Melodies

There is a certain quality to the music of Debussy which is unmistakably his... It's not just that this is Impressionistic - it is in an innate timbre, an internal quality. Something about Debussy's music susurrates his very essence...

This is the finest recording of Debussy mélodies that I've ever heard. The more I listen to this CD, the more I find the fine detail and overall impression of delicately sure brush-strokes upon the canvas of the music. Sandrine Piau is an exceptionally gifted singer with very clear intelligence and an emotional connection to the exquisite songs of this CD.

Aahhhh! Listen, if you can, to "Apparition" without melting. This is a beautiful, beautiful selection of songs, and the timbre of Ms Piau's voice conveys perfectly what Debussy intended. It has a sort of trembling rose near the thorn of sorrow quality about it, a dewdrop quivering upon the velvet of a flower, very fresh and sweet without being saccharine, almost pointed, almost sharp. It is a sweet dagger in the heart.

This is truly lovely singing. I know these songs so well, as a singer of them myself, and I can only say... Beautiful. Other recordings of Debussy songs have their own appeal - Elly Ameling is always delightful, for instance. But the stodginess or lack of meticulous detail and understanding of the style of French art song of some singers is all the more highlighted by the zephyr-like beauties and perfectly delineated details of this particular recording. There's nothing like hearing a French singer of quality singing French songs - it can be a perfect experience, and in this case it is indeed perfect.

Very, very highly recommended. I know of no better recording of Debussy mélodies.

Piau already belongs to the rarefied cadre of superlative French singers of baroque music -- Veronique Gens and Patricia Petibon are in the same league -- and here, like Gens and Petibon, Piau ventures into the modern field. This recital is even better than Piau's recent Mozart album. The rapport between singer and pianist is uncanny, and Piau's singing is unfailingly responsive to the texts, and supremely beautiful. A gorgeous album.

Soprano Sandrine Piau impressed me considerably with her period-authentic performance on her recent 2005 recording, "Handel Opera Seria", as she provides expressive vocalism, a wide-ranging coloratura and an immaculate technique. This 2003 release applies her talent to the demanding art of French song, which has been well trodden of late with superbly rendered releases from the likes of mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, lyric tenor Rolando Villazón and countertenor David Daniels. Piau has the advantage of singing in her native tongue, and she is matched admirably by accompanist Jos van Immerseel, who plays on an 1897 Érard grand piano to uphold the integrity of Debussy's original compositions. The combination of the piano's precise and subtle sound and Piau's clear diction and phrasing makes Debussy's music transcendent.

The program is organized chronologically with two song cycles from Debussy's later years, the "Ariettes oubliées" and the "Proses lyriques", sandwiched between songs from Debussy's youth ("Mélodies de jeunesse") and his final cycle based on texts by Stéphane Mallarmé. It's obvious from the opening song, "Apparition", that Piau loves this music, as she milks the intensely expressive line with vigor and lets her supple voice soar with ease. In "C'est l'extase", the first song of the "Ariettes oubliées", she gently brings out each syllable's meaning indicating a gradual maturity in approach that is quite moving. But unlike Graham's consistently sonorous set, Piau lets loose with exuberant abandon on "Paysages belges: Chevaux de bois" when she enthusiastically describes the unfettered excitement of a carousel from a child's perspective. The last cycle is perhaps Piau's most accomplished, as she lends symmetry to the three songs from the sunrise described in the opening "Soupir" matches her glowing tone in the last song, "Évantail". Piau sings with astonishing precision and clarity of tone throughout no matter what the dramatic setting, whether she is being mournful or girlish. With the deeper tessitura of each succeeding cycle, Piau's voice deepens, and her interpretations take on a burnished quality. It is thrilling to hear such an ideal match between composer, voice and instrument.

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