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Durey, Milhaud, Ravel & Tailleferre: Quartets Through a Time
First Hand Records · Mar 2025CD$21.99 -
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SaleBoulanger, Camus, Bonis, Bertrand, Sancan & Jolivet: Revelations - Music for Flute & Piano
Brilliant Classics · May 2023CD$16.99$8.49 -
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SalePoulenc: Melodies 1939-1961 "Poulenc et ses Poetes" / Coladonato, Proietti
Brilliant Classics · Aug 2019CD$13.99$6.99 -
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Au douz tens nouvel - Chansons de trouvères / Ensemble Céladon
Ricercar
CD
$20.99
Jul 05, 2024
The trouveres followed in the footsteps of the troubadours, spreading their songs of love from court to court and thus made their own contribution to the idea of mediaeval courtly love. Written in the langue d'oïl, the ancestor of modern French, the songs presented here evoke not only the inaccessible Lady who is worthy of praise but also the little peasant girl who is courted with far less delicacy. An entire world, courtly, colourful and festive, is portrayed in songs to the Virgin, weaving songs, songs evoking spring and chansons a refrain by Guiot de Dijon, Moniot d'Arras, Gautier de Coincy, Thibaut de Champagne and even the trouveresse Maroie de Diergnau.
Durey, Milhaud, Ravel & Tailleferre: Quartets Through a Time
First Hand Records
CD
$21.99
Mar 28, 2025
This recording sets Ravel's String Quartet in F major, a work that is known and much loved alongside three lesser-known quartets by the French composers Louis Durey (1888-1979), Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) and Darius Milhaud (1892-1974), three of the composers from Les Nouveaux Jeunes who later became Les Six. The friends met and lived in Montparnasse, Paris and composed their quartets around 16 years after Ravel completed his. Ravel's innovative and progressive style as demonstrated in his quartet marked the beginnings of a transitionary period in quartet writing and one that was continued by Durey, Tailleferre and Milhaud with these young composers heralding modernism and signalling a break with the past and the search for new forms of expression. By placing these works alongside one another, this albums gives a fresh and interesting context for the listener and hopefully fosters an interest in the music of this fascinating period of history.
Boulanger, Camus, Bonis, Bertrand, Sancan & Jolivet: Revelations - Music for Flute & Piano
Brilliant Classics
CD
$8.49
$16.99
Save 50%
May 26, 2023
Over a century of captivating French music for the flute, from Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937) to Élise Bertrand (b.2000), including a premiere on disc. From the shepherds-pipe dances of Lully to the pan-flute of Debussy’s faun and beyond, French music has always had a special affinity with the flute. Anna Wierer explores some lesser-known byways of this rich repertoire with her new album, which promises ‘Révélations’ galore. She begins with Lili Boulanger’s evocation of a spring morning, as full of new life as a field of young lambs. Among her contemporaries was Pierre Camus, a student of Fauré: his Chanson et Badinerie presents a pair of contrasting miniatures characteristic of late French Romanticism; the first melancholic and songful, the second lively and of sweeping lightness. The most extended work here is the four-movement Sonata by Mélanie Bonis, known in her time as the androgynous Mel so that her music would not be judged as inferior to a man’s: and indeed the sumptuous modal-oriental harmonies and idiomatic writing for both instruments place it in the front rank of French flute sonatas. A century on, Bonis’s music has belatedly won a place in the modern repertoire – by contrast, Élise Bertrand is at the beginning of a promising career. She composed her Impressions Liturgiques Op.2 at the age of 15, inspired by Maurice Duruflé's Requiem. Dating from 1946, Pierre Sancan’s Sonatine floats in on the breeze as a piece of postwar escapism, as light and sensuous as the creation of a master patissier. Finally, Anna Wierer and Alina Pronina turn to the more complex world of André Jolivet, whose Chant de Linos (1944) shares a theme of antiquity with Debussy’s Prelude but explores a darker, more troubled landscape over the course of its ten eventful minutes. This is the second Brilliant Classics album from the well-established duo of Anna Wierer and Alina Pronina, following on the success of their debut release in 2021, of flute music by the Ukrainian composer Dmitri Tchesnokov. Anna Wierer is the director of the BellClassic Music Academy and the Klangfabrik Music School in Berlin; Kyiv-born Alina Pronina likewise has settled in Berlin, but the duo has given concerts together across Germany and farther afield.
Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867) enregistrements historiques 1
Frémeaux
CD
$32.99
Jan 23, 2026
Taxe d'immoralite, condamne et censure, Baudelaire est, contre son temps, celui que Rimbaud definissait comme le premier voyant, roi des poetes, un vrai Dieu et don't l'influence perdure jusque chez nos artistes contemporains. Des Fleurs du Mal, son oeuvre maitresse, aux extraits de ses journaux intimes ou de Lettre a sa mere, les comediens tels que Jean-Louis Barrault, Jean Desailly et Pierre Blanchar redonnent vie a cet albatros le temps de quelques vers. Coralie IMMACOLATO & Patrick FReMEAUX Taxed with immorality, condemned and censored, Baudelaire was, against his time, the man Rimbaud defined as "the first seer, king of poets, a true God", whose influence endures even among our contemporary artists. From Fleurs du Mal, his masterwork, to excerpts from his diaries and Lettre a sa mere, actors such as Jean-Louis Barrault, Jean Desailly and Pierre Blanchar bring this albatross to life for the space of a few verses. Coralie IMMACOLATO & Patrick FReMEAUX CD1 : JEAN DESAILLY : L'ENNEMI - LES BIJOUX - LA CHEVELURE - LE BEAU NAVIRE - L'AMOUR DU MENSONGE - LA MORT DES AMANTS - ALAIN CUNY : LE SERPENT QUI DANSE - AVEC SES VeTEMENTS - ReVERSIBILITe - a UNE PASSANTE - SEMPER EADEM - LE MORT JOYEUX - JEAN MARCHAT : CORRESPONDANCES - PAYSAGE - LE CYGNE - LE VOYAGE - JEAN YONNEL : CHANT D'AUTOMNE - LA MUSIQUE - HARMONIE DU SOIR - LA BEAUTe - ANDRe FALCON : LE CHAT - PIERRE BLANCHAR : LE VIN DES AMANTS - SYMPTÔMES DE RUINES - CONFITEOR DE L'ARTISTE - LA CHAMBRE DOUBLE - LE CRePUSCULE DU SOIR - LES FENeTRES - LE RENIEMENT DE SAINT-PIERRE. CD2 : ALEXANDRE RIGNAULT : LES CHATS - LE GUIGNON - L'ALBATROS - TU METTRAIS L'UNIVERS ENTIER DANS TA RUELLE - LE VAMPIRE - DANIEL LECOURTOIS : PARFUM EXOTIQUE - DON JUAN AUX ENFERS - eLeVATION - LE FLACON - LE JEU - SPLEEN I - SPLEEN II - SPLEEN III - JEAN-LOUIS BARRAULT : L'INVITATION AU VOYAGE - LE JET D'EAU - HENRI DOUBLIER : ePIGRAPHE POUR UN LIVRE CONDAMNe - a UNE MADONE - LA VIE ANTeRIEURE - LES PETITES VIEILLES - L'HORLOGE - UNE CHAROGNE - PIERRE BLANCHAR : MON COEUR MIS a NU - AU LECTEUR - LA FIN DE LA JOURNeE - LETTRE a SA MeRE - ANYWHERE OUT OF THE WORLD - FUSeES - MARIA CASAReS : RECUEILLEMENT. DIRECTION ARTISTIQUE : JEAN-BAPTISTE MERSIOL
Durufle: Complete Organ Music
Brilliant Classics
CD
$14.99
Nov 28, 2025
Maurice Durufle (1902-1986) was a French composer, organist, and teacher renowned for his meticulous craftsmanship and deeply spiritual music. A student of Charles Tournemire and Louis Vierne, Durufle inherited the rich French symphonic organ tradition, which he blended with Gregorian chant and impressionist harmony to create a unique and transcendent style. Durufle's complete organ music is limited in quantity but monumental in quality. His small output includes only six published organ works, yet each piece reveals an extraordinary depth of expression and technical mastery. Chief among them is the Suite, Op.5 (1932), which consists of three movements: Prelude, Sicilienne, and Toccata. The Toccata, while virtuosic and brilliant, is famously considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire and is sometimes omitted in performance due to it's formidable demands. The Prelude, Adagio et Choral varie sur le thème du "Veni Creator", Op.4, exemplifies his affinity for Gregorian chant, a hallmark of his style. The Fugue sur le thème du Carillon des Heures de la Cathedrale de Soissons, Op.12, demonstrates Durufle's love for musical architecture and his capacity for blending modern harmonic language with traditional forms. The Meditation, a posthumously published piece, reveals a more intimate and reflective side of his writing, while the Scherzo, Op.2, composed during his student years, shows early signs of his technical prowess and inventive use of the organ's color palette. Durufle's organ works, though few, have become central to the instrument's repertoire. Their combination of liturgical solemnity, compositional rigor, and sensuous beauty ensure that they continue to resonate with performers and audiences alike. They stand as a testament to a perfectionist who preferred quality over quantity, and whose music remains timeless. Played by Roberto Marini at the magnificent Stahlhuth-Jann organ of St Martin, Dudelange, Luxembourg, the specifications of which are included in the booklet. Roberto Marini made an authoritative recording of the complete organ works by Max Reger on 17 CDs, published on Brilliant Classics.
