine a light on a quieter, more intimate side of Widor, as a composer of French solo songs and duets for voice and piano. In these songs, Widor let's go of the grandiose sounds of the cathedral organ and offers delicate, expressive meditations on human emotion, poetry, and connection. In this spirit, we invite you to join us in hearing these rarely performed and little-known works: Six duos-six duets for soprano and contralto, and Soirs d'été-eight solo songs set to the poetry of Paul Bourget.
Although the instrumental and orchestral music of the Franco-German Romantic Théodore Gouvy (1819–98) is slowly being rediscovered, his songs remain largely unknown. Gouvy’s melodious songs, 105 in number, show a predilection for the 16th c. love-poems of Pierre de Ronsard: 40 of the songs set Ronsard texts. Of the 26 songs on this disc, only eleven have been recorded before, and none in the key the composer intended, as they are here for the first time. The other fifteen songs are first-ever recordings. Pianist Joel Schoenhals accompanies soprano MeeAe Nam and tenor John Elwes.
The Neave Trio's new album celebrates French works for piano trio, focussing on three works composed around the turn of the twentieth century. Saint-Saens's Piano Trio No. 2 dates from 1892 and comprises five movements. Unusually for Saint-Saens, the work took a great deal of time from conception to completion (over five years) and then went through a number of revisions before Saint-Saens was finally satisfied. Mel Bonis's two pieces Soir and Matin, whilst on a smaller scale, are equally powerful works, bridging the worlds of romanticism and impressionism. The first piece is dominated by a cantabile melody, whilst Matin is more chromatic and harmonically complex. The album concludes with Sally Beamish's arrangement of Debussy's orchestral masterpiece La Mer. This three-movement symphonic work presented Beamish with an exceptional challenge, as she strove to 'reinvent Debussy's orchestral score with the piano trio in mind... This meant exploring what strings and piano can do in terms of texture, and concentrating on idiomatic and natural techniques.' By studying and recreating Debussy's colours and textures, rather than attempting to transcribe every note, Beamish produced an arrangement that presents the performers and listeners with a completely new perspective on these well-loved seascapes.
French Music for the Stage / Neeme Järvi, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Chandos
CD
$21.99Mar 05, 2021
For their latest album, Neeme Jaarvi and his Estonian National Symphony Orchestra present a delightful program of lesser-known stage music from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Overtures by Thomas, Auber, and Boieldieu were all composed for works staged at the Opera-Comique in Paris, and are wonderful examples of the period.
This release is a survey of Ravel's solo piano music, a bold statement from the French rising star of the piano. It includes not only the oft-performed works such as Le tombeau de Couperin, and the Pavane pour une infante defunte but also lesser-known gems such as the pieces written in the styles of Borodin and Chabrier respectively, and the early Serenade grotesque. The album is a tour de force and promises to be a major landmark in his discography. Bertrand Chamayou, hometown: Paris, was born in Toulouse in 1981. Despite his youth, Chamayou is firmly established as a highly-respected artist and is much in demand. He is the only artist to win France's prestigious Victories de la Musique on three occasions. At 20, he was a prize-winner at the international Long-Thibuad Competition, returning there in 2012 as a member of the jury. He has serious approach and has achieved success with his solo albums as well as his recent recital album with cellist Sol Gabetaa.
Charpentier, Cherubini & Lefebure-Wely: Noel sous l’empire / Guerillot
Château de Versailles Spectacles
CD
$20.99Dec 01, 2023
French organ music under Napoleon and the Restoration is an overlooked period in musical history, inheriting the glories of classical organ and heralding the great romantic organ music. This pivotal time, teeming with great performers – most of them improvisers – counted Isaac-François Lefèbure-Wély among its masters, who presided over the prestigious Eglise Saint-Roch from 1805. In 1823 he published a collection of 34 Noëls, inspired by those of his predecessors yet deeply rooted in their time, imbued with the memory of the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses. These extremely popular works for nativity ring out in true splendour from the organ of the Chapelle Royale, shimmering with the mysteries of Christmas through Quentin Guérillot’s generous, familiar style.
