Customer Reviews

Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'été

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I have been listening to Berlioz' song cycle for nearly thirty years, and have heard most of the famous recordings: Teyte, Danco, de los Angeles, Steber, Janet Baker, Jessye Norman et al. Formerly, it was only Baker who penetrated the poetry of the lyrics...the "old" French style was to simply sing in a straightforward manner with no particular inflection, a style that Teyte and Danco worked to perfection. But the advent of such "chanson" singers as Gerard Souzay, Regine Crespin and Gabriel Bacquier changed all that, their approach was more specifically poetic. That is the approach that Graham uses here, and I find that it works beautifully.

Only in "Villannelle" does one hear the simple, straightforward style of Teyte or Danco. Almost immediately, in "Le Spectre de la Rose," one is hit with the meaning and feeling of Gautier's poetry...and one is literally swept away in the passionate performance of Graham and her conductor, John Nelson. I agree with the reviewer who said that the orchestra is somewhat recessed in sound, but Nelson brings out so many felicitous details that it inevitably doesn't matter....and, unlike Baker, Graham is a mezzo-soprano who can sing "Nuits d'Ete" in the original key, adding a soprano luster and sweep to her performances....and the opera arias are equally well sung. Highly recommended!!

Susan Graham is a singer's singer. The more that one listens to this disc, the more this singer's introspection reaches the listener. This disc has much of the same haunting quality that Dame Janet Baker's older recording of Les Nuits D'ete has. Ms. Graham singing of the Berlioz arias is truly stunning at times. This singer is to be much admired. This listener hopes to hear more of her on future recordings.

In this performance of les nuits d'été Susan Graham brings across the emotional charge of the cycle perfectly. Her voice is wonderfully suited for both the lightness required for "Villanelle" and the drama in "Sur les lagunes". My not complete enthousiasm lies in the fact that the emphasis in the mixing is too much on the voice, and Berlioz' wonderful orchestration is shoved to the background, diminishing the superb interaction that can exist in these songs.

Susan Graham's recording of Hector Berlioz'"Les nuits d'ete" sets a new standard for contemporary mezzos and sopranos alike. Sometimes mistaken for a soprano, Miss Graham's is a lush, lyrical mezzo with ample high notes and a secure foundation. Her French diction is understatedly impeccable and the songs are elegantly sung - the interpretation of each having been given much sensitive thought. As lovely as the songs are, better still are the Berlioz opera arias. Even the more familiar of an admittedly obscure bunch - in this country, at least - are given fresh and definitive interpretations. John Nelson leads the Royal Opera House Orchestra as if they've been playing this repertoire all their lives. One hopes that this cd is the first of many extraordinary solo cd's from this under-hyped artist who regularly performs with the world's great opera companies and orchestras.

Berlioz' song-cycle Les nuits d'ete has been deservedly fortunate in its representation on CD. With recordings by Crespin, Veronique Gens, Susan Graham, and Anne Sophie von Otter all top-flight musically and well-recorded, choice will be a matter of personal taste. I find Graham and Gens jostling most gracefully for my own affections. I have seen a criticism of Graham's disc to the effect that the voice tends to blanket the orchestra and obscure detail. I disagree. The balance is convincing and the sonics exceptional in their revelation of Berlioz' intoxicating orchestration. Moreover, in John Nelson Graham has, in my estimation, a successor to Monteux and Munch as monarch among Berlioz conductors. (Nelson's recording of Benvenuto Cellini, for instance, represents a huge advance over the pioneering Philips version.) Graham amazes not only with the beauty of her sound but with her uncanny empathy with the French esthetic, a rarity among American singers. I'm sorry but it's true; hard trying just won't do it. The disc includes arias from Berlioz' Faust, Cellini, Beatrice, and Troyens, all splendid. Particularly moving is Didon's farewell to Carthage from Les Troyens ("Adieu, fiere cite"); sampling that should let you know if this disc is for you. Since the Gens disc is completed by yet other Berlioz, three songs plus La mort de Cleopatre, you have a ready excuse for duplicating Les nuits, if your shelves can stand it.

