ドビュッシー: 歌曲集Vol.3

名伴奏者、マルコム・マルティヌーのピアノで贈る、フランス印象派の大家クロード・ドビュッシーの歌曲集第3弾。今回Hyperion初登場となるのは、2014年キャスリーン・フェリアー賞を受賞した若きソプラノ、ジェニファー・フランス。ダイヤモンドのような美しさに、スリリングな表現を持ち合わせ、「エルフたち L.25」など近年発見された歌曲を含む、ドビュッシーの美しきロマンスを歌う。
東京エムプラス

This third release in Hyperion's series devoted to the rather neglected songs of Claude Debussy introduces a new soprano, the ideal Jennifer France (with fine contributions as well from baritone Jonathan McGovern), and brings a collection of songs that might be described as miscellaneous: this is one of those Hyperion releases where the performers and the annotator seem to be struggling over the correct order, and listeners will have to keep jumping around in the notes to find out what they're listening to. Nevertheless, there are some gems here, both early and late, and it's likely that even deep Debussy fans will find something to treasure. Many of the songs are from the early 1880s, when Debussy was an intermittent student and an 18-year-old choir accompanist carrying on an affair with one of the sopranos, Marie-Blanche Vasnier. She seems to have been both the recipient of scorching songs like Les baisers (The Kisses, track 17) and their intended performer. Many of these songs do indeed contain hints of the future Debussy (bells in the lovely Chanson triste, track 6, daring harmonic moves, an orientation toward popular song). There are also several songs from Debussy's maturity, and it's hard to see why the trio Le promenoir des deux amants, assembled by the composer in 1910 as a present to his extremely dissatisfied wife, should not be considered a masterpiece on a par with his famous orchestral works. As a whole, the program has an intriguing way of giving glimpses into Debussy's personal life and into the genesis of his talent for grasping the essences of poems. The acoustic ambiance of London's All Saints Church is too live for what would have been quite intimate performances, but this is a good item for serious Debussy collections.