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BookPrices.net - Un Frisson Francais: A Century of French Song
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List Price: $21.98
Our Price: $16.20
Your Save: $ 5.78 ( 26% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: ONYX CLASSICS
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Average Customer Rating: 
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0880040403029
Format: Import
Label: ONYX CLASSICS
Manufacturer: ONYX CLASSICS
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: ONYX CLASSICS
Release Date: 2008-10-14
Studio: ONYX CLASSICS
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Another Winning French Recital from Susan Graham
Comment: Here's another winning French recital from the lovely Susan Graham. The selection is most varied and attractive, and arranged so that poetic themes and musical styles weave ingeniously through the program. However, it does seem to borrow heavily from an Elly Ameling recital recorded in 1987, _Soirée Française_. Half the eighteen songs from the earlier album are included in the twenty-five that make up Ms. Graham's new program. Whether or not the echo is intentional doesn't matter, because the music is so rare in performance, and these two fine singers have distinct voices and personalities.
There is not a song in this enchanting collection that is not infused with Graham's beautiful phrasing, expert dynamic control, judicious use of rubato, and verbal subtlety ... sustained by Martineau's miraculously limpid pianism. On her Chausson and Debussy disc with orchestra (_Poème d'amour_), I found Graham somewhat lacking in personality. I have no such complaint here, and Graham's ease with the French language make her interpretations unfailingly lively and insightful, even witty. Her tone shows only the slightest wear but her range is secure.
The songs are all gems, and not a lackluster specimen in the lot. The two rarest, by Paladilhe and Bachelet, carry the aroma of the salon. They would fail without a beautiful voice able to shape the song with elegant phrasing and refined expressiveness. Humor comes from Satie in a whimsical ditty about the Mad Hatter and from Rosenthal in a characterful comic tale. Heartbreak comes from Duparc and Rousseau. Mystery comes from Franck, Debussy, and Hahn. Graham is masterful in the challenging modern pieces: In Messaien's "La Fiancée perdue" she effectively links the ecstatic ascent and mystical descent of this haunting song's two parts. In the Honneger miniatures from a marionette version of The Little Mermaid she does a superb job of creating an immediate atmosphere. The finale is the scena "La Dame de Monte Carlo," Poulenc's second dramatic setting of Cocteau (after _La Voix humaine_) and his last vocal work. It is delivered by Graham with vivid if wry lyricism.
The program and the performances are so rich that I could carry on for several more paragraphs. I will only repeat that the blending of gorgeous tone with verbal sophistication are a consistent marvel, and leave you discover the various delights on your own.
There are scattered but not fatal errors in the French texts, stanza divisions, and translations. In fact, it is Graham's flawless French that points up some of these minor misspellings! This disc is so solid that I recommend it enthusiastically for anyone interested in classical song. Buy it and feel the _frisson_ for yourself.
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Editorial Reviews:
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One of the great singers of our time, mezzo Susan Graham has just finished recording a disc for Onyx Classics featuring 22 of her favorite French melodies by 22 different composers. Chosen with her accompanist Malcolm Martineau, this disc is both a perfect introduction to this rich, sensuous musical world and the perfect compendium of French song of over 100 years. Susan Graham commented: " I'm delighted to have made this recording for Onyx as it's full of music that's very dear to me and that I love to perform. I look forward to many other projects with the Onyx team." Paul Moseley, managing director of Onyx Classics responded: " We're thrilled to have Susan make this recording for us especially as I've been an admirere of hers for many years. It was a privilege to sit in on the recording sessions and watch her and Malcolm create magic togehter."
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