Customer Reviews

Frederica von Stade - Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne (Songs of the Auvergne)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beautiful songs, beautifully sung. Frederica von Stade has a truly beautiful voice and performs these songs accurately and just as well as Auger or Te Kanawa. Each of these songs is a little gem and the orchestra and conductor are wonderful.

Edward Greenfield included one of the songs in his BBC radio show. It should have been a difficult choice, as most are equally enchanting.
The act of listening, for the first time, at this unique music is like intruding into a secret isolated world, which the Auvergne is (or was). Even the lyrics belong to a mysterious language, closer to Spanish or Portugese than French (A careful translation into English is provided with this version, to follow the minute lovely stories behind these songs).

With the evident assistance of Canteloube (to what extent is hard to say) this somehow marginal civilization has produced music which is sad, exquisite and delicate, but, above all, unusual and extremely worth-loving.

Having never heard any of these songs before I took a chance buying this CD. I had been told that they were marvellous. I thought that at such a reasonable price it wouldn't matter too much if I were disappointed. However, this has instantly become my favourite CD. From the beautifully serene opening 'Bailero lero' to the maginificently rustic 'L'aio de rotso' these are individual masterpieces of orchestration and performance. One could not ask for a better orchestra. The Royal Philharmonic provides flashes of light and glimpses of rural charm, while Frederica von Stade is supurbly warm and well controlled, if at the opening a little shrill. Overall this is a fantastic CD at a great price. Don't worry about the more expensive Te Kanawa or Auger versions. This does the trick nicely! In answer to the editor's comments- rich, yes, but also magnificently satisfying.

Von Stade's recording of The Songs of the Auvergne is completely enchanting. Her light and clear singing makes the words clearer than ever. (Then again, since they are in Provencal, it doesn't make all that much difference to most listeners.) It is easy to give this CD five stars. And yet . . . And yet? One has to say that, because any performance of Canteloube's song cycle is going to be compared to Kiri Te Kanawa's, and HER performance would have to be given 5 1/2 stars, were that permitted; that recording stands as more than just wonderful, but a classic -- enchanting, haunting, magical. So, if you want one recording of this piece, you should stick with the classic. However, if you adore this work of music, and wish to hear how it is interpreted by someone other than the singer you've heard before, von Stade's singing is wonderful, the performance is excellent, and the insights you get into the piece are rewarding. In fact, there is a 3rd recording you should add, if you are a true lover of The Songs of the Auvergne -- Victoria de los Angeles has recorded the work as well.

I first heard a tape if the 'Chants d'Auvergne' in an automobile. It was von Stade singing. My first exposure was not under the best of circumstances! But I could not believe the beauty, the interpretation...it did not matter what the subject, nor the words, I 'felt' what she was felt through her voice. I melted.

A music teacher who has become a new collector of CD's, this was one of the very first CD's I had to have. It still haunts me and although I have now purchased other versions of Chants, it is the one that I will gift friends with this holiday season! Seems her voice, rich as it is, conjures up visions of the French countryside and the folk music.

Having read the English version, I soon forget it, getting lost in the whole musical experience while listening. What more can there be than to be transformed to another place and time through this beautiful interpretation?

Add it my favorite pieces of music, Rachmaninoff's 'Vocalize', Samuel Barber's 'Adagio for Strings', Bachianas 'Brasileiras No 5 Aria' (yes, sung by Te Kanawa)

Frederika Von Stade's marvelous voice, Antonio de Almeida's inspired conduction and the enraptured performance of the Royal Philharmonic make of this album a real must-have.

There's no minor track among these lovable and charming songs. A timeless cult recording that definitively may not absent from your colection.

This is a rather unusual composition of old French tunes but fans of Frederica von Stade will love it. Anyone who likes mezzo soprano voices but doesn't know von Stade, the music is beautiful. After my original copy from 25 years ago was loaned and lost I went on the search for another. This missed "I Love It" because of a technical problem. I returned my first copy (the return process was totally painless) because it would not play in my home player, my car, or my computer. The second one will not read in my home system but does play in the car and the computer. Any other CD plays in my home system, even the ones I borrowed for testing. My player is old; it may be just fine with newer players. I decided to keep it. The music: 5 stars plus!

Von Stade's beautiful voice and the competent orchestral accomapniment make this recording worth owning especially for someone who can't get enough of these bewitching songs. However, von Stade's pronunciation of the Auvergnat language leaves much to be desired. More importantly, she fails to appreciate the romantic and pastoral themes of the music resulting in a lack luster performance which, at times, is almost boring. If you own only one recording, the old release by Netania Davrath is a must.