La Vie Bp Iiib

bo IlIa. Phrase (1:06) Cedille Records is a trademark of The Chicago La vie bp IIIb. Antique (1:55) Classical Recording Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation devoted to promoting the finest musicians bq IV. Royauté (1:44) est une and ensembles in the Chicago area. The Chicago br V. Marine (1:02) Classical Recording Foundation’s activities are sup- ported in part by contributions and grants from indi- bs VI. Interlude (2:14) viduals, foundations, corporations, and government bt VII. Being Beauteous (3:48) agencies including the Alphawood Foundation, the parade Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (CityArts III Patrice Michaels, soprano ck VIII. Parade (2:56) Grant), and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. *The Chicago Chamber Musicians cl IX. Départ (1:44) **Czech National Symphony Orchestra / Paul Freeman, conductor Producer: James Ginsburg Germaine Tailleferre* Engineer: Bill Maylone from Chansons du Folklore de France Recorded: Erik Satie (1866–1925) / Easley Blackwood (b. 1933)* cm La pernette se lève (3:21) November 5, 11 & 12, 2000 (with CNSO) 1 La Diva de l’Empire (1904) (2:50) cn Suzon va dire à sa mère (1:13) March 25 & 26, 2002 (with CCM) 2 Je te veux (1901) (5:00) co L’autre jour en m’y promenant (2:22) Photos of Patrice Michaels: cp A Genn’villiers (1:47) McArthur Photography cq Erik Satie / Robert Caby (1905–1992)** Jean de la Réole (1:27) Design: Melanie Germond and Pete Goldlust 3 Le chapelier (from Trois Mélodies de 1916) (0:35) 4 Les anges (from Trois Mélodies de 1886) (1:53) Erik Satie / Robert Caby** Translations: 5 Les fleurs (from Trois Mélodies de 1886) (1:30) cr Tendrement (1902) (3:34) Valeria Sapiain, Shahzore Shah, Jane Ginsburg, and Patrice Michaels 6 Daphénéo (from Trois Mélodies de 1916) (1:08) cs Elégie (1887) (2:33) 7 ct La statue de bronze (from Trois Mélodies de 1916) (1:40) Chanson médiévale (1906) (1:02) P & C 2003 Cedille Records dk Sylvie (from Trois Mélodies de 1886) (2:21) trademark of The Chicago Classical Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983)* Recording Foundation All Rights Reserved from Chansons du Folklore de France (1952–1955) Darius Milhaud (1892–1974)** 8 En revenant de Nantes (2:24) Quatre Chansons de Ronsard, Op. 223 (1941) 9 Oh, revenez-y toutes (1:10) (10:00) Publishers: bk Mon père toujours me crie (1:30) dl A une fontaine (2:04) Satie/Blackwood: Blackwood Enterprises, Chicago bl Mon père m’a mariée (1:32) dm A Cupidon (3:55) dn Tais-toi, babillarde (1:16) Satie/Caby: Editions Salabert, Paris do Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)** Dieu vous gard’ (2:33) Tailleferre: Gérard Billaudot, Paris Les Illuminations, Op. 18 (1939) (21:30) Britten: Boosey & Hawkes bm I. Fanfare (2:21) Milhaud: Boosey & Hawkes bn II. Villes (2:24) TT: (73:37) fell in love with Milhaud’s music early in my singing life, and was Diva de l’Empire could easily become a privileged to perform these songs with the Montreal Symphony vehicle for