Customer Reviews

Fauré: La Chanson d'Eve and other songs

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

 

 

Dame Janet is in lovely voice, perfectly suited to these autumnal songs. As usual, her diction and accent are exemplary.

What a relief to turn to this disc after the disappointing Hyperion effort with Vol. 4 of Fauré's songs and mélodies. In my review of that sad disc, I suggest looking to artists such as Janet Baker for the correct voice and style - and here is the proof. It is true that there are some signs of wear in the middle of the voice - a little permanent huskiness, perhaps - but the top rings out as round and full as ever with that peculiarly plaintive and expressive timbre so typical of her - listen to her go for the top A-flat in "Toujours" (track 8). Her French is better than ever and while she brings the utmost delicacy to the more fragile songs, this is not the whispy, breathy, precious style of singing French art songs so easily satirised but rather a heartfelt and committed interpretation of material strong enough to take it.

If you do speak French, I exhort you to ignore Dr Coulardeau's review; it is nonsense. Similarly, it is quite untrue that Baker's voice "has gotten fat and has a distinct wobble", as another reviewer suggests; quite the reverse, in fact: it has dried out a bit. I have been listening to Baker for years, live and on disc, and I am certain that, even allowing for the slight deterioration I mention above, this recital forms a lovely postlude to a distinguished recording career by a much-loved artist.

Dame Janet Baker is in fine voice on this CD of French art songs by Faure. I like Faure songs, they have more substance than most French art songs, and Ms. Baker's full mezzo voice is just my cup of tea for these songs.

OK, so I don't particularly care for the Songs of Eve of the CD's title, but there are plenty of other songs here to love. For example, some of the standards like Apres un reve, Les Roses d'Ispahan, Mandoline.

There are also some I heard for the first time and fell in love with, like Les Berceaux, Toujours!, Aurore, and En priere.

If you like the whispy, soft French art songs, you probably won't like this CD. But if you like full-throated singing of French songs, you'll be pleased with this CD.

If you believe there is only one 'authentique' way to sing Faure (selon l'ecole francaise), then you look elsewhere. If you want vocal perfection from an artist approaching the end of her career, do seek alternate choices, including possibly forthcoming renditions for vocal synthesizer.

If you want great interpretive insight, distinctive and beautiful timbre, and deep understanding of late French romantic song -- then try this. You will blessed with vocalization that is beautifully molded, and an interpretation that is memorable, inventive, and completely understanding of the passion that lies just beneath the surface of these apparently 'delicate' melodies.

If you can't get the multi-CD set featuring Elly Amyleing (sic), this is a very nice listen. I've heard Dame Baker do excellent jobs on Schubert, and I love Schubert about as much as any writer of lieder / chansoms, but between Faure and the fact that the songs are in French and not German, I loose my heart to them in a way I never seem to do to the Miller's wife and all those Kindertotenlieder. Other reviewers believe this is not the best Baker you can get, but I found it very enjoyable indeed.

Janet Baker is NOT in fine voice as one reviewer suggests. Her voice has gotten fat and has a distinct wobble. If you're looking for the Chanson d'Eve, another recording is Phyllis Curtin's Faure/Debussy set. Again, not Curtin at her finest, but a very interesting disc and worth a listen. Other than that cycle, the other songs can all be heard in better performances than Baker's by other interpreters.
If you want to hear fine Baker recordings, check out her Dido & Aeneas, Cosi Fan Tutte, and Kindertotenlieder.

Le genre du récital d'une voix de femme accompagné par un seul piano fut à la mode dans les salons du 19ème siècle anglais et français. Gabriel Fauré a cédé à la mode et ce disque ressort une série de chansons de ce genre. Elles sont toutes trop courtes pour avoir une quelconque dimension dramatique. Elles sont musicalement enfermées dans une palette quasi-monocolore. La voix, ici d'une mezzosoprano, et ce ne serait pas différent avec une soprano, est extrèmement mococorde, au bord parfois du forçage, sans vraie dimension dramatique car la musique de toute façon n'en a pas. Le public est sensé écouter et apprécier en silence. Pire encore, la voix faite pour le chant opératique est trop lourde et trop surarticulée pour satisfaire des chansons qui sont en définitive, ou du moins pourraient être, légères. C'est dommage car certains de ces airs ont un certain charme. Mais tout est habillé pour une performance de salon guindée et artificielle.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Université Paris Dauphine & Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne