Carl LOEWE (1796 – 1869)
1. Ach neige, du Schmerzenreiche (Tx. Goethe) (1835)
Robert SCHUMANN (1810 – 1856)
2. Kennst du das Land (Tx. Goethe) (1849)
3. Dein Angesicht (Tx. Heine) (1840)
4. Die Lotusblume (Tx. Heine) (1840)
Claude DEBUSSY (1862 – 1918)
Fêtes galantes (Tx. Verlaine) (1892)
5. En sourdine
6. Fantoches
7. Clair de lune
Hugo WOLF (1860 – 1903)
8. Verschwiegene Liebe (Tx. Eichendorff) (1888)
9. Nixe Binsefuss (Tx. Mörike) (1888)
10. Das verlassene Mägdlein (Tx. Mörike) (1888)
11. Lied vom Winde (Tx. Mörike) (1888)
Ivor GURNEY (1890 – 1937)
Elizabethan Songs (1917 – 1922):
12. Sleep (Tx. Fletcher)
Robert BAKSA (b. 1938)
13. Heart! We will forget him (Tx. Dickinson) (1967, rev. 1999)
Francis POULENC (1899 – 1963)
Banalités (Tx. Apollinaire) (1940):
14. Chanson d’Orkenise
15. Hôtel
16. Fagnes de Wallonie
17. Voyage à Paris
18. Sanglots
Samuel BARBER (1910 – 1981)
19. Solitary Hotel (Tx. Joyce) (1968-1969)
Francis POULENC
20. C’est ainsi que tu es (de Vilmorin) (1943)
André PREVIN (b. 1929)
Three Dickinson Songs (1999):
21. As imperceptibly as grief
22. Will there really be a morning?
23. Good Morning Midnight

Sandrine Piau - soprano
Susan Manoff - piano

After a number of appearances in Alpha productions, Sandrine Piau now joins the label for several recordings. With Chimère, she invites us on a voyage into the intimate and infinite territory of dreams. Chimera: an illusory, unsatisfied quest, the graveyard of our illusions... She and her longstanding partner, the pianist Susan Manoff, have thought up a programme combining the German lied (Hugo Wolf, one of Schumann s Mignon songs, a scene from Goethe s Faust by Carl Loewe), Mélodies by Debussy and Poulenc (his Banalités), and Art Songs by Barber along with discoveries of more rarely heard composers like Ivor Gurney and the Dickinson Songs of André Previn the celebrated American conductor is less well-known for his compositions, which include this magnificent cycle written for Renée Fleming. Equally at home in French, German and English, Sandrine Piau is at the peak of her artistry. Fantoches, Clair de Lune, Solitary Hotel, Will there really be a morning?: set out for the world of dreams following this unique poetic itinerary. The land of chimeras is the only one in this world worth living in (Jean-Jacques Rousseau). ---amazon.com

Having her roots in baroque music Sandrine Piau has gradually widened her scope and tackled composers like Haydn and Mozart and even ventured into the world of Offenbach. But she has also been deeply involved in art songs. As long ago as 2004 my then colleague Anne Ozorio reviewed a Debussy disc very favourably and some six years ago I was lucky to get a disc with a mixed programme, titled “Après un rêve” (review), which was much to my taste. The catholic programme encompassed composers as wide apart as Richard Strauss, Gabriel Fauré, Felix Mendelssohn, Ernest Chausson, Francis Poulenc and Benjamin Britten and also included a present-day composer, Vincent Bouchot (b. 1966). It should be mentioned that earlier than that Sandrine Piau issued another mixed recital, “Evocation”, that doesn’t seem to have been reviewed at Musicweb-International and I never came across the disc at the time it was issued, but I am in no doubt that it is a worthy forerunner to “Après un rêve”.

The new disc can be seen as a third sequel to the other two and the programme is just as far-reaching and unpredictable. As on the previous disc all the positive features of Ms Piau’s artistry are fully in evidence: “cleanness of tone, perfect intonation, agility and a wealth of soft nuance. To this can be added a wonderful sense of style and an intelligent use of the text”, as I wrote in my previous review, to which may be added, somewhat reluctantly I admit, that there are occasional moments where the voice is not completely rock-steady. But that is only marginally and a discreet sign that the passing of time doesn’t go on wholly imperceptibly. So much is however just as fine as it always was and her interpretative insight is as keen as ever.

The programme idea is highly personal and far from conventional and Stéphane Goldet’s liner notes, headed “Simplicity and Mystery” is a perfect guide. The opening song, by Carl Loewe, himself an excellent singer and composer of more than 400 songs, is a setting of a text from Goethe’s Faust, which Schubert had set – although left unfinished – before Loewe and Schumann, Wolf and Liszt after him. It is not one of Loewe’s best known songs but a noble beginning of this journey through this fascinating programme. Schumann is next in turn with another Goethe text, “probably the German text most frequently set to music in the entire history of the lied” as Stéphane Goldet writes, referring to Le Guide de la mélodie et du lied (Paris: Fayard, 1994) which lists more than a hundred settings. It is of course Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn. Mignon’s song from Wilhelm Meister. It is followed by two Heine settings, of which Die Lotusblume from Myrthen is the best-known.

The Debussy songs are settings of “the prince of French poets”, Paul Verlaine and there is certainly a very special chemistry between the poet and the composer, Clair de lune possibly the greatest masterpiece. The step from Debussy to Hugo Wolf is a long one, even though they were contemporaries. Generally speaking it is native German speakers who have been the foremost interpreters of Wolf, sensitive word-painters like Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau. But French baritone Gerard Souzay, who was an eminent linguist, med really memorable readings of Wolf – I have a wonderful recording of Italienisches Liederbuch – and Sandrine Piau seems to have the same deep understanding, and the four songs here, one to a text by Eichendorff, the other three by Mörike, are real gems: the sensitive Verschwiegene Liebe, the exquisite Das verlassene Mägdlein and the dramatic Lied vom Winde has to rank with the best readings of these oft-recorded songs.

Ivor Gurney suffered from mental illness during most of his life but produced hundreds of poems and more than 300 songs, the majority of them never published. The 5 Elizabethan Songs from during and just after WW1 are among his best known works, and Sleep is a fine nocturnal song.

Robert Baksa, born in New York to Hungarian parents, is one of the most prolific American composers with more than 500 works to his credit. He has set a large number of Emily Dickinson’s poems, many of them recorded. Heart! We will forget him was composed in 1967 but revised more than 30 years later. There is a very clear blues feeling here.

Sandrine Piau showed in her previous album that she has an affinity for Poulenc’s music, and the five short pieces by surrealist Apollinaire, collected under the title Banalités are highly entertaining – as is the subtle C’est ainsi que tu es, a setting of Louise de Vilmorin.

Samuel Barber wrote around forty songs and was, like Loewe, an excellent singer. The Joyce setting Solitary Hotel is from a group of songs Op. 41, written in 1968-69, immediately after the opera Anthony and Cleopatra, which was commissioned for the inauguration of the new Metropolitan Opera.

Finally we return to Emily Dickinson and the three songs André Previn wrote for Renée Fleming, who premiered them on 18 December 1999. The extremely versatile Previn, composer, arranger, conductor and pianist, was at home in most styles and long before he established himself as one of the great conductors of the late 20th century he was deeply involved in Broadway musicals and performed as jazz pianist. There are traces of this in these songs, which round off this highly agreeable recital. As in the two previous recitals she is accompanied by the eminent Susan Manoff, whose playing is a wonder of clarity and accuracy. ---Göran Forsling, musicweb-international.com

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1. La Resurrezione | Aria ‘Disserratevi, o porte d’Averno’
2. Theodora | Recitative ‘O Thou bright Sun!’
3. Theodora | Aria ‘With darkness deep as is my woe'
4. A song for St Cecilia’s day | Aria ‘What passion cannot music raise and quell’
5. Messiah | Aria ‘Rejoice greatly’
6. Theodora | Largo
7. Alexander Balus | Aria ‘O take me from this hateful light’
8. Alexander Balus | Recitative ‘Forgive, O queen’
9. Alexander Balus | Accompagnato ‘Calm thou my soul’
10. Alexander Balus | Aria ‘Convey me to some peaceful shore’
11. Joseph and his brethren | Recitative ‘Art thou not Zaphnath? Is not Egypt sav’d?’
12. Joseph and his brethren | Aria ‘Prophetic raptures swell my breast’
13. L’allegro, Il penseroso, ed Il moderato | Duet ‘As steals the morn upon the night’ (*)
14. Solomon | Symphony (‘The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba')
15. L’allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato Accompagnato | ‘First and chief on golden wing’
16. L’allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato Accompagnato | Aria ‘Sweet bird'
17. Concerto Grosso in B Flat Major, op.3 no.2 | Largo
18. Samson | Aria ‘Let the bright seraphims'
19. Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno | Accompagnato ‘Pure del cielo’
20. Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno | Aria ‘Tu del Ciel ministro eletto'

Sandrine Piau – soprano
Accademia Bizantina
Stefano Montanari  - Conductor, Musical Direction, Violin

French soprano Sandrine Piau, despite her frequent appearances on Baroque recordings, may not seem a first choice for the sheer athleticism of Handel, but wait until you hear her. Piau substitutes grace, precision, and sheer beauty for brawn, and the results are astonishing. She chooses arias ideally suited to her talents. "Rejoice greatly," from Messiah, is full of spiky flash, and lengthy pieces like "Prophetic raptures swell my breast" (track 12), from Joseph and His Brethren, are beautifully developed, with Piau sliding with impossible smoothness into high notes in the later stages. Passagework in faster pieces is a shower of bright sparks, while in "Sweet bird," from L'allegro, il penseroso, ed il moderato (track 16), you will become deliciously disoriented after a while as to whether it is Piau or one of the instruments providing the bird effects. The Accademia Bizantina under violinist/director Stefano Montanari provides the more conventional zip that lets Piau's subtler approach weave its remarkable spell. With the usual striking graphics from Naïve and excellent notes unpacking the album's theme of the interpenetration of sacred and secular in Handel's oratorio-heavy world, this is a superb vocal recording. If you had to complain of one thing, it's that there's a slight disconnect between sound and syntax in Piau's treatment of English, but with beauty like this you won't care. Texts are in French, English, and Italian, where that is the original. --- James Manheim, Rovi

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Mélodies de Jeunesse
1. Mélodies de Jeunesse (Apparition 1884 - Poeme De Stephane Mallarme)            
2. Mélodies de Jeunesse (Romance 1883 - Poeme De Paul Bourget)           
3. Mélodies de Jeunesse (Les Papillons 1881 - Poem De Theophile Gautier)          
4. Mélodies de Jeunesse (Calmes dans le Demi-Jour 1882 - Poeme De Paul Verlaine)         
5. Mélodies de Jeunesse (Regret 1884 - Poeme De Paul Bourget)          

Ariettes Oubliees 1885-1888
6. Ariettes Oubliées (C'est l'Extase)              
7. Ariettes Oubliées (Il Pleure dans mon Coeur)          
8. Ariettes Oubliées (L'Ombre des Arbres)            
9. Ariettes Oubliées : Paysages Belges (Chevaux de bois)        
10. Ariettes Oubliées : Aquarelles (Green)              
11. Ariettes Oubliées : Aquarelles (Spleen)

Proses Lyriques 1895-1893
12. Proses Lyriques (De Rêve)          
13. Proses Lyriques (De Grève)          
14. Proses Lyriques (De Fleurs)        
15. Proses Lyriques (De Soir)

Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé 1913
16. Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (Soupir)        
17. Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (Placet Futile)        
18. Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé (Eventail)

Sandrine Piau (Soprano)
Jos van Immerseel (Piano)

Soprano Sandrine Piau seems to go from strength to strength with each new recording. Her first solo disc of Mozart arias was widely praised, and this recent release of Debussy songs proves to be just as delightful. Although she does not possess a big voice, Piau's astounding purity and evenness of tone, excellent diction, and thoughtful phrasing suits this intimate music perfectly. Her partner, Jos van Immerseel, cleverly chooses to play a vintage Erard piano from 1897, providing a lighter, crisper background and, in his expert use of this unique instrument's special mechanics, adding "authentic" stylistic/interpretive insight to the salon sound to which Debussy himself would have been accustomed. Together, they make a fantastic duo--seamless in their interpretation and often breathtaking in execution (the swirling "Papillons", for one)--and offer many compelling reasons to return again and again to this recital of songs that span Debussy's career.

From the opening early song, "Apparition", we immediately hear that Piau loves this music, as she milks the intensely expressive line with vigor and nails the improbable high-C with ease. In "C'est l'extase", the first song of the Ariettes oubliées, note how she gently caresses the words, virtually giving each syllable meaning. And just listen to the exuberant abandon she lends to the "Paysages belges: Chevaux de bois", giving us the wide-eyed excitement of a merry-go-round as viewed through the eyes of a child.

Purists weary of vocal breathiness to convey breathlessness or longeurs (à la Renee Fleming) may find Piau to be guilty of this mannerism at times, but her intent seems so guileless that she deserves to be forgiven for indulging in some of these well-worn effects. For the most part, her "acting" is thoroughly convincing, and who wants to hear Debussy without at least some indication of mood? Either way, her way with these lovely mélodies infuses each one with the character and individuality necessary to convey their differences, something only a few of today's Debussy interpreters have achieved with success. --Michael Liebowitz, ClassicsToday.com, arkivmusic.com

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SOUVENIR
Camille SAINT-SAËNS (1835-1921)
1. Extase [3.42]
2. Papillons [3.23]
Charles BORDES (1863-1909)
3. Promenade matinale [3.29]
Hector BERLIOZ (1803-1869)
4. Au cimetière - Les Nuits dété, H 81 [5.17]
Jules MASSENET (1842-1912)
5. Le Poète et le Fantôme [3.32]
Gabriel PIERNÉ (1863-1937)
6. Chanson d’autrefois - Album pour mes petits amis, for orchestra, op, 14 [1.59]
Théodore DUBOIS (1837-1924)
7. Si j’ai parlé… Si j’ai aimé [2.48]

DÉSIR & SÉDUCTION
Hector BERLIOZ
8. Villanelle - Les nuits dété, H 81 [1.59]
Théodore DUBOIS
9. Promenade à l’étang - Musiques sur l’eau [3.13]
Louis VIERNE (1870-1937)
10. Beaux Papillons blancs - Trois mélodies, op. 11 [1.31]
Henri DUPARC (1848-1933)
11. Aux étoiles, for orchestra [4.44]
Alexandre GUILMANT (1837-1911)
12. Ce que dit le silence [3.13]
Théodore DUBOIS
13. Sous le saule - Chansons de Marjolie [2.44]
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
14. Aimons-nous [3.39]
Jules MASSENET
15. Valse très lente, for orchestra [3.38]
Camille SAINT-SAËNS
16. L’Enlèvement [1.53]
Benjamin GODARD (1849-1895)
17. Grave movement - Symphonie gothique, op. 23 [5.44]
Jean-Paul-Égide MARTINI (1741-1816)
18. Plaisir d’amour (orchestrated Berlioz) [2.48]

Sandrine Piau (soprano)
Le Concert de la Loge
Julien Chauvin - violin & conductor

Love in all its facets—loneliness, desire, seduction, intimacy, and recollection—is explored on this sublime album that relives the golden age of the 19th-century French orchestral song. Sandrine Piau’s beautifully expressive, warm soprano voice and the subtle colors of Le Concert de la Loge’s period instruments breathe glorious life into these perfumed miniatures by French composing giants Saint-Säens, Berlioz, and Massenet, plus a handful of forgotten talents. In fact, it’s these neglected composers who unexpectedly provide the most delightful moments, with Dubois’ yearning “Si j’ai parlé… Si j’ai aimé,” Vierne’s fluttering “Beaux papillons blancs,” and Guilmant’s magical “Ce que dit le silence” immersing us deep within this heady musical world. ---Editor's Note

Sandrine Piau’s first recital for the ALPHA Label, with Susan Manoff (Chimère - Alpha 397), proved an enormous hit (Diapason d’Or of the year, Choc of the year, and Gramophone Editor’s Choice). Her new project is a recital with orchestra celebrating French song of the period when it moved from the private salon to the concert hall. Planned in partnership with the Palazzetto Bru Zane, this programme evokes anticipation, desire, pleasure, memory, in short all the vagaries of love experienced by a romantic heroine… To verses of the poets Hugo, Gautier, and Verlaine, Sandrine Piau has selected song settings by Saint-Saëns (‘Extase’, ‘Papillons’), Massenet (‘Le Poète et le Fantôme’, ‘Aimons-nous’...), and Vierne, as well as by the rarely-heard Dubois, Bordes… Julien Chauvin and his period instrument ensemble combine these songs with orchestral pieces (the ‘Symphonie Gotique' by Godard or the 'Valse très lente' by Massenet). The disc also presents excerpts from Nuits d’Été by Berlioz, and ends with the famous classic ‘Plaisir d’amour’ by Martini. ---outhere-music.com

Après un premier récital chez ALPHA avec Susan Manoff, Chimères (Alpha 397), qui a remporté tous les suffrages (Diapason d’Or de l’année, Choc de l’année, Gramophone Editor’s Choice), Sandrine Piau signe un récital avec orchestre qui célèbre la mélodie française à l’époque où elle passe du salon privé à la salle de concert. Conçu en partenariat avec le Palazzetto Bru Zane, ce programme évoque l’attente, le désir, le plaisir, le souvenir, bref les méandres de l’amour de l’héroïne romantique… sur des textes des poètes Hugo, Lamartine, Gautier, Verlaine, Sandrine Piau a choisi des mélodies de Saint-Saëns (L’attente, Papillons), Massenet (Extase, Aimons-nous…), Vierne, ainsi que des rares Dubois, Guilmant, Bordes…

Julien Chauvin et son ensemble sur instruments anciens combinent ces mélodies avec des pièces d’orchestre (Pavane de La belle au bois dormant de Ma Mère L’Oye de Ravel ou la Danse profane pour harpe et orchestre de Debussy). Le disque présente aussi des extraits des Nuits d’Eté de Berlioz et se conclut sur le célèbre Plaisir d’Amour de Martini. ---francemusique.fr

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