Topic: The French Music Exploration thread

[Mirror Image]

With a lot of mixed tracks on several CD's, It was too much faffing about digging one mélodie at a time on Idagio and still go by opus/track order. I decided to stick to a whole CD and i'll cross its content off in my list. I started with one singer that was recommended some while back (forgot if it was here or in another thread/context).



Really enjoyed the opening works (op.8/1, op.46/2, op.23, op.58, Op.7/1).  Op.61 was more misses than hits. Starting Op.95 now. Op.95/1 is mesmerising.

A good breakthrough overall in that genre (also on some Debussy songs over the last couple of days - might have to try Dietschy's albums of his as well).

Are there any particular opus numbers I should focus on for the songs by Fauré & Debussy please ?

I nominate these melodies from Debussy as particular highlights (in no particular order): Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire, Fêtes galantes, Sets 1 & 2, Chansons de Bilitis, Ballades de François Villon and Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé. Also, the arrangement of La Damoiselle élue for soprano, contralto, chorus and piano is also exquisite and a must-hear, IMHO.

[Papy Oli]

I nominate these melodies from Debussy as particular highlights (in no particular order): Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire, Fêtes galantes, Sets 1 & 2, Chansons de Bilitis, Ballades de François Villon and Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé. Also, the arrangement of La Damoiselle élue for soprano, contralto, chorus and piano is also exquisite and a must-hear, IMHO.

Thank you John, I'll check those.

[Mirror Image]

Thank you John, I'll check those.

  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, Olivier.

[Madiel]

A second for some of those Debussy - the Fetes Galantes and Bilitis are definitely up there.

For Faure you’ve already heard some of the most famous via one of my favourite albums of all time. Clair de lune, Apres un reve, Le Secret.

Op.61 is also famous but also acknowledged as complex and difficult. It’s harder to get into than most.

If in doubt, for both composers I’m regularly fond of Verlaine settings!

[Papy Oli]

A second for some of those Debussy - the Fetes Galantes and Bilitis are definitely up there.

For Faure you’ve already heard some of the most famous via one of my favourite albums of all time. Clair de lune, Apres un reve, Le Secret.

Op.61 is also famous but also acknowledged as complex and difficult. It’s harder to get into than most.

If in doubt, for both composers I’m regularly fond of Verlaine settings!

Noted thank you. Re Fauré, I did sample and enjoy the first opuses too on the Signum series with Martineau and various singers (which I think you recently bought a couple of volumes of recently ?).  I'll have a run through those fully as they are (mixed opus tracks).

 

[Madiel]

Noted thank you. Re Fauré, I did sample and enjoy the first opuses too on the Signum series with Martineau and various singers (which I think you recently bought a couple of volumes of recently ?).  I'll have a run through those fully as they are (mixed opus tracks).

I bought their Poulenc series not the Fauré. Very similar covers and both series have Martineau as the common link.

I’ve sampled the Fauré series and I suspect it’s generally good, but there were a couple of singers I didn’t like the sound of.

Martineau also did a Fauré series on a different label, mostly with Sarah Walker. I’ve bought one album of that as I think Walker is excellent. However I don’t like the male singer on other volumes so much.