Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'?t?
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 1997-07-15
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- 1. Villanelle
- 2. Le spectre de la rose
- 3. Sur les lagunes: lamento
- 4. Absence
- 5. Au cimeti?re: clair de lune
- 6. L'?le inconnue
- D'amour l'ardente flamme (Romance)
- Mais qu'ai-je donc? (Air)
- Ah! Ah! Je vais mourir (Monologue)
- Adieu, fi?re cit? (Air)
- Dieu! Que viens-je d'entendre?
Free Music Notes for Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'?t?
Free Music Review: At its best as pure singing, but a little short emotionally
Hit: 4 Stars
Generally I take David Hurwitz to be more a comedian than a critic, but he's on to something about mezzo Susan Graham's interpretations being "undercooked," if by that he means emotionally cool. Her Nuits d'Ete is impeccably sung--one can hardly imagine anyone else who possesses such perfect vocal technique in this music--but I wasn't very moved. Perhaps it's John Nelson's bland conducting, but the two of them move gracefully over the surface without penetrating into Berlioz's deeper feelings. The lesser-known inner songs, which are consistently melancholy, come off best; Graham really seems to give us the poetry with a full heart. If anyone strongly disagrees, I am happy to concede how wonderful Graham is, but I've always been touched by these songs as sung by de los Angeles, Janet Baker, Leontyne Price, and ohters. Not here. No matter how well you control your tone and phrasing, Berlioz needs passionate outbursts and real spontaneity. (For what it's worth, I had the same impression recently hearing Graham sing the cycle with Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Sym., where she displayed, if anything, greater control and beauty of voice than even on this CD.)
At just over 60 min., this isn't the most generous recital, but the fillers are very well done. Nelson remains careful and bland, which doesn't help, D'amour l'ardente flamme needs more poignancy from all concerned, but Graham has lots of stage experience with Beatrice and Benedict, so that aria comes off well. It's not reasonable to say that anything here doesn't, but when Dido sings her death aria, I don't hear any dramatic stretch--Graham is applying the same middle-of-the-road pathos that gets applied almost everywhere else.
Susan Graham ~ Berlioz - Les nuits d'?t? Poster
On casual listen, Graham can seem like yet another pretty voice. And it is extremely pretty. But there's an intelligence and learnedness that can only make her more interesting as time goes on. As is, her performances are slightly undercooked, though there are some moments during Les Nuits d'?t? as passionate and committed as one could want. The arias added to fill out the disc aren't heard in optimal performances, but show what riches lie in Berlioz's neglected operatic output, namely Ascanio's lighthearted aria from Benvenuto Cellini and the long soliloquy from Beatrice and Benedict. --David Patrick StearnsClassical Music CDs
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