La Raphaele: The Art of Francois Couperin / Lindorff
Affetto Records
CD
$18.99Jun 01, 2018
This release, La Raphaèle: The Art of François Couperin, pays homage to the Italian keyboard master long venerated by the Parisian Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture. This reverence also rang true of François Couperin as a musical creator, who was clearly struck by Raphael's art, and so named the first movement of his Huitième Ordre's majestic opening allemande after the artist. World-renowned harpsichordist Joyce Lindorff recreates Couperin's L'Art de Toucher le Clavecin, Sixième Ordre, and Huitième Ordre with exquisite musicianship honed over four decades of researching and studying the styles and methods of the most famous keyboard composers of the 17th through 18th centuries. She is Professor of Keyboard Studies at Temple University where she has taught historical keyboards and performance practice for the past twenty years. In addition to teaching, she has performed across the United States, Europe, Russia, Japan, and China, and has received solo recitalist awards from the Pro Musicis Foundation of France and the National Endowment for the Arts in the United States.
Arcadelt: Missa Noe Noe / Namur Chamber Choir, Cappella Mediterranea
Ricercar
CD
$20.99Oct 06, 2023
Given that not one of the Masses by Jacques Arcadelt was included in our boxed set that revealed his immense musical personality to the world, we now remedy this situation with an indispensable addition. Leonardo Garcia Alarcon chose the Missa Noe Noe, which is presented here in the context of the Christmas liturgy. We have also included motets not only by Arcadelt but also by Josquin Desprez, as he was the great model for musicians of his generation. The recording ends resoundingly with Josquin’s imposing Benedicta es coelorum regina for six voices, although in an expanded version for twelve voices by Jean Guyot de Châtelet (1512 – 1588): another Walloon composer to be discovered!
LI R'vindje di l'Åbe is a choral and symphonic work inspired by the Walloon poems of Henri Simon (1856-1939), LI Mwért di l'Åbe (1909) and it's sequel LI R'vindje di l'Åbe (1926). The first poem describes the majesty of an ancient oak tree, king of the landscape and refuge for birds and men, but the tree is felled for it's commercial value, and it's collapse leaves 'a hole in the sky'. The second poem picks up the story where it left off: the woodcutters cut up the wood, which gradually leaves it's homeland. The poem, both serious and caustic, highlights the cyclical nature of life and the inevitability of death, whether for trees or humans. Both texts are composed of 75 unrhymed alexandrines, carried by a subtle internal rhythm. Patrick Leterme's musical setting unfolds these two poems over a period of approximately 90 minutes, featuring a mixed choir of 20 singers and an orchestra, it pays tribute to the Walloon region and it's figures (trees, birds, farmers, craftsmen). The composition incorporates wood sounds (branches, saws, logs) and percussion, which take turns as orchestral sections and stage protagonists through performative "Wood Interludes", the project is accompanied by ethnomusicological and linguistic research on popular heritage, aiming to connect the spirit of the poems with contemporary orchestration. This book and CD set is an elegant edition featuring the original poems, their translations, illustrations, and reflective texts by various authors on the genesis of the project, the Walloon language, and the environmental dimension of Henri Simon's work.
Under Italian skies, the young Handel chiselled the human soul into music, providing Roman palaces with secular cantatas of incandescent virtuosity. This theatre of passions explores the thousand faces of love: from the torments of the dizzying Il delirio amoroso, to the lightness of Sans y penser, through to the chains of Un'alma innamorata and the lamentations of Crudel tiranno amor. Soprano Marie Lys lends her exquisite voice to the heroines of the "dear Saxon". Under the baton of Gaétan Jarry, the Orchestre de l'Opéra Royal revives this baroque ardour with supreme elegance.
César Franck's Rédemption (1873) is a pivotal work. It is an "ode-symphony," coming at the crossover point between oratorio, opera and symphonic poem - a vein brilliantly exploited by Franck in Psyché (1888) and Les Béatitudes (1891). Rédemption also marks a further progression: with this vast fresco César Franck became "le père Franck", leading father figure in the new French compositional school, the composer of maturity, creator of Le Chasseur maudit (1883), the Variations symphoniques (1885) and Les Éolides (1885). Here we see the organist becoming a virtuoso in handling grand orchestral or vocal forces and taking his place amongst the major composers of the Symbolist period.
