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5.0étoiles sur 5
Sweeping, seductive, and superlative!, Janv. 14 2004
Figueras offers the listener a triumphant collection of evocative songs. Let's dispense with a possible concern. This CD is sub-titled "Lullabies". Anyone going to sleep listening to Figueras should see either a hearing or a brain specialist. While they may pacify children, adult listeners will be exhilarated by the sweeping range of her voice and exquisite presentation. Figueras' expressive style simply transcends descriptive praise. From soaring appeals to the heavens to quiet, soothing reassurances, she demonstrates the magnitude of her evocative skills. One can sense constrained passion in each song as she moves from one culture to another through the collection. That one of the pieces was commissioned for this collection is further proof of the extent she provides the listener - she's not confined to neither time nor place. What is most clearly manifest in this musical anthology is Figueras' professionalism and her Catalan background. Unlike the operatic divas who have deigned to release popular renditions, she demonstrates how someone who truly understands the music of mountain villages or plains communities in any nation can elevate even the most "common" music. The selections range over five centuries or more, reinforcing the impression that nothing exceeds the capacity of her elegant voice to convey feeling to the enraptured listener. Each of us will likely settle on a favourite selection. Predictably, my own is a Catalan piece of an anonymous composer. Perhaps because the lullaby is in her native tongue, the richness of Figueras' rendition evokes intense emotional response. Would that i'd been born a Catalan! Alia Vox was launched to give fresh impetus to the recordings of Figueras, her husband Jordi Savall and the groups they have created together. This CD will remain a testimony to their efforts to produce the highest quality discs. The sound is excellent, clearly imparting voice and background instruments alike. With 18 selections from a variety of eras and locations, the notes for this CD are extensive. The text of each tune is given in the original and seven other languages. Could scholarship and the universality of music be given finer endorsement? [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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5.0étoiles sur 5
Mesmerizing music, Oct. 20 2003
Rarely has there been a more beautiful collection of lullabies than those presented in Ninna Nanna. Clearly a labour of love of Montserrat Figueras and her family, it brings together songs that mothers have been singing to their infants over the centuries - whatever their culture or language. "It is like food for the young child" reflects Montserrat Figueras in her dedication, the most intense reflection of affection and tenderness. Lullabies in this collection, come from cultural backgrounds as diverse as Russia, Morocco, Greece, England and, of course, the Iberian Peninsula. They span from the Renaissance to contemporary music. Most of the musical versions have been masterly arranged by Jordi Savall, suited to fit the extraordinary voice of his wife. We also find some arrangements by well-known composers such as Moussorgski, Reger or de Falla. Being lullabies, the songs show similarities: above all their tunes are beautifully soft and melodious. Yet, the tunes show considerable diversity in rhythm and tonality. Some are melancholy and almost haunting, others joyful and jubilant. Montserrat Figueras' voice is, as always, in a class of her own, radiating with richness and intensity. The music touches the deeper cords in the listener's consciousness. Her voice is superbly and sensitively accompanied by Hesperion XXI, the accomplished team of musicians under the leadership of Jordi Savall. The informative booklet accompanying the CD is well presented and includes the songs' texts in eight languages, including the original. This is a CD you will not get tired to listen to many times, whether you play it for your children, your family and friends, or just for yourself. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa, Canada]
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5.0étoiles sur 5
The Tender Benevolence of Audible Consolation, Oct. 20 2003
"Ninna Nanna" is a rare collection of eighteen gentle songs, written by a range of Western composers, over the course of the past five centuries. The songs all feature the lovely vocal work of the talented Montserrat Figueras. Instrumental accompaniment is provided by the early music ensemble Hesperion XXI, which was founded by Montserrat's husband Jordi Savall.The eighteen songs on this disc function well as a unified listening experience, despite the wide range of compositional styles that are suggested by such a disparate collection of composers and their associated musical periods. This unity is accomplished through the restrained instrumental arrangement of each piece, combined with the similarity of intention that each composer has shared: to lull an individual into a placid, restorative sleep by transporting them to a dream world of peace, beauty and love. The songs on "Ninna Nanna" are so elegant and skillfully rendered, however, that a listener might feel compelled to remain attentive to their artistry throughout the recording's duration, rather than drift into the sweet unconscious. Indeed, these works are very well suited to an evening's listening after a typical hectic day at the office. Fans of "Ninna Nanna" may also want to hear another fine recording: "...Perchance to Dream" a lullaby album for adults and children, which features the soothing, unaffected piano performances of Carol Rosenberger.
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