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Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Ernest Chausson - Poème de l'amour et de la mer; Symphonie Op. 20 (Véronique Gens; Alexandre Bloch)


Information

Composer: Ernest Chausson
  1. Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19: I. La fleur des eaux
  2. Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19: Interlude
  3. Poème de l'amour et de la mer, Op. 19: II. La mort de l'amour
  4. Symphony in B flat major, Op. 20: I. Lent - Allegro vivo
  5. Symphony in B flat major, Op. 20: II. Très lent
  6. Symphony in B flat major, Op. 20: III. Animé

Véronique Gens, soprano (1-3)
Orchestre National de Lille
Alexandre Bloch, conductor

Date: 2019
Label: Alpha
https://outhere-music.com/fr/albums/chausson-poeme-de-l-amour-et-de-la-mer-symphonie-op-20-alpha441

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Review

A work that tends to bring out the best in the singers who have tackled it, Poème de l’amour et de la mer has always fared well on disc. Distinguished exponents include Victoria de los Ángeles, Janet Baker, Montserrat Caballé and Susan Graham, among others, and Véronique Gens now adds her name to the list with a performance that ranks, unquestionably, among the finest to date. Superbly sung, and wonderfully well conducted and played by Alexandre Bloch and his Lille orchestra, this is an interpretation of great beauty and insight.

Gens’s dark tone and her ability to fuse sound with sense allow her both to encompass the work’s rapturous lyricism and to map out the psychological subtlety of its depiction of the painful end of an affair, viewed against the backdrop of the immutable cycles of nature. Every word of Maurice Buchor’s rather ornate text is given clarity and meaning without fracturing the vocal line. The oscillating emotions, as hope gives way first to anxiety, then to despair, are more searchingly conveyed here than in any other version I know, while the closing ‘Le temps des lilas’ brings with it both a deep, contained sadness and a disquieting air of irrevocable finality. Keenly alert both to the complexities of orchestral detail and to the inner propulsion of the score, Bloch is with her every step of the way. He carefully stresses the work’s pivotal nature, gazing back towards Wagner yet pre-empting La mer, and also reminds us of the often startling originality of its form, part dramatic monologue, part song-cycle, though in some respects it remains unclassifiable.

Its companion piece is the Symphony in B flat, much criticised for its overt debt to Wagner, particularly its slow movement, which is closely modelled on the Act 3 Tristan Prelude. The greater and more subtle influence here, however, derives from Franckian cyclic form, which dictates the meticulously crafted structure, and the musical argument is laid out with perfect clarity in Bloch’s performance without losing sight of the work’s direct intensity of emotional expression or the headiness of Chausson’s orchestration. The playing is rich, both in sound and detail, the brass warm and burnished, the woodwind elegant and refined, while the recording, like that of Poème, is both spacious and exactingly balanced. It’s an outstanding disc, and highly recommended.

-- Tim Ashley, Gramophone

More reviews:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2019/Apr/Chausson_poeme_441.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/28/chausson-poeme-de-lamour-et-de-la-mer-symphonie-review-glorious-singer
https://www.allmusic.com/album/chausson-po%C3%A8me-de-lamour-et-de-la-mer-symphonie-op-20-mw0003251023

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Ernest Chausson (20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish. He studied with Jules Massenet at the Paris Conservatoire, and  also with César Franck, with whom he formed a close friendship. When only 44 years old, Chausson died of a freak bicycle accident and left behind only 39 opus-numbered pieces. Chausson's work is deeply individual. The quality and originality of his compositions are consistently high, and several of his works continue to make occasional appearances on programs of leading singers, chamber music ensembles and orchestras.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Chausson

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Véronique Gens (born 19 April 1966) is a French operatic soprano. Gens was born in Orléans, France, and studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, winning first prize at the school. Her debut in 1986 was with William Christie and his Les Arts Florissants. She has since worked with Marc Minkowski, René Jacobs, Christophe Rousset, Philippe Herreweghe, and Jean-Claude Malgoire. While she started out as a Baroque specialist, Gens has also come into demand for roles in Mozart operas, and as an interpreter of songs by Berlioz, Debussy, Fauré and others. Her recordings include many works by Mozart and Purcell.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A9ronique_Gens
https://www.veroniquegens.com/

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Born in 1985, Alexandre Bloch first graduated with diplomas in cello performance, harmony and conducting from Tours, Orléans and Lille. He then entered the Conservatoire de Paris to further his studies in composition and conducting. His First Prize at the 2012 Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition brought him the opportunity to serve as Assistant Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. Bloch assumed the position of Music Director of Orchestre National de Lille at the start of the 2016/17 season and has been Principal Guest Conductor of Düsseldorfer Symphoniker since September 2015.
http://www.alexandrebloch.com/

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3 comments:

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