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Chère Nuit
MAURICE RAVEL
Shéhérazade (1903)
16:50
Trois Poémes de Tristan Klingsor
1.
I
Asie. À Mademoiselle Jeane Hatto.
9:29
2.
II
La Flûte enchantée. À Madame René de Saint-Marceaux.
3:40
3.
III
L'Indifférent. À Madame Sigismond Bardac.
3:40
OLIVIER MESSIAEN
Trois Mélodies (1930)
6:49
4.
Pourquoi? Trés modéré
2:18
5.
Le Sourire. Lent
1:41
6.
La Fiancée perdue. Vif - Lent - Modéré
2:45
CLAUDE DEBUSSY
7.
Apparition (1884)
3:43
À Madame Vasnier
8.
En sourdine (1882)
2:57
À Madame Vasnier
9.
La Romance d'Ariel (1884)
4:45
Andante sans lenteur - Un peu plus lent
PAULINE VIARDOT
10.
Les Deux Roses, VWV1055 (c.1866)
2:21
No.7 from Douze Mélodies sur les poésies russes (1866)
À Monsieur Pierre-Marius-Victor-Simon Jourdan
11.
Haï luli!, VWV 1106 (c.1880)
3:32
No.4 from Six Mélodies et une havanaise (1880)
12.
Havanaise, VWV 1019 (c.1880)
4:58
No.7 from Six Mélodies et une havanaise
Théme poplaire varié pour voix de soprano
CÉCILE CHAMINADE
13.
La Lune paresseuse (1905)
2:58
À Nademoiselle Marie Lasne
14.
L'Amour captif (1893)
1:43
Allegretto
15.
Ronde d'amour (1895)
1:59
À Madame Colombel
JOSEPH CANTELOUBE
16.
O up! (c.1948)
1:20
Vif et léger - Ékargi
ALFRED BACHELET
17.
Chère Nuit (1897)
4:57
Molto tranquillo (sans lenteur)
FRANCIS POULENC
18.
Les Chemins de l'amour, FP 1-6-la (1940)
3:48
Valse chantée
(Waltz Song)
from incidental music to the play Léocadia (1940)
by Jean Anouilh (1910 - 1987)
À Yvonne Printemps
Métmorphoses, FP 121 (1943)
4:46
19.
I
Reine des mouettes. À Marie-Blanche. Trés vite et haletant -
1:05
Surtout sans ralentir - Ralentir un peu
20.
II
C'est ainsi que tu es. À Marthe Bosredon. Trés calme, très à l'aise -
2:29
Cedez un peu
21.
III
Paganini. À Jeanne Ritcher. Prestissimo - Surtout sans ralentir -
1:09
Toujours sans ralentir
ÉRIK SATIE
22.
La Diva de 'I'Empire' (1904)
3:04
Temps de marche
23.
Je te veux (1897)
4:13
Modèrè - Refrain. Valse -
MAURICE YVAIN
24.
Je chante la nuit (c.1938)
4:21
À Yvonne Printemps
Total time: 78:55
29 July - 1 August and 1 September 2020
Notes
The acclaimed British soprano Louise Alder returns for her second recital on Chandos, joined once again by star pianist Joseph Middleton. Enthusiastic praise was widespread for her Chandos début, Lines Written during a Sleepless Night: The Russian Connection, which earned significant accolades in the USA and continental Europe in addition to the UK.
For this recording the pair explore a rich and varied selection of French songs from the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Louse Alder writes: ‘I have always held French song very dear to my heart and when we settled on this wildly varied programme, I quickly grew excited at the prospect of exploring the art form in virtually all its styles. From Ravel to Yvain, I hope we paint pictures of a French evening, of mystery, intrigue, discovery, seduction, love, and blissful night.’
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Reviews
Nominee in the Song category
Mark Pullinger
Gramophone Award Nominee 2022
Critics’ Choice 2021 – Robert Moore
American Record Guide – January/February 2022
“… This is a gem of a recording both for the variety of songs, most of them not heard very often, and for their terrific performance.”
Robert A Moore – American Record Guide – September/October 2021
Editor’s Choice – Vocal
“Here’s a peach of a recital disc, wonderfully programmed. Louise Alder and Joseph Middleton begin with the familiar – Ravel’s perfumed Shéhérazade and then segue into the byways of French mélodie repertoire, much of it seldom heard … ‘Chère nuit’ … is a gem of a discovery. Alder welcomes the setting of the sun and the sweet scents of the garden as night descends in long, ecstatic phrases, sensitively echoed by Middleton’s piano. It’s truly deserving of the title-track in this beguiling recital.”
Mark Pullinger – Gramophone magazine – June 2021
Recording of the Month
“… This is a fabulous collection and that it effortlessly places the unfamiliar alongside familiar as well as encompassing such a diverse range of styles demonstrates the thought that has gone into its planning. The rich velvety texture of Alder's voice is well suited to this music and she has the flexibility to respond to subtle and fleeting changes of emotion; Ravel's Asie is particularly fine in this respect. An album I will return to with pleasure and one that makes me want to visit their Russian connection album (Chandos CHAN20153).”
Rob Challinor – MusicWeb-International.com – 16 June 2021
Performance *** Recording ****
“… For me, the lighter popular songs that conclude the disc, with Alder floating exquisitely soft high notes, take the prize.”
Roger Nichols – BBC Music magazine – June 2021
“Soprano Louise Alder has earned notice not only for her rich, operatic voice -- which here handles Debussy's obstreperous high notes -- but also for unexpected programming… Beginning with Ravel's Shéhérazade cycle of three, she catches a certain luxuriant freedom of melody which runs through almost all of these songs … The accompaniment of Joseph Middleton is a big attraction, but most of all, it's Alder's ability to draw the listener completely into a musical world that impresses. Hats off!” ****½
James Manheim – Allmusic.com – 28 May 2021
“Chère Nuit, a wide-ranging exploration of French song that … finds Louise Alder on glowing form, equalled in expression all the way by pianist Joseph Middleton… it’s Messiaen’s Trois Mélodies and four songs by Debussy that find them at their spellbinding best, Alder’s voice gauzy, supple and irresistible.”
Eric Jeal – The Guardian – 1 April 2021
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