CANTELOUBE: "Songs of the Auvergne" (Soprano/Netania Davrath/Orchestra not specified/Pierre de la Roche, Analogue Productions APC 002 (LP) & Vanguard Classics (CD), vinyl preferred).
JOSEPH CANTELOUBE (1879-1957), studied with Vincent D'Indy. His compositions gained him eminence in French musical life and his folk music researches and arrangements, added treasures to the heritage of song. J.C. proved unique to present us an excellent final product. He chooses the best raw material
"Songs of the Auvergne", lovely folk tunes and he enhances them with a superb orchestration, leaving the purity and the emotion of the original tunes unharmed in a way that only a French composer can. The songs are full of passion, as love songs are to be, but at the same time, full of life and spirit.
On the other hand, VANGUARD people are achieving the same results using their own excellent artists as raw material and first of all Netania Davrath, an artist of colossal proportions, a soprano that can sing practically everything, from MOZART and BACH to VERDI and the moderns. Folk song is also second nature to her and all these with an unprecedented grace. Among critics of classical music, John D.Molleson wrote of her: "touching, beautifully expressive voice.", and said that the "flawless recording suffices to introduce the voice, grace and simple dignity of a great artist" (N.Y. Herald Tribune). As an authority on folk music, Henrietta Yurchenko wrote of her: "beautiful legato singing, her perfect intonation and her heavenly mellow voice" (American Record Guide), "a striking new songster variety".
Last but not least, Pierre de la Roche, a French conductor who interprets remarkably the work and manages to stand equally next to N.D., just think how difficult this is. There are only a handful of them that can match and follow so successfully such a great artist.
A great work, a great interpreter and a unique voice, altogether with an excellent recording, deserves our warmest recommendation.
Κυρ Ιουλ 05, 2009 9:45 pm
