Massenet Melodies
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet
Label: Arion
Magazine Review Date: 2/1988
Media Format: Cassette
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: ARN438799
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Poème du souvenir |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Avril |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Octobre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Aubade |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Si tu l'oses |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Alcyons |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Poète et le fantôme |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Yeux clos |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Printemps visite le terre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Marquise |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Oh! si les fleurs avaient des yeux |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
Composer or Director: Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet
Label: Arion
Magazine Review Date: 2/1988
Media Format: Vinyl
Media Runtime: 0
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: ARN38799
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Poème du souvenir |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Avril |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Octobre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Aubade |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Si tu l'oses |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Alcyons |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Poète et le fantôme |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Yeux clos |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Printemps visite le terre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Marquise |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Oh! si les fleurs avaient des yeux |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
Composer or Director: Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet
Label: Arion
Magazine Review Date: 2/1988
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 60
Mastering:
ADD
Catalogue Number: ARN68009
Tracks:
| Composition | Artist Credit |
|---|---|
| Poème du souvenir |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Avril |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Poème d'Octobre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Aubade |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Si tu l'oses |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Alcyons |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Poète et le fantôme |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Les) Yeux clos |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| (Le) Printemps visite le terre |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Marquise |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
| Oh! si les fleurs avaient des yeux |
Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer
Bernard Kruysen, Baritone Jules (Emile Frédéric) Massenet, Composer Noël Lee, Piano |
Author: Lionel Salter
So closely is Massenet associated with operas and other stage works that his more than 250 songs have been largely overlooked; only a few have been recorded since the pre-electric era, and of the present selection only one—Oh! Si les fleurs avaient des yeux—is otherwise current on record. Yet, along with Gounod, he was largely responsible for establishing the melodie: in particular, taking his cue from Schumann (whose influence on his piano writing is plain to hear), he introduced into France the song-cycle form. In fact, the very first work he published, at the age of 24, after returning from winning the Prix de Rome (and after rejections from all the leading publishers) was the Poeme d'avril, a cycle that includes a piano interlude and spoken as well as sung texts. The following year's cycle Poeme du souvenir marked an advance—''L'air du soir'' is more developed, ''Pour qu'a l'esperance'' more dramatic, and ''Un souffle de parfums'' points forward to the later golden age of the melodie. In general, Massenet's songs, as presented here, are uneven: Oh! Si les fleurs avaient des yeux aims no higher than the salons in which he was so popular, Marquise is a pastiche, Les Alcyons lacks sufficient invention to achieve the dramatic effect desired, and Les yeux clos is a very obvious throw-back to his famous ''Elegie'' (from Les Erinnyes) of 30 years previously. But Le printemps visite la terre is entirely charming, Si tu l'oses has freshness and even some humour, Le poete et le fantome is an interesting essay in dialogue form that calls for an alternation of vocal timbres, and the calm outer sections of Aubade are in the best tradition of the melodie.
Bernard Kruysen, a Dutch former pupil of Bernac, has made several previous records with Noel Lee that have been well received, and he deserves thanks for extending this area of the repertoire. Lee again shows himself a most perceptive and musicianly partner: Kruysen himself is rather variable here. In some songs there is a lack of bloom on the voice and intonation which could have been more exact, but he is an accomplished interpreter who understands the style admirably, and with such exemplary enunciation that one scarcely needs to strain one's eyes to read the minimal-size printed texts. The recording, excellent of the piano, somewhat emphasizes the graininess of Kruysen's voice: on my CD copy there is a momentary drop-out in the first song of the Poeme du souvenir cycle.'
Bernard Kruysen, a Dutch former pupil of Bernac, has made several previous records with Noel Lee that have been well received, and he deserves thanks for extending this area of the repertoire. Lee again shows himself a most perceptive and musicianly partner: Kruysen himself is rather variable here. In some songs there is a lack of bloom on the voice and intonation which could have been more exact, but he is an accomplished interpreter who understands the style admirably, and with such exemplary enunciation that one scarcely needs to strain one's eyes to read the minimal-size printed texts. The recording, excellent of the piano, somewhat emphasizes the graininess of Kruysen's voice: on my CD copy there is a momentary drop-out in the first song of the Poeme du souvenir cycle.'
Massenet Melodies
Massenet Melodies
Massenet Melodies
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