Anne Sofie von Otter - La Bonne Chanson [French Chamber Songs]

Maurice Ravel (Composer), Ernest Chausson (Composer), Frank Martin (Composer), Maurice Delage (Composer), Camille Saint-Saens (Composer), Francis Poulenc (Composer), Gabriel Fauré (Composer), Anne Sofie von Otter (Performer), Bengt Forsberg (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Anne Sofie von Otter, Bengt Forsberg
• Composer: Maurice Ravel, Ernest Chausson, Frank Martin, Maurice Delage, Camille Saint-Saens, et al.
• Audio CD (October 15, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Deutsche Grammophon
• ASIN: B000001GRC
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #205,972 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #20 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Voices > Sopranos
  • #48 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Divas > Otter, Anne Sophie von

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Taking its name from Fauré's famous La Bonne Chanson cycle, this is a collection of French songs for voice and diverse chamber ensemble. It includes not only the Fauré but Ravel's Three Poems of Stéphane Mallarmé, Frank Martin's Three Christmas Songs and, strangest of all, Poulenc's Rapsodie négre, an early, misguided attempt at Gauguin-esque exotica. Most of it is tasty stuff, particularly for those who have a high tolerance for musical radiance and don't need that much shade with their light. Performances by Otter are, as always, smart and fastidious, though perhaps a tad cool. -- David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of von Otter's most enjoyable efforts. Buy It., May 5, 2006

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Anne Sofie von Otter - La Bonne Chanson [French Chamber Songs] (Audio CD)

'La Bonne Chanson' by mezzosoprano Anne Sophie Von Otter is the kind of album I really enjoy from today's great female classic vocalists. Next to interpretations of Kurt Weill's German works, the French art song is by far my favorite. It sounds less stilted than the English chamber song and far less heavy than the German Lieder from Shubert and his compatriots. It is neck and neck in my mind with good interpretations of Italian love songs.

I was fortunate to be able to compare this album with the Dawn Upshaw effort, 'The Girl With Orange Lips', on which she performs Ravel's 'Trois Poemes de Stephane Mallarme', which also open Von Otter's disk. I have to say that on these pieces, the two artists sound virtually identical, although Von Otter has just the slightest greater strength and authority in her voice. Picking between the two on these pieces would require a fair coin toss.

On the other hand, Von Otter's other material on this disk is far better than the material on Upshaw's disk, even though they also share performances of Maurice Delage's 'Quatre Poemes hindous'.

Von Otter's performances of Poulenc's 'Rapsodie negre' and Gabriel Faure's 'La Bonne Chanson' are especially good at having me sit up and take notice.

This is especially more enjoyable than her celebrated recordings of Edvard Grieg's songs.