Customer Reviews

Chants D'Auvergne / Chansons Bourguignonnes

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I live in New Zealand. One winter's night, I'm in the car, seated next to my wife who's driving. We always have New Zealand's only classical station playing on the radio. A soaring vulnerable woman's voice pours out of the speaker, backed by this lush Ravel-late Romantic orchestration. I turn to my wife and say: "I bet that's Dawn Upshaw, the one who sang Gorecki's Third. But who the hell is that composer? It reminds me a bit of Puccini, but Puccini did not compose art songs for solo voice and orchestra." I listened intently until the DJ came on, who enlightened me. Such was my introduction to Cantaloube, whose name I had never encountered until that fateful evening.

Dawn Upshaw + Cantaloube = Something to comfort us aging Baby Boomers as we segue into the new century.

THIS MUSIC IS HIGHLY DESCRIPTIVE ENHANCED MUCH BY THE SOPRANO'S VARIANCE IN TONE QUALITY AND THE INGENIUS INSTRUMENTAL WRITING BY CANTELOUBE.

Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) first began collecting and harmonizing the folksongs of the Auvergne in 1908, and in 1923 the first of the 'Chants d'Auvergne' was composed. For some years these songs were firmly established as a landmark in the French repertoire of songs for voice and orchestra, skillfully done, and an excellent vehicle for displaying the soprano voice.

Canteloube was educated at the conservatory 'Schola Cantorum', and studied there in 1902 with Vincent d'Indy in Paris. D'Indy's most important contribution to Canteloube's education was the rigorous technical training he provided, particularly emphasizing harmony and form.

D'Indy thus revealed to him "the power and purity of musical and poetic sources that spontaneously emanate from the earth; dances and popular songs, legends and rustic dances". All this can be ascertained in Cantelouble's 'Chants of the Auvergne'.

There are two that I will mention (because they are my favorites) from this group on the disc and are completely different from each other. "Lou Bossu" which is the rather cruel story of a hunchback who is attracted to a lovely young girl and approaches her for some kind of contact; she, in turn, teases him by faining interest until she finally totally rejects his advances. The phrases are in simple metrical style with the singer portraying both characters. Dawn Upshaw does this exceptionally well, and the orchestral accompaniment supports her and the text. Just a really interesting rendition.

The "Brezairola" (Berceuse) begins luxuriantly with its high violin solo duetting with various wind instruments behind, rather than in between, the song. This melody is one of the most beautiful tunes that I personally have ever encountered, and Upshaw does it justice.
This is a disc worth hearing if you like the classical folk tune experience, and it's all first-rate.

If my memory serves well, before receiving this set I had never heard the whole of Canteloube's Chants d'Auvergne. Certainly I don't have sufficient familiarity with the work or the available recordings of it to offer any comparative comments one could rely on. Before buying this particular recording I spent some time listening to the clips of various recordings offered by Amazon. I liked the Upshaw-Nagano version best and have not been disappointed by the full recording. Without being at all superficial, this performance is delightfully refreshing. The set of two disks is very good value for the money.

When Dawn Upshaw and Kent Nagano first collaborated on the CANTELOUBE: Chants d'Auvergne the accompanying songs by Maurice Emmanuel were largely overlooked. Now on returning to this full recording of the Canteloube songs, which are exquisitely performed with a sense of childlike innocence and earthiness, the Burgundian songs form the Beaune Area take on more importance. Fortunate for French folksong literature that there are two composers who captured their flavor and idiosyncrasies as well as Emmanuel (1862 - 1938) and Canteloube . Dawn Upshaw is the right voice and temperament for this literature and hearing her survey the entire cycle is a joy. The songs of Emmanuel are far less well known, but in the context of this loving recording they receive their due.. The tunes are charming and the orchestrations are highly imaginative. This is a CD to keep on top of your stack for it bears frequent listening.

I have long been a fan of Canteloube's Songs of the Auvergne. I have purchased several recordings over the years and when I found out that Dawn Upshaw had recorded them, I realized that this was the recording that I had to have. Ms Upshaw sings like a lark - effortlessly and as if she is simply compelled to make music. This recording reminds me of the summer that we had a mocking bird across the street from our bedroom window and he would wake me at 2:30 AM with the most amazingly beautiful sound. Dawn reminds me of those long remembered nights with the grace and elegance of her singing. This will be a long treasured recording.

'Songs of the Auvergne' by Soprano Dawn Upshaw and the Orchestre de L'Opera de Lyon, directed by Kent Nagano seems to be exactly toe sort of material for which Upshaw is best suited. Whenever I compare her singing of popular show songs or heavier operatic works to masters in these fields, she seems to come up a bit short. Here, however, she makes these songs come alive as well as anyone I can think of.

While I can't resist the thought that somehow, these songs are about eggplant (aubergines), I seem to find even greater pleasure in the material than if it had a less interesting name.

Very, very good listening.

Very little variety in this collection - the same rhythm and tempo song after song