Debussy: Clair de lune / Natalie Dessay, Cassard - EMI Classics - EMI 307692 - 509

Clair de Lune, the new album from leading soprano Natalie Dessay, celebrates the 150th anniversary of Claude Debussy's birth with a brilliant survey of his early vocal works, including four World Premiere recordings of unpublished songs reflecting the young composer's forbidden love for the soprano wife of one of his patrons. One of the unpublished songs, 'Les Elfes,' includes chord sequences taken from Wagner's famous 'Ride of the Valkyries' (Apocalypse Now), while another ('Romance') traces the wild mood swings and flights of fancy that accompany a restless love. This new album follows up on Dessay's Grammy-nominated Cleopatra, a collection of arias from Handel's opera Giulio Cesare, and coincides with the DVD release and Met Opera performances of Verdi's La Traviata.

"[In 'Les elfes'] Dessay brilliantly handles the dialogue among the song's characters and delivers some of the best vocal shading of the disc when the elf princess admits that she is, in fact, dead. It's an extremely effective performance" -Gramophone

"that silvery soprano voice [...] caresses these delicately perfumed offerings (some of them unpublished) with nonchalant French elegance, a winning soubrette sparkle, and loving regard for the meaning and poetry of every word." -The Times

Notes & Reviews:

Recording information: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-).

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Works Details

Debussy, Claude : Nuit d'étoiles ("Nuit d'étoiles, sous tes voiles"), song for voice & piano, L. 4

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 3 min. 9 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1880

Debussy, Claude : Quatre chansons de jeunesse - 1. Pantomime (Debussy)

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 32 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1882

Debussy, Claude : Clair de lune

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1882

Debussy, Claude : Pierrot

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 1 min. 50 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1881

Debussy, Claude : Apparition

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 3 min. 19 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1884

Debussy, Claude : En sourdine

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 43 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1882

Debussy, Claude : Poèmes (7) de Banville

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 3 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1882

Debussy, Claude : Romance ("L'âme evaporéee est souffrante"), song for voice & piano, L. 79/1

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 1 min. 53 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1891

Debussy, Claude : Les cloches ("Les feuilles s'ouvraient"), song for voice & piano, L. 79/2

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 1 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1891

Debussy, Claude : Rondel chinois ("Sur le lac bordé d'azalée"), song for voice & piano, L. 17

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 3 min. 13 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1881

Debussy, Claude : Flôts, palmes et sables ("Loin des yeux du monde"), song for voice & piano, L. 25

Performers: Catherine Michel (Harp); Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 4 min. 54 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1882

Debussy, Claude : La Romance d'Ariel ("Au long ds ces montagnes douces"), song for voice & piano, L. 54

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 4 min. 30 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1884

Debussy, Claude : Regret ("Devant le ciel d'été, tiède et callme"), song for voice & piano, L. 55

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 35 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1884

Debussy, Claude : Chanson triste ("On entend un chant sur l'eau dans la brume"), song for voice & piano, L. 47

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 1 min. 17 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1883

Debussy, Claude : Coquetterie posthume ("Quand je mourrai, qu l'on me mette"), song for voice & piano, L. 39

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 3 min. 42 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1883

Debussy, Claude : L'archet ("Elle avait de beaux cheveux blonds"), song for voice & piano, L. 46

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 2 min. 58 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1883

Debussy, Claude : Les baisers d'amour, song for voice & piano

Performers: Philippe Cassard (Piano); Natalie Dessay (Soprano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 1 min. 45 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1881

Debussy, Claude : Les elfes, song for voice & piano

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 7 min. 19 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1881

Debussy, Claude : La damoiselle élue

Performers: Natalie Dessay (Soprano); Karine Deshayes (Mezzo Soprano); Philippe Cassard (Piano)
Notes: Salle Colonne, Paris (2011-11-12_2011-11-13&2011-)
Running Time: 18 min. 44 sec.
Period Time: Post Romantic
Written: 1887-1888

Debussy: Clair de lune / Natalie Dessay, Philippe Cassard

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