Poulenc: Melodies 1939-1961 "Poulenc et ses Poetes" / Coladonato, Proietti
Brilliant Classics
CD
$6.99
$13.99
Save 50%
Aug 02, 2019
Poulenc once declared that ‘the musical transposition of a poem must be an act of love, not a marriage of convenience.’ By the age of four he was already able to recite Mallarme’s Apparition by heart, and while still very young he made his first efforts at setting verses to music. He loved listening to poets read their own work, and he was a voracious reader, who saw his purpose as a composer to embellish to enrich but never to obscure the words or their meaning. Poulenc loved singers and good singing as much as poetry. All these cycles were written with particular artists in mind; several of them for his life partner, the baritone Pierre Bernac, but he also worked very closely with Clare Croiza and Denise Duval, among others. Thus his vocal lines reflect their individual personalities while being couched in his own, very singable, jazz-inflected idiom. Valentina Coladonato has chosen a path less travelled through Poulenc’s song oeuvre, avoiding the Chansons villageoises and Air chantes. Yet in La Fraîcheur et le feu, setting Poulenc’s contemporary Paul Eluard, we find an intensity and urgency of expression to rival his masterpiece, the Dialogues of the Carmelites. Motifs from the opera recur in another Eluard cycle, Le travail du peintre, which addresses seven modern painters in turn from Picasso to Villon. A bittersweet air lingers over the Dernier poeme by Desnos, Aragon’s C and the monologue La dame de Monte Carlo; but his extrovert, amusing music-hall side comes to the fore in Les chemins de l’amour, based on Jean Anouilh’s Leocadia and dedicated to Yvonne Printemps, who was a singer of light music. Even within the same cycle there are contrasting moments that eloquently illustrate Poulenc’s own artistic credo: ‘My music is my portrait’. A specialist in early and new music, the soprano Valentina Coladonato has worked with conductors including Riccardo Muti and Claudio Abbado. She and Claudio Proietti have also recorded the Shakespeare Sonnets of Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco for Brilliant Classics (BC95548).
Conversations a trois - String Trios by Cras, Ysaye & Franca
BIS
SACD
$21.99
Jun 19, 2026
Following a first release devoted to string trios by Hungarian composers (BIS-2107), the Trio Boccherini now presents a programme dedicated to works composed in France and Belgium during the first half of the 20th century. In a culture that so brilliantly cultivated the art of conversation, it is hardly surprising that early French string trios were often referred to as "Conversations à trois." The programme opens with a trio by Jean Cras, a Breton composer who produced a body of high-quality work while serving as an officer in the French navy. His string trio is a major work that incorporates a wide range of styles, including North African influences alongside echoes of Bach and Bartók. The next work, Eugène Ysaÿe's Le Chimay, is an intense work that is demanding for performers, both technically and emotionally. The work was so named because of the venue of it's first performance, long after the composer's death. Rejecting the modernism then in vogue, Jean Françaix's Trio appears light, airborne, playful, even impertinent. Both funny and profound, the work stands out for it's unique poetic quality. The programme ends with an arrangement for string trio of Claude Debussy's famous Clair de lune, a work of timeless beauty.
