Search - Gilbert Kalish Jan DeGaetani :: French Songs: Chausson, Debussy, Ravel

One of the best recitals from a much-missed singer

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The five-star reviewer has said everything that needs to be said. This intimately voiced recital of French chansons is elegant and lovely. Not everyone today remembers the singer, however. The reason that mezzo Jan DeGaetani is so much missed is that her premature death in 1989 at the age of 56 took away a rare kind of singer. DeGaetaini belonged to a select group (along with Phyllis Curtin and Jan Curtis) who took on the mantle of classical song, where personal inspiration replaces glamour and money. Her many CDs are a legacy that hasn't been replaced by any singer since.



Because her art covered a vast range of songs in several languages, DeGaetani can't be expected to shine equally in all of htem. If I had to pick, however, I think French chansons and melodies are her strongest suit. She sounds comfortable and secure, and the emotional intimacy of the material is a perfect fit for DeGaetani's natural warmth and her ability to nuance a line. Hers isn't a powerful voice, but it's soothing, soft-grained, and beautiful. Gilbert Kalish isn't the most adept pianist in the sparkling, sophisticated idiom of Debussy and Ravel, but he's certainly quite good. Only the Debussy songs were familiar to me, but I was delighted to be led into new territory by DeGaetani. I think her accomplishments will survive for quite a long time."