-Frank W. Barham

I have taken a long time to get round to obtaining this recording. I noticed the other day that Graham is listed to sing her first Didon in the next couple of years. Not her first staged Berlioz, but probably the biggest single challenge for a soloist in this particular repertoire. It was for the opera arias, rather than the songs, that I wished to have this record.

But the song cycle is truly a knockout. These songs have long been a favourite, and just about every singer I can think of has had a go at them. Recent stand-out performances include Cecilia Bartoli, Ann Murray and, on record, Veronique Gens. The beauty of Berlioz is that the range and orchestration he uses, as well as the sheer potential for interpreting the lines, allows many different kinds of singer to tackle his work. Graham has perhaps the ideal Berlioz voice these days - a soprano-ish mezzo, with dark, brooding tone that can bloom into bright, sunny lines without strain. She is a really intelligent, thinking singer who uses words to colour the sound. Her partnership here with John Nelson is highly fruitful, and makes for a modern classic (to puit on the shelf with Norman, Gorr and Crespin, naturally).

No disappointments in the opera numbers either. Anyone who has heard her work in operetta (some lovely records out just recently, in fact) will recognise the sexy, teasing quality she brings to Benedict and to the Cellini number. Back on the tragic side of the coin, her Marguerite is suitably overwrought and the sense of regret she brings to the number is palpable. Dido is the pick of the bunch - rightly - and the combination of robust, furious tone and serene rememberance of her "nuit d'ivresse" is heart-stopping.

So - time to record Les Troyens with Graham, I believe. Not very sure who else would feature on this "Fantasy Recording" - answers on a postcard, please!

Susan Graham has a big, lovely voice. Born in New Mexico and raised in Texas, Ms. Graham loves to sing French music, and judging from this recording, her love is well requited. Her lovely voice is well served by the engineering, making this a first-class CD in every respect. Highly recommended to those who love vocal music with orchestral accompaniment. Sumptuous!

Generally I take David Hurwitz to be more a comedian than a critic, but he's on to something about mezzo Susan Graham's interpretations being "undercooked," if by that he means emotionally cool. Her Nuits d'Ete is impeccably sung--one can hardly imagine anyone else who possesses such perfect vocal technique in this music--but I wasn't very moved. Perhaps it's John Nelson's bland conducting, but the two of them move gracefully over the surface without penetrating into Berlioz's deeper feelings. The lesser-known inner songs, which are consistently melancholy, come off best; Graham really seems to give us the poetry with a full heart. If anyone strongly disagrees, I am happy to concede how wonderful Graham is, but I've always been touched by these songs as sung by de los Angeles, Janet Baker, Leontyne Price, and ohters. Not here. No matter how well you control your tone and phrasing, Berlioz needs passionate outbursts and real spontaneity. (For what it's worth, I had the same impression recently hearing Graham sing the cycle with Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Sym., where she displayed, if anything, greater control and beauty of voice than even on this CD.)

At just over 60 min., this isn't the most generous recital, but the fillers are very well done. Nelson remains careful and bland, which doesn't help, D'amour l'ardente flamme needs more poignancy from all concerned, but Graham has lots of stage experience with Beatrice and Benedict, so that aria comes off well. It's not reasonable to say that anything here doesn't, but when Dido sings her death aria, I don't hear any dramatic stretch--Graham is applying the same middle-of-the-road pathos that gets applied almost everywhere else.

Berlioz' 'Les Nuit's D'ete' and other pieces for the soprano voice, performed by Susan Graham, is one of my favorite CD's of female operatic / chamber song pieces, even though Ms. Graham is not as familiar to me as Renee Fleming or Anne Sophie von Otter.

Ms. Graham's collaboration with John Nelson directing the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House on the six songs based on poems by Theophile Gautier seem almost to be a concerto for soprano and orchestra, so well does Ms. Graham's voice fit into the orchesteral accompanyment.

The four pieces rounding out the 61 minutes on the disk are arias from four of Berlioz' operas, which seamlessly blend in with the title sextet of songs.

My French is weak, so there is little of the actual lyrics I understand without the translation, but you don't really need it to appreciate the musical talent on display here.

While I have not heard many other versions of this Berlioz song cycle, Graham's rendition is certainly the best in my experience.

Very enjoyable.