Llibre Vermell / Millenarium
Ricercar
CD
$20.99
Feb 12, 2008
Early Music
EL LLIBRE VERMELL • Christophe Deslignes, dir; Millenarium; Namur CCh; Psallentes; Les Pastoureux • RICERCAR 260 (79:30 Text and Translation)
“The Red Book,” as it is known from its 19th-century binding, is the only volume that survived when Montserrat abbey was burnt by Napoleon’s troops in 1811, but only because its borrower had not returned it (and his heirs only sold it back to its rightful owners in 1885). It includes a unique collection of 10 songs, intended to be sung and danced by pilgrims who came to venerate the reputedly miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin and child that had been displayed there since the late 12th century. The collection has been recorded at least 21 times, in addition to single songs done many times over. The first piece is a chant antiphon (sung in canon) in unique Catalan chant notation, but the rest are Ars Nova in style. Two of them are brief canons, while the remaining seven (two set to vernacular texts) are strophic in structure. The first two recordings under Thomas Binkley and Jose Luis Ochoa de Olza (both later on CD) included generally one strophe of each song; since then, most songs have been recorded complete except Mariam matrem virginem , for which all five strophes are included only in this and two other known recordings (four of the complete sets have not been checked). Jordi Savall (13:3) was the first nearly complete recording, lacking only two strophes of Mariam matrem virginem . Next was Berry Hayward, who performed the two vernacular pieces only instrumentally. Philip Pickett (16:4) dragged everything out to 70 minutes without fillers or the two missing verses of the same hymn. Brigitte Lesne (18:6) offered the best version since Savall, matching his panoply of performing forces including children. Ensemble Micrologus on Discant 1008 was recorded uniquely at the abbey of Montserrat and furnished the first complete version of the same hymn. Carlos Magraner on Licanus 0201 also offered that hymn complete.
Now Christophe Deslignes, like the last two, brings together a variety of performers to elicit the ambiance of a gathering of pilgrims celebrating their devotion. There are 20 tracks here, the other 10 tracks offering an opening procession of pilgrims, five Gregorian chants, and four instrumental pieces, all in the spirit of the book. Unlike some recorded sets that preserve the order of the book, this one does not, though Ad mortem festinamus , the danse macabre that breaks the pattern of Marian devotion dominating the book, always comes last. The two brief canons, one after the other in the book, have been recorded a couple of times as a single canon (by Joel Cohen and Brigitte Lesne) or at least in sequence, but here they are separated. Like several other successful versions, this ensemble of men, women, and children accompanied by instruments elicits the ambiance of a disparate group of pilgrims spending the night in the open space before the abbey church, celebrating in folk style the devotion that brought them together. To appreciate their situation, it helps to picture the monastery perched on the side of a mountain more than halfway up to the 4,000-foot peak. Access is roundabout even now and must always have been difficult at best. Yet it has always drawn hordes of pilgrims and visitors. (Stunning photos can be found easily by a Web search.)
Deslignes’s version ranks with the best. The Discant and Licanus discs mentioned above are also fine, though children’s voices would have added something more. Among older versions, Savall and Lesne are still fine. A good and inexpensive resource for further understanding is the facsimile, edition, and commentary by Maricarmen Gómez i Muntané, El Llibre Vermell de Montserrat , which includes an English summary in the Catalan edition of 2000 (the Spanish edition of 1990 had no English summary). Don’t pass up Deslignes’s rousing presentation.
