Bru Zane’s ongoing advocacy of French music from the period 1780-1920 continues with this new boxed set. The ten hours of listening includes over 165 works written by 21 French women composers. Several of the tracks are premiere recordings; four composers have never been recorded before.
Each CD includes a variety of composers and genres: for instance, the first CD opens with an orchestral work, followed by a cello sonata, and songs by five different composers. While some listeners may wish for different organization (by year, genre, or composer), the chosen layout underscores the diversity of repertoire and compositional styles.
A thorough review of each CD is beyond the scope of this review, but the level of technical and musical accomplishment is uniformly excellent. Many of these performers are new to me, but their commitment to and love for this music is always evident. For brevity’s sake, the following addresses composers I found particularly interesting. Critical comparisons are offered where multiple recordings of a work exist.
Mel Bonis is prominently represented by several piano works, songs, a Cello Sonata and the orchestral “Les femmes de legends.” Originally composed for piano, her orchestration of the three movements shows an imaginative use of color. The Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse plays beautifully, the interpretation is too cautious, and the upper strings lack sound undernourished. There is a more richly colored reading available on an album dedicated to Bonis’ symphonic works, featuring the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra (Le Chant de Linos). But just a few weeks ago La Dolce Volta released a recording by the Orchestra national de Metz Grand Est under David Reiland that is imaginatively evocative, caught in first-rate sound.
Her piano works include a remarkable “La Cathédrale blesse” (CD 3, Tr. 2), just as magical as Debussy’s better-known Cathedral work, while the following “Romance sans paroles” could be easily mistaken for one of Mendelssohn’s “Lieder ohne Worte”. Inevitably, listeners will discover passages reminding them of better-known composers (Mendelssohn, Schubert, Franck, Saint-Saens, Chausson, and Debussy appear often in my listening notes). But Bonis has her own unique voice, clearly heard in the Cello Sonata, its languid melodies wedded to subtle Impressionist harmonies. The songs reveal her melancholic personality, though the “Album pour les Tout-Petits” is a charmingly playful set of character pieces.
Four works by Cécile Chaminade are included, though her “Flute Concertino” seems out of place because it is perhaps the most recorded work (with 33 readily available recordings) in the set. Nevertheless, Claire Le Boulanger’s playing is deft and graceful, as is the accompaniment by Orchestre national de Matz Grand Est and David Reiland. The orchestra also plays a stirring rendition of Chaminade’s Suite from the ballet “Callirhoé,” though anyone interested in this music should hear Martin Yates’ wonderful recording of the complete ballet (Dutton).
Lili Boulanger’s “D’un matin de printemps,” heard in its original violin and piano scoring, receives an evocative reading by Anna Agafia accompanied by Frank Braley. A greater discovery for me were the compositions by her sister, Nadia. Her “Trois Pieces for cello and piano” proved deeply touching. My colleague Azusa Ueno recently praised another performance of this work by Astrig Siranossian and Daniel Barenboim (Alpha). That reading is more extroverted, whereas this new reading is more delicate, but equally compelling. Nadia’s “La Sirène” for orchestra and a trio of vocal soloists, strikes me as a masterpiece, especially in this ardently dramatic performance. Tenor Cyrille Dubois spins gossamer lines throughout Charlotte Sohy’s “Les Méditations,” a setting of three of her own poems, while Marie Vermeulin plays her Piano Sonata with the perfect combination of finesse and flair. The melodic and harmonic writing in her three-movement “Symphony in C-sharp minor” is reminiscent of Chausson, the final movement’s restless energy similar to “La Mer”. Again, this music reveals a distinct compositional voice, convincing me to explore the recently released 3-CD set of Sohy’s works (La Boîte à Pépites).
Related Posts
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- Review: “Her Voice” – Piano Trios by Farrenc, Beach, and Clarke – Neave Trio
Bru Zane has already focused on Marie Jaëll in Volume 3 of their Portraits series. Five additionally works are included here, including “Ossiane,” a two-part work for soprano and orchestra, beautifully sung by Anaȉs Constans. Augusta Holmès’ tone poem “Andromede” receives another overly cautious reading, especially compared to the overtly dramatic Orchestra national de Metz Grand Est version, part of the same album mentioned above.
Surprisingly, the only questionable performance involves those same forces in Louise Farrenc’s third symphony. I expected their performance to capture the symphony’s vivid romantic sweep, but Reiland views Farrenc as a classicist. His interpretation is neat and tidy, but emotionally reticent. The recorded sound also disappoints, with brass far too recessed to have real impact. Turn to the Insula Orchestra under Laurence Equilbey (Erato) and one hears emotional depths and bold orchestration that is only hinted at here.
The excellent notes include biographical sketches of each composer. Texts and translations are not provided, which is particularly unfortunate when so much of the repertoire is sung. The best way to ensure a listener appreciates the composer’s text setting is having the texts in front of them.
Some may criticize this release, perhaps claiming that the repertoire was heard when it was written and that history has already passed judgment on its quality and longevity. Such arguments seem disingenuous, because in many cases these works were never heard – they were never published, and not saved in conservatory libraries, as was so often the case with music by male composers. So, this set gives us an opportunity to finally hear this neglected repertoire. Time and again I was struck but the sheer excellence of this music, and repeatedly wondered how anyone could judge it unworthy of a place in the repertoire. But now we can hear it and judge its quality for ourselves – and for that we owe Bru Zane and these distinguished performers our deepest gratitude.
Compositrices
Bru Zane – Various Performers
Bru Zane, CD BZ2006
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