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Track(s) taken from CDA68016

Sérénade, L29

First line:
Las! Colombine a fermé le volet
composer
early 1882; dedicated to Marie-Blanche Vasnier
author of text

Jennifer France (soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Studio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
CD-Quality:
Studio Master:
Recording details: February 2013
All Saints' Church, East Finchley, London, United Kingdom
Produced by Mark Brown
Engineered by Julian Millard
Release date: October 2014
Total duration: 1 minutes 54 seconds

Cover artwork: An Evening in Ancient Times (1908). Alphonse Osbert (1857-1939)
Musée de la Ville de Paris, Musée du Petit-Palais, France / Giraudon / Bridgeman Images
 

Reviews

‘Jennifer France sounds both charming and convinced, and her slightly soubrettish but always attractive sound (unfazed by the occasional stratospheric top note that Debussy evidently threw in, further to entice Mme Vasnier) adds a proper note of youthful abandon, just what these early settings need to bring them to life. Praise is also due to Malcolm Martineau for his total empathy with the always atmospheric but by no means easy accompaniments. The recorded sound is ideal ... Baritone Jonathan McGovern too is well cast, velvety in sound, easy on the ear’ (International Record Review)» More
Sérénade, dedicated to Mme Vasnier, is an example of the fantastical Debussy, later evident in the movement ‘Jeux de vagues’ in La mer, in the ballet Jeux and in Préludes such as La danse de Puck and General Lavine. He picks up early on the presence of a guitar, and there’s drama again in the second attempt at ‘Arlequin chante’—in a foreign key!

from notes by Roger Nichols © 2014

Dédiée à Mme Vasnier, Sérénade annonce le Debussy fantastique, celui du mouvement «Jeux de vagues» (La mer), du ballet Jeux et de préludes comme La danse de Puck et General Lavine. Très tôt, il perçoit la présence d’une guitare, et le drame resurgit dans la seconde tentative à «Arlequin chante»—dans une tonalité étrangère à l’harmonie!

extrait des notes rédigées par Roger Nichols © 2014
Français: Hypérion

Sérénade ist Mme Vasnier gewidmet und zeigt Debussys phantastische Seite, die sich später auch in dem Satz „Jeux de vagues“ aus La mer, im Ballett Jeux und in den Préludes, zum Beispiel in La danse de Puck und in General Lavine, äußern sollte. Er greift schnell die Anwesenheit einer Gitarre auf und beim zweiten Versuch von „Arlequin chante“ wird es wieder dramatisch—in einer entfernten Tonart!

aus dem Begleittext von Roger Nichols © 2014
Deutsch: Viola Scheffel

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