FANFARE: J. F. Weber
Hugo: Theatre et Poesie
Frémeaux
CD
$32.99
Feb 14, 2025
Cette selection de Jean-Baptiste Mersiol et livret de Stephanie Acquette reunit les enregistrements historiques des scenes marquantes du drame romantique Ruy Blas et de quelques poemes du prolifique Victor Hugo, declames par certains des plus grands comediens francais du XXe siecle entre 1958 et 1962. Les interpretations de Paul-emile Deiber, dans son premier grand role dramatique, Pierre Dux ou Jean Meyer, offrent une fenêtre sur l'ame du theatre francais de cette epoque. Temoignage unique sur l'art de la declamation propre au lyrisme de cette periode, ce coffret consacre celui qui selon Andre Gide etait « helas ! » le plus grand poete francais qu'il n'a, encore aujourd'hui, jamais cesse d'être. This selection by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol and booklet by Stephanie Acquette brings together historic recordings of key scenes from the from the Romantic drama Ruy Blas and a selection of poems by the prolific Victor Hugo, recited by some of France's by some of the greatest French actors of the 20th century between 1958 and 1962. Performances by Paul-emile Deiber, in his first major in his first major dramatic role, Pierre Dux and Jean Meyer, offer a window into the soul of French theater at the time. Period. A unique testimony to the art of declamation specific to the lyricism of this period, this boxed set celebrates the man who, according to Andre Gide, was "alas!" the greatest French poet he still is today. RUY BLAS : DON SALLUSTE - LA REINE D'ESPAGNE - RUY BLAS - DON CeSAR - LE TIGRE ET LE LION. PAR LES COMeDIENS DE LA COMeDIE FRANcAISE. POeSIES : JEAN DESCHAMPS : OCEANO NOX - LE MENDIANT - DEMAIN DeS L'AUBE - L'EXPIATION - SOLEILS COUCHANTS - TRISTESSE D'OLYMPIO • ANDRe FALCON : CE SIeCLE AVAIT DEUX ANS... - T'EN SOUVIENS-TU MON FReRE ? • MAURICE TEYNAC : VIEILLE CHANSON DU JEUNE TEMPS - LE SACRE DE LA FEMME - CHANT DU BOL DE PUNCH - a L'HOMME - PUISQUE MAI TOUT EN FLEUR - AVE, DEA, MORITURUS TE • GEORGES WILSON : APReS LA BATAILLE - JEANNE AU PAIN SEC • PAUL-eMILE DEIBER : LA ROSE DE L'INFANTE • GEORGES DESCRIeRES : VIENS, UNE FLÛTE INVISIBLE - LA VACHE • JEAN DAVY : LA MORT D'UN CHIEN - SAISON DES SEMAILLES • GeRARD PHILIPE : BOOZ ENDORMI.
Messiaen Edition, Vol. 1
Brilliant Classics
CD
$106.99
Sep 27, 2011
Marking the centenary of his birth, this 17-CD box celebrates the long life and passionate, exotic music of this treasured French composer (who was also one of the greatest organists and pianists of his time). His rich romanticism and rhythmically complex creations depict what he called "the marvelous aspects of the faith" (he was a devout Roman Catholic); the artists here who tackle his complete organ works, piano works and songs include Willem Tanke, Peter Hill, Ingrid Kappelle and Hakon Austbo. Festivals worldwide are currently honoring Messiaen's legacy; join them as you hear L'Ascension; La Nativite Du Seigneur; Les Corps Glorieux; Livre D'Orgue; Messe de la Pentecote; Meditations Sur Le Mystere de la Sainte Trinite; Livre Du Saint Sacrement; Petites Esquisses D'Oiseaux; Visions de L'Amen; Harawi Chants D'Amour Et de la Mort; Chants de Terre Et de Ciel; Poems Pour Mi Premier Livre, and more!
LIMELIGHT - O.S.T.
LE CHANT DU MONDE
Vinyl
$58.39
Jan 13, 2023
In 2019, we celebrated the 130th anniversary of the birth of Charlie Chaplin. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the movie Limelight. Le Chant Du Monde invites audiences to celebrate the iconic film and score with this limited edition deluxe 180g vinyl in luxurious packaging. It brings together the entire music of the film plus unreleased bonus track, in a full mono remastered version. The large format casebound booklet features 24-pages including unpublished texts and photos. This is an edition that will delight Chaplin lovers as much as collectors of beautiful editions.
