''Poèmes'' is a 2012 album of French songs sung by
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
tic
soprano
A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
Renée Fleming
Renée Lynn Fleming (born February 14, 1959) is an American soprano, known for performances in opera, concerts, recordings, theater, film, and at major public occasions. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Fleming has been nominated for 1 ...
.
Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
's ''
Shéhérazade'' (1903) and
Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century. His m ...
's ''
Poèmes pour Mi
''Poèmes pour Mi'' (Poems for Mi) is a song cycle for dramatic soprano and piano or orchestra by Olivier Messiaen, composed in 1936 and 1937 and dedicated to his first wife, Claire Delbos. The text are poems by the composer based on the New Testa ...
'' (1936) are followed by two sets of songs by
Henri Dutilleux
Henri Paul Julien Dutilleux (; 22 January 1916 – 22 May 2013) was a French composer active mainly in the second half of the 20th century. His small body of published work, which garnered international acclaim, followed in the tradition of ...
. He
transcribed ''
Deux sonnets de Jean Cassou'' for Fleming (it was originally for baritone voice) and composed ''
Le temps l'horloge
''Le temps l'horloge'' (''Time and the Clock'') is a song cycle for soprano and orchestra, by the French composer Henri Dutilleux.
He wrote the original three-movement version between 2006 and 2007 based on two poems by Jean Tardieu ("Le temps ...
'' specifically for Fleming. The album won the
2013 Grammy Award for
Best Classical Solo Vocal Album.
Track listing
#
Ravel
Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...
''
Shéhérazade'': I. "Asie" 11:02
#''Shéhérazade'': II. "La Flûte enchantée" 3:32
#''Shéhérazade'': III. "L'Indifférent" 4:14
#
Messiaen
Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist who was one of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century. His m ...
: ''
Poèmes pour Mi
''Poèmes pour Mi'' (Poems for Mi) is a song cycle for dramatic soprano and piano or orchestra by Olivier Messiaen, composed in 1936 and 1937 and dedicated to his first wife, Claire Delbos. The text are poems by the composer based on the New Testa ...
'': I. "Action de grâces" 5:58
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': II. "Paysage" 2:00
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': III. "La Maison" 1:55
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': IV. "Epouvante" 2:53
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': V. "L'Épouse" 3:00
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': VI. "Ta voix" 3:15
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': VII. "Les Deux Guerriers" 1:40
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': VIII. "Le Collier" 4:21
#''Poèmes pour Mi'': IX. "Prière exaucée" 3:11
#
Henri Dutilleux
Henri Paul Julien Dutilleux (; 22 January 1916 – 22 May 2013) was a French composer active mainly in the second half of the 20th century. His small body of published work, which garnered international acclaim, followed in the tradition of ...
''
Deux sonnets de Jean Cassou'': I. "II n'y avait que des troncs déchirés" 2:19
#''Deux sonnets de Jean Cassou'': II. "J'ai rêvé que je vous portais entre mes bras" 5:30
#Dutilleux ''
Le temps l'horloge
''Le temps l'horloge'' (''Time and the Clock'') is a song cycle for soprano and orchestra, by the French composer Henri Dutilleux.
He wrote the original three-movement version between 2006 and 2007 based on two poems by Jean Tardieu ("Le temps ...
'': "Le temps l'horloge" 1:43
#''Le temps l'horloge'': "Le Masque" 4:25
#''Le temps l'horloge'': "Le Dernier poème" 2:06
#''Le temps l'horloge'': "Interlude" 1:20
#''Le temps l'horloge'': "Enivrez-vous" 4:39
The
Orchestre national de France
The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since ...
, conducted by
Seiji Ozawa
Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese ski jumper
*, Japanese racing driver
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese film directo ...
, accompanied ''Le temps l'horloge''.
Alan Gilbert conducted the
Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France is a French radio orchestra, affiliated with Radio France. The orchestra performs principally at the auditorium of the Maison de la Radio in Paris, along with several concerts at the Philharmonie de Pa ...
on all other tracks.
Renée Fleming: ''Poèmes''
Decca
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poemes
2012 classical albums
Decca Records albums
Renée Fleming albums