Search - Deodat de Severac, François Le Roux, Patricia Rozario :: Songs by Déodat de Séverac / Le Roux, Rozario, G. Johnson

In his lifetime (1872-1921), Déodat de Séverac was considered an artistic equal to Debussy and Ravel. Based on the meager recorded evidence offered in recent years (a set of piano music on EMI and a briefly available edition of songs on Ariane), this makes perfect sense. His music is highly descriptive, often impressionistic but often without the self-consciously studied languidness that can make music of this period seem dated. Not everything is great: Séverac definitely had good and bad days. But there's an excitement and immediacy to his nature painting, though these songs have no lack of introspection and depth of thought. Francois La Roux is one of the best French recitalists around and Johnson should have government decorations for his service to the song literature, French and otherwise. --David Patrick Stearns