CITY LIGHTS - O.S.T.
LE CHANT DU MONDE
Vinyl
$81.66
Jan 12, 2024
In 2019, we celebrated the 130th anniversary of the birth of Charlie Chaplin, and in 2023, we celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the movie "City Light". This deluxe limited-edition 180g double vinyl (in full mono remastered versions), housed in a luxurious casebound book, brings together the complete music from the film, as well as unreleased bonus tracks and a large format 24-page booklet featuring unpublished texts and photos. This is an edition that will delight Chaplin lovers as much as collectors.
Swingin’ Bolling 2 - Feed the Cats
Frémeaux
CD
$20.99
Jan 23, 2026
Membre du Big Band de Claude Bolling depuis 1978, le talentueux saxophoniste et clarinettiste Claude Tissendier a ete un temoin privilegie de la carriere du pianiste et chef d'orchestre. Ces annees de collaboration et une connaissance intime du repertoire bollingien, conferent a son hommage une authenticite rare. Avec Swingin' Bolling Tissendier s'affirme comme un passeur de memoire, un gardien du temple swing, qui perpetue a merveille l'esprit et la lettre de l'oeuvre du chef. Augustin BONDOUX / Patrick FReMEAUX The talented saxophonist/clarinet-player Claude Tissendier has been a member of the Claude Bolling Big Band since 1978, and so a privileged witness to his leader's career as a pianist and conductor. During those years of collaboration, Tissendier has gained an intimate knowledge of the band's repertoire that lends rare authenticity to his tribute here. With "Swingin' Bolling", Tissendier shows himself to be a perfect messenger filled with memories and also one of the best guardians of the temple of Swing. This record wonderfully perpetuates the spirit and the letter of the works of "the Chief." Augustin BONDOUX / Patrick FReMEAUX BOWLING GREEN - LET'S SWING IT - TRADE MARK - BIG GOLDEN PIPE RHAPSODY - THE KEY - SAX SPECIALTIES (SAX SPECIAL TISS) - GENTLE GIRL - FEED THE CATS - MAIN DE FER ET GANT DE VELOURS - LA COMPLAINTE DES APACHES - PARIS EN BOUTEILLE - SOFT CALL - KEEP SMILING - CITY LIFE. CLAUDE TISSENDIER SAXPHONE ALTO, ARRANGEMENTS eRIC LEVRARD SAXPHONE BARYTON PHILIPPE MILANTA PIANO PIERRE MAINGOURD CONTREBASSE ALAIN CHAUDRON BATTERIE FABY MeDINA CHANT (5 &10) TOUTES LES COMPOSITIONS SONT DE CLAUDE BOLLING
Koechlin: Chansons Bretonnes, Cello Sonata; Debussy / Bruns
Haenssler Classic
CD
$20.99
Sep 18, 2006
KOECHLIN Chansons bretonnes, op. 115. Cello Sonata, op. 66. DEBUSSY Cello Sonata • Peter Bruns (vc); Roglit Ishay (pn) • HÄNSSLER CD 98.258 (53:11)
The tentative thumbs-up given to the Lidstrom/Forsberg tilt at Koechlin— Chansonnes Bretonnes , Books I and II, and the Cello Sonata (Hyperion 66979, Fanfare 22:1); Book III (Hyperion 67244, Fanfare 27: 2)—is a thumbs-down after hearing this new Bruns/Ishay release. With no comparisons, Lidstrom’s dragging pace and overload of clinging sensitivity presented Koechlin’s art as recondite, arcane, fragile, spaced-out, while Bruns and Ishay’s brisker pace—often by several minutes in many of these brief pieces—animates the Breton folk-song arrangements with lift, lilt, and charm. Likewise, the novel melodic/harmonic geste of the Cello Sonata leaps from the limbo of the “interesting” chez Lidstrom/Forsberg (the consolation prize one awards music of unfathomable complexity one intends never to hear again) to the desmesne of the piquantly novel, teasing us to return. Nor are Bruns and Ishay hustling the music for an easy score, but following directions—the Andante quasi Adagio of the Sonata’s middle movement, for instance, need not be a molasses-treading dirge, as it is with Lidstrom and Forsberg. The contrast puts one in mind of Schoenberg’s quip, “My music isn’t ‘Modern,’ just poorly performed.”
While Koechlin titled the folk-song collection Vingt Chansons bretonnes , Lidstrom and Forsberg have included a Marche d’Arthur which the composer omitted “due to its brevity (five bars),” Koechlin scholar Robert Orledge notes, though the performers distend this to 28 seconds. Bruns and Ishay eschew it but give us the set of 20 pieces, as Koechlin prepared it, complete on a single disc. Their Debussy Cello Sonata seems to search for a bit more than there is to find, heard after, say, Gary Hoffmann’s breezier go at it with David Golub (Delos 3167), though their performance still gives pleasure, supplying a substantial bonus. Sound is upfront and balanced, capturing every nuance with vibrant gutsiness. Orledge’s informed liner notes confect a final elegance. The performances of choice, enthusiastically recommended.
FANFARE: Adrian Corleonis
Marc Ogeret chante Aragon, Beart, Bruant, Ferre, Villon,… In
Frémeaux
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
From his early days in Parisian cabarets to his first recordings, Marc Ogeret embodied the art of interpretation with rare intensity and intelligence. Singing Léo Ferré, Guy Béart, Aristide Bruant, François Villon, and Pierre Seghers, he united poetry with commitment. This 2-CD set, curated by Jean-Baptiste Mersiol, highlights his earliest recordings, spanning traditional and popular songs to contemporary hits, and reveals a generous interpreter of unmatched nuance. French song in it's most authentic, committed form. Patrick Frémeaux
La voix des auteurs
Frémeaux
CD
$32.99
Jul 17, 2026
From Colette to Sacha Guitry, the greatest writers of the twentieth century reveal themselves through the incomparable emotion of their own voices. Distinctive timbres, meaningful silences, and the breath of history-the box set La Voix Des Auteurs, produced by Olivier Julien, offers an intimate and heritage-rich experience of embodied literature. A landmark audio collection in which literature becomes presence. 2 CD audiobook, in French.
LES COMPAGNONS DE LA CHANSON 1
Frémeaux
CD
$32.99
Jul 01, 2009
The vocal ensemble known as Les Compagnons de la Chanson enjoyed a career lasting more than forty years, one of the finest examples of longevity in vocal groups. Their many performances on the world's stages, including concerts with some of the most famous artists of their times, and the subtlety of their vocal and instrumental arrangements, were just some of the factors that contributed to the exceptional success of a group who remained faithful servants of the French Chanson genre for a whole lifetime. The 36 songs included in this boxed-set - timeless pieces recorded between 1946 and 1958 - are evidence of an extraordinary career; they document a repertoire that is incomparable in it's diversity, including works by Charles Trenet, Charles Aznavour, Gilbert Becaud, Georges Brassens, Henri Salvador... Claude Colombini Fremeaux & Dany Lallemand
Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne 2 / Gens, Calais, Baudo
Naxos
CD
$19.99
Oct 30, 2007
There's more to Canteloube than the Auvergne, so splendidly shown here
For her second CD devoted to Joseph Canteloube’s vocal music, Véronique Gens has looked beyond the celebrated, much-recorded Chants d’Auvergne, and back to Tryptique, composed in 1913. Canteloube dedicated this to Maggie Teyte but the First World War interrupted its progress, and it was not until 1923 that Jane Campredon gave the premiere, with the Colonne orchestra conducted by Gabriel Pierné.
A setting of three poems by Roger Frêne, its lush, not to say extravagant orchestration anticipates Canteloube’s later folksong settings. The influence of both Ravel and Debussy is obvious, maybe also Stravinsky (it was, after all, the year of The Rite of Spring). The first section, “Offrande à l’été” is an ardent love song, with some pretty giddy scoring for harps. The central “Lunaire” has a more mysterious, yearning feel, with a lovely little dissonance at the word “cendre”, as the poet imagines the leaves turning to ash. The finale, “Hymne dans l’aurore” is an ecstatic prayer to Pan, celebrating every wonder of nature. The final cry, “Mon âme s’ouvre ainsi qu’une aube étincellante! O Pan!” is marked in the score crescendo en grandissant, and Gens, Serge Baudo and the Lille Orchestra rise to the moment with splendid force. It is really surprising that this work has not become better known; any soprano wanting to look beyond the obvious repertory should welcome it.
The rest of the disc is taken up with those remaining Auvergne songs not included on the earlier issue, conducted by Jean-Claude Casadesus (4/05). Once again, Gens proves that an authentic knowledge of the dialect is a great advantage. The much later group from Chants de France makes a pleasant end to the recital, but it is Tryptique that has to be heard.
-- Patrick O'Connor, Gramophone [12/2007]
Véronique Gens sings beautifully throughout and shows a fine understanding … perfectly at ease.
Since Stokowski’s and Anna Moffo’s pioneering recording of selections from Canteloube’s Chants d’Auvergne, these beautiful folk-song arrangements have become part of many sopranos’ repertoire. One can name Kiri Te Kanawa, Jill Gomez, Frederica von Stade and others having had a go at these ravishing works. Véronique Gens has already recorded a first volume with the same orchestra conducted by Jean-Claude Casadesus (Naxos 8.557491) favourably reviewed here by Anne Ozorio.
In spite of a varied output of chamber and orchestral music also including an opera Le Mas, the composer is now mainly known for his colourful, yet often subtle arrangements. In fact, next to the now celebrated Chants d’Auvergne, he also collected and arranged folk-songs from the Basque country, some of which were recorded some time ago (on Audivis). The present selection of nine folk songs, a few of which are new to me, beautifully complements Gens’ first instalment. What makes this release particularly worth having is the inclusion of a selection from Les Chants de France and, more importantly to my mind, that of the fine Triptyque composed in 1914 but first performed in 1925. In these settings of poems by Roger Frêne, a poet unknown to me about whom I could not find any useful information, Canteloube proves himself the heir of the likes of Fauré, Duparc and Chausson. At the same time he is attentive to the musical trends of his time: Debussy and Ravel. There is much orchestral refinement in these fine settings with more than a touch of Impressionism. I was particularly impressed by the third song Hymne dans l’aurore. It paints a strongly atmospheric evocation of the coming of dawn crowned by a glowing sunrise.
In Chants de France, Canteloube continues his labour of love with French folk-song and brings comparable subtlety and refinement to bear. In much the same way as in Chants d’Auvergne, the composer succeeds in wrapping his arrangements in superb orchestral guise, while bringing out some surprising and unexpected touches. Just try the first song, the celebrated Auprès de ma blonde; in which the composer eschews any mawkishness and vulgarity. In the last one, D’où venez-vous fillette? Has some salty rhythmic surprises in the accompaniment. The other arrangements in this selection, likewise those from Chants d’Auvergne, alternate touching tenderness, mild sorrow and earthy humour. A most welcome addition to the catalogue, although I wanted more of them given the somewhat short total playing time of this otherwise desirable release.
Véronique Gens sings beautifully throughout and shows a fine understanding of the Auvergne dialect. I think I remember a recent interview - was it in Gramophone? - in which she mentioned that she had family roots in the Auvergne and that these folk-songs meant a great deal to her. That certainly shows in her performances; but she is equally and equally perfectly at ease with the other works featured here.
Serge Baudo is highly regarded for his sympathy with French music of the first half of the 20th century and beyond. Once again he proves a most reliable and inspired partner. A pity, though, that the words of Triptyque could not be printed in the insert notes, although Gens’ excellent diction more than compensates.
-- Hubert Culot, MusicWeb International
LE SON DE LA PROVENCE
Frémeaux
CD
$20.99
Jun 01, 2010
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