DET BLOMSTRENDE GENI OG DEN FRANSKE MÉLODIE

«Det er i sangene Fauré virkelig avslører sitt blomstrende geni», skrev komponistens tidligere elev Maurice Ravel. Mer enn 100 sanger skrevet over seks tiår gjorde Fauré til den kanskje største mesteren av sjangeren fransk «mélodie». Denne samlingen tar oss med på en reise fra Faurés første sangsyklus, «Poème d’un jour» (1878), til hans siste, «L’Horizon chimérique» (1921), via det euforiske opus magnus «La Bonne Chanson» (1892–94) og den intenst konsentrerte «Mirages» (1919). Sangene har tekster av franske poeter i Faurés samtid; her finner du dikt av Charles Grandmougin, Baronne de Brimont, Paul Verlaine og Jean de La Ville de Mirmont. 

Med CD-en «Mirages» ferdigstiller Bettina Smith sitt prosjekt med å spille inn samtlige sykluser for sang og klaver av Gabriel Fauré for LAWO Classics. De foregående i serien er «Fêtes Galantes» (LWC1116) og «Serres Chaudes» (LWC1008), begge sammen med pianist Einar Røttingen. I tillegg har de gitt ut «Voices of Women» (LWC1067), med sanger av vestlands-komponistene Fartein Valen, Jostein Stalheim og Ketil Hvoslef.

Mezzosopranen Bettina Smith er fra Bergen. Etter eksamen ved Bergen Musikkonservatorium studerte hun med Wout Oosterkamp og Elly Ameling ved det Kongelige Konservatoriet i Den Haag. Deretter fulgte to år ved Internationales Opernstudio ved Opernhaus Zürich. Hun har et bredt repertoar som spenner fra middelalder til samtidsmusikk, og hun opptrer ofte som solist i oratorier og kantater, eller sammen med pianistene Jan Willem Nelleke og Einar Røttingen.

Den nederlandske pianisten Jan Willem Nellekes eksepsjonelle egenskaper som duopartner er kjent og anerkjent. Spillet er beskrevet som «glitrende regndråper, rike akkorder og vakre mellomspill» og «et alltid årvåkent samarbeid med solisten». 

 

THE FLOWER OF GENIUS AND FRENCH MÉLODIE

‘It is truly in his songs that Fauré reveals the flower of his genius’, wrote the composer’s former pupil Maurice Ravel. More than a hundred songs written over six decades made Fauré perhaps the greatest master of the genre French “mélodie”. The present collection takes us on a journey from Fauré’s first song cycle, “Poème d’un jour” (1878), to his last, “L’Horizon chimérique” (1921), via the exultant “La Bonne Chanson” (1892-94) and the intensely concentrated “Mirages” (1919). The songs have texts by French poets of Fauré’s time; here we find poems of Charles Grandmougin, Baronne de Brimont, Paul Verlaine and Jean de La Ville de Mirmont.

“Mirages” concludes Bettina Smith’s project for LAWO Classics of recording all of Gabriel Fauré’s cycles for voice and piano. It was preceded in this series by “Fêtes Galantes” (LWC1116) and “Serres Chaudes” (LWC1008), both together with pianist Einar Røttingen. Together they have also released “Voices of Women” (LWC1067), with songs of Fartein Valen, Jostein Stalheim and Ketil Hvoslef, composers from Norway’s west coast.

Mezzo-soprano Bettina Smith is from Bergen. After graduating from Bergen Conservatory of Music, she studied with Wout Oosterkamp and Elly Ameling at the Royal Conservatory of Music in the Hague. This was followed by two years at the Zürich International Opera Studio. With a wide repertory ranging from medieval to contemporary music, Bettina Smith appears regularly as oratorio and cantata soloist, or together with pianists Jan Willem Nelleke and Einar Røttingen.

Dutch pianist Jan Willem Nelleke’s exceptional qualities as a duo partner have been widely recognised. His playing has been described as “sparkling raindrops, rich chords and beautiful interludes” and as an “ever alert co-operation with the soloist”.

 

ANMELDELSER/REVIEWS

«[...] the rich expressive singing and alert, responsive pianism are first rate [...]» O.C. – BBC Music Magazine, juli 2018 review_LWC1146_BBC_Music_magazine.pdf

«Norwegian Mezzo-soprano Bettina Smith’s supple tone and liquescent phrasing make her an ideal interpreter of the songs of Fauré. The excellent Dutch pianist Jan Willem Nelleke brings an exquisite touch to this album as well. [...] The overall effect is one of stunning immediacy.» Oberoi – American Record Guide, aug. 2018 review_LWC1146_American_record_guide.pdf

http://sonograma.org/suplement-de-discos/mirages-gabriel-faure/

review_LWC1146_musicalifeiten.pdf

 

Excerpt of transcription of CD review, BBC (Radio 3)
  Program: Record Review Date: April 15th, 2017 Music critic: Hilary Finch Program host: Andrew McGregor

Transcription: Finch: “Just hear how she responds to a song from the darker, second series of Debussy’s Fêtes Galantes…” Colloque Sentimental from Fêtes Galantes plays Finch: “I love the way this sort of slightly dusky mezzo of hers conveys this ghostly conversation in the park, the lovers’ dialogue of love that maybe once was…maybe is no longer… McGregor: It’s quite a substantial mezzo, isn’t it? Bettina Smith, a lot of color and character in the voice Finch: It is. And she does convey the sort of erotic charge behind some of these French Mélodie rather well…yes, it’s highly expressive singing. McGregor: That’s an example of the Debussy but what about the Faure? Because we’ve got a proper cycle from Faure to end the recital Finch: Yes, his wonderful Chanson D’Éve, the song of Eve. You know, before the serpent, before the apple and then the intimations of mortality. That’s where I’m coming in “Crepuscule”. The first undefinable but sharp intimation of mortality, something’s going to go wrong, leading eventually for the longing for death… Fauré song plays McGregor: Crepuscule, Twilight, from the Gabriel Fauré song cycle Chanson d’Éve performed by mezzo Bettina Smith and pianist Einar Røttingen. There may be a lot of competition in the Debussy songs, less so in the Fauré, I suspect, still, and it’s a lovely way to end this recital, having that complete song cycle by Fauré. Finch: Yes it is, we don’t hear enough of that, either. McGregor: Two Norwegian musicians, it’s a Norwegian label, LAWO. The recital is called Fêtes Galantes.