Chausson – Poème de l’amour et de la mer et neuf mélodies

C 069-16217 

Product Details

• Format: LP 
• Label: Pathé Marconi EMI 
• Catalog Number: C 069-16217 
• Recording Locations & Dates: Salle de la Madeleine, Brussels (May 1977 – Face 1) / Salle Wagram, Paris (Feb 1977 – Face 2)

Overview

Ernest Chausson’s evocative Poème de l’amour et de la mer and a selection of nine mélodies find refined expression in this recital by Gérard Souzay, one of the 20th century’s most poetic French baritones. Paired with his long-time collaborator Dalton Baldwin and joined by the Belgian Radio-Television Orchestra under Edgard Doneux, Souzay traverses Chausson’s dreamy and melancholic sound world with extraordinary delicacy and insight.

On Face 1, the major work Poème de l’amour et de la mer, Op. 19 (with orchestral interlude), unfolds in three sweeping sections, set to poetry by Maurice Bouchor. Face 2 offers nine exquisite mélodies for baritone and piano, highlighting texts by Maeterlinck, Gautier, Bouchor, Bourget, Leconte de Lisle, Silvestre, and others — demonstrating Chausson’s gift for lyric intimacy and spiritual nuance.

Product Features

• Features Gérard Souzay, one of France’s foremost interpreters of the mélodie tradition
• Includes Chausson’s orchestral song cycle Poème de l’amour et de la mer
• Dalton Baldwin, a renowned accompanist, offers his nuanced pianistic artistry
• High-fidelity analog recording from 1977 in two premiere European venues
• A comprehensive selection of Chausson's most affecting mélodies, rarely compiled on a single LP

Track Listing

Face 1 – Poème de l’amour et de la mer, Op. 19

1. La fleur des eaux – calme – simplement – allegro non troppo
2. Interlude (orchestra only) – lent et triste
3. La mort de l’amour – vif et joyeux – sombre et solennel – lent et triste

Face 2 – Mélodies

1. Oraison, Op. 24 No. 5 – from Serres chaudes (Maeterlinck)
2. Les papillons, Op. 2 No. 3 (Gautier)
3. Chanson d’amour, Op. 28 No. 2 – from Shakespeare, trans. Bouchor
4. Nanny, Op. 2 No. 1 – from Poèmes antiques (Leconte de Lisle)
5. Nos souvenirs, Op. 8 No. 4 (Bouchor)
6. Sérénade italienne, Op. 2 No. 5 (Bourget)
7. Le charme, Op. 2 No. 2 – from Chanson des Heures (Silvestre)
8. Cantique à l’épouse, Op. 36 No. 1 (Albert Jounet)
9. Le colibri, Op. 2 No. 7 (Leconte de Lisle)

Key Credits

• Baritone: Gérard Souzay
• Pianist: Dalton Baldwin
• Conductor (Face 1): Edgard Doneux
• Orchestra (Face 1): Orchestre de la Radio-Télévision Belge
• Recording Engineers: Paul Vavasseur, Serge Rémy
• Artistic Directors: Greco Casadesus, Eric Macleod
• Photography: Gérard Neuvecelle

BOX #57