[Cover graphic]

2 Compact Discs CDA67141/2

£26.98

The most Romantic and endearing of all French composers of La Belle Epoch, Reynaldo Hahn was not French at all. Born in Caracas to a Venezuelan mother and a German father he moved to Paris at an early age and soon became the darling of the salons. His most famous song, If my verses had wings - recorded many times by artists from Dame Nellie Melba to Joan Sutherland - was written when he was 13.

This two-CD set is the most representative recording of Hahn's songs ever made. It includes the complete Etudes Latines and Rondels (both with choir) as well as many of his most familiar songs. It also includes a number of songs never recorded before now.

Recorded on 6 January, 4-6 August, 21, 22 December 1995
Recording Engineer
ANTONY HOWELL
JULIAN MILLARD
Recording Producer
MARK BROWN
ARTHUR JOHNSON
Design
TERRY SHANNON
Executive Producers
JOANNA GAMBLE
EDWARD PERRY
© Hyperion Records Ltd, London, MCMXCVI

Duration: 134'00
DDD
Front illustration: Two Angels (c1870) by Charles Sellier (1830-1882)

——  The Hyperion French Song Edition  ——

Songs by Reynaldo Hahn

FELICITY LOTT soprano
SUSAN BICKLEY mezzo soprano
IAN BOSTRIDGE tenor
STEPHEN VARCOE baritone
THE LONDON SCHUBERT CHORALE
STEPHEN LAYTON conductor
GRAHAM JOHNSON piano
Contents:

COMPACT DISC 1 [62'42]

  1. Si mes vers avaient des ailes (Hugo) Felicity Lott [2'11]
  2. Paysage (Theuriet) Stephen Varcoe [2'20]
  3. Rêverie (Hugo) Felicity Lott [2'32]
  4. Offrande (Verlaine) Susan Bickley [2'46]
  5. Mai (Coppée) Stephen Varcoe [1'58]
  6. Infidelité (Gautier) Felicity Lott [2'13]
  7. Seule (Gautier) Susan Bickley [2'14]
  8. Les Cygnes (Renaud) Stephen Varcoe [4'04]
  9. Nocturne (Lahor) Felicity Lott [1'24]
  10. Trois jours de vendange (Daudet) Stephen Varcoe [3'03]
  11. D'une prison (Verlaine) Felicity Lott [2'41]
  12. Séraphine (Heine) Stephen Varcoe [2'16]
  13. L'heure exquise (Verlaine) Felicity Lott [2'33]
  14. Fêtes galantes (Verlaine) Susan Bickley [1'47]

    DOUZE RONDELS

  15. Le Jour (De Banville) Choir [3'42]
  16. Je me metz en vostre mercy (D'Orléans) Stephen Varcoe [1'26]
  17. Le Printemps (De Banville) Felicity Lott [1'37]
  18. L'Air (De Banville) Susan Bickley [3'19]
  19. La Paix (De Banville) Stephen Varcoe [2'11]
  20. Gardez le trait de la fenêtre (D'Orléans) Choir [1'37]
  21. La Pêche (De Banville) Felicity Lott [1'59]
  22. Quand je fus pris au pavillon (D'Orléans) Stephen Varcoe [1'13]
  23. Les Etoiles (De Banville) Felicity Lott [3'O0]
  24. L'Automne (De Banville) Susan Bickley [1'52]
  25. La Nuit (De Banville) Choir [2'41]
  26. Le souvenir d'avoir chanté (Mendès) Stephen Varcoe [1'56]
COMPACT DISC 2 [71'18]
  1. Quand la nuit n'est pas étoilée (Hugo) Susan Bickley [3'37]
  2. Le plus beau présent (Magre) Stephen Varcoe [2'10]
  3. Sur l'eau (Prud'homme) Susan Bickley [3'16]
  4. Le rossignol des lilas (Dauphin) Felicity Lott [1'57]
  5. A Chloris (De Viau) Stephen Varcoe [2'39]
  6. Ma jeunesse (Vacaresco) Susan Bickley [2'37]
  7. Puisque j'ai mis ma lèvre ... (Hugo) Stephen Varcoe [4'28]

    ETUDES LATINES (De Lisle)

  8. Lydie Ian Bostridge, Choir [2'20]
  9. Néère Stephen Varcoe [3'24]
  10. Salinum Ian Bostridge [2'10]
  11. Thaliarque Choir [2'33]
  12. Lydé Stephen Varcoe [3'06]
  13. Vile potabis Ian Bostridge [1'40]
  14. Tyndaris Ian Bostridge [1'40]
  15. Pholoé Stephen Varcoe [1'31]
  16. Phildylé Stephen Varcoe, Choir * [2'31]
  17. Phyllis Stephen Varcoe [2'45]

  18. La Nymphe de la Source (anonymous) Susan Bickley [3'13]
  19. Au rossignol (De Saix) Felicity Lott [2'05]
  20. Je me souviens (De Saix) Susan Bickley [4'03]
  21. Air de la lettre from 'Mozart' (Guitry) Felicity Lott [2'36]
  22. C'est très vilain d'être infidèle from 'O mon bel inconnu' (Guitry) Felicity Lott [2'53]
  23. C'est sa banlieue (Y a des arbres ...) from 'Ciboulette' (De Flers, De Croisset) Felicity Lott [2'57]
  24. Nous avons fait un beau voyage from 'Ciboulette' Susan Bickley, Stephen Varcoe [2'54]
  25. La Dernière Valse from 'Une Revue' (Donnay, Duvernois) Felicity Lott [4'14]

    * with CHRIS GOULD piano (4-hands, with Graham Johnson)

DIAPASON D'OR
GRAMOPHONE CRITICS' CHOICE

'This gorgeous set ... Irresistable' (The Sunday Times)

'What treasures are here … The two discs provide an unmissable opportunity to explore a composer who is underrated and overlooked perhaps because he was too modest about himself. There are melodies here which Massenet, Debussy, Fauré and Ravel would have been proud to call their own. No one can fail to have their musical horizon broadened by these discs, which will assuredly come high among my Records of the Year, any year' (The Sunday Telegraph)

'These discs have given me as much pleasure as any I have heard this year ... to hear Felicity Lott in 'Les Etoiles', Susan Bickley in 'Offrande' and Ian Bostridge in 'Tyndaris' is to relish some of the most accomplished vocal artistry of the day' (The Sunday Telegraph)

'Ces chanteurs brittaniques interprètent ces petits bijoux avec soin touchant. Par la qualité du phrasé, ils lui restituent sa qualité essentielle, le sens du mot et de la ligne mélodique' (Répertoire, France)

'Graham Johnson choisir ses chanteurs qui possèdent une musicalité irréprochable et un français non seulement intelligible mais évocateur - et de les accompanger avec tant de poésie' (Diapason, France)

'Some fascinating rarities' (Gramophone)

p> 'To wonderful songs ... [the artists] bring delicacy, grace, an emotion the more poignant for being understated ... Not to be missed' (The Observer)

'This is music for the intellect, interpreted with the utmost sensitivity' (Hi-Fi News)

'For the best song-singing I've heard in many moons this is the one' (Fi, USA)

See also:
Bizet: Songs
Boulanger: Clairières dans le ciel
Chabrier: Musique Adorable!
Duparc: The Complete Songs
Fauré: 'La Chanson d'Eve' and other songs
Gounod: The 'Biondina' Cycle and other songs
Poulenc: Voyage à Paris
Séverac: Songs
Songs by Camille Saint-Saëns
Songs by Louis Durey
The Songs of Chausson
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