Search - Gabriel Faure, Janet Baker, Geoffrey Parsons :: Fauré: La Chanson d'Eve and other songs

Good collection of French songs

Jody Palm | Greeneville, TN United States | 05/29/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dame Janet Baker is in fine voice on this CD of French art songs by Faure. I like Faure songs, they have more substance than most French art songs, and Ms. Baker's full mezzo voice is just my cup of tea for these songs.OK, so I don't particularly care for the Songs of Eve of the CD's title, but there are plenty of other songs here to love. For example, some of the standards like Apres un reve, Les Roses d'Ispahan, Mandoline. There are also some I heard for the first time and fell in love with, like Les Berceaux, Toujours!, Aurore, and En priere.If you like the whispy, soft French art songs, you probably won't like this CD. But if you like full-throated singing of French songs, you'll be pleased with this CD."

A Perfectly Lovely Recital

Neil A. Dellar | McLean, VA USA | 05/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dame Janet is in lovely voice, perfectly suited to these autumnal songs. As usual, her diction and accent are exemplary."

Another beautiful recital from Dame Janet Baker's autumnal p

Ralph Moore | Bishop's Stortford, UK | 02/09/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"What a relief to turn to this disc after the disappointing Hyperion effort with Vol. 4 of Fauré's songs and mélodies. In my review of that sad disc, I suggest looking to artists such as Janet Baker for the correct voice and style - and here is the proof. It is true that there are some signs of wear in the middle of the voice - a little permanent huskiness, perhaps - but the top rings out as round and full as ever with that peculiarly plaintive and expressive timbre so typical of her - listen to her go for the top A-flat in "Toujours" (track 8). Her French is better than ever and while she brings the utmost delicacy to the more fragile songs, this is not the whispy, breathy, precious style of singing French art songs so easily satirised but rather a heartfelt and committed interpretation of material strong enough to take it.



If you do speak French, I exhort you to ignore Dr Coulardeau's review; it is nonsense. Similarly, it is quite untrue that Baker's voice "has gotten fat and has a distinct wobble", as another reviewer suggests; quite the reverse, in fact: it has dried out a bit. I have been listening to Baker for years, live and on disc, and I am certain that, even allowing for the slight deterioration I mention above, this recital forms a lovely postlude to a distinguished recording career by a much-loved artist."