Your selections total more than the whole disc price.
Notes
Sandrine Piau’s first recital for the ALPHA Label, with Susan Manoff (Chimères – 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, Lamartine, Gautier, and Verlaine, Sandrine Piau has selected song settings by Saint-Saëns (L’attente, Papillons), Massenet (Extase, Aimons-nous), and Vierne, as well as by the rarely-heard Dubois, Guilmant, and Bordes…
Julien Chauvin and his period instrument ensemble combine these songs with orchestral pieces (the Pavane de la belle au bois dormant from Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and Debussy’s Danse profane for harp and orchestra).
The disc also presents excerpts from Nuits d’Été by Berlioz, and ends with the famous classic Plaisir d’amour by Martini.
Please login to post a review
Reviews
Nominee in Vocal category
BBC Music Magazine Awards 2020
Critics’ Choice 2019
David Patrick Stearns - Gramophone magazine - December 2019
"... a most engaging disc..."
Tim Ashley – Gramophone magazine – August 2019
“…this is a very fine recital disc in terms of both repertoire, performance, and documentation – very clear texts and translations, and helpful notes – with well-balanced sound…”
Roy Westbrook – MusicWeb-International.com – 10 July 2019
Choc de Classica
Jacques Bonnaure - Classica magazine (France) - July-August 2019
Choral & Song Choice
Performance ***** Recording ****
",,,Piau's sublimely unaffected performance of Martini's 'Plaisir d'amour' (in Berlioz's orchestration) is merely the cue to play the disc again."
Christopher Dingle - BBC Music magazine - August 2019
“… Piau is joined by period instrument ensemble Le Concert de la Loge directed from the violin by Julien Chauvin… Le Concert de la Loge produce first-rate playing of impressive commitment that is detailed and given just the right degree of energy, which is extremely sympathetic to the soprano. Credit, too, for the beautiful playing of the orchestral pieces… The recording was made in the Arsenal-Cité Musicale de Metz and the sound engineers excel, providing clarity, presence and excellent balance… Soprano Sandrine Piau excels in this album of mainly mélodies concerning different aspect of love, making this a valuable addition to the French Romantic discography.”
Michael Cookson – MusicWeb-International.com – 29 May 2019
Media Downloads
Whenever possible we provide a high resolution CD cover image and a PDF version of the CD booklet for you to download and keep. These are found in your history if purchased and once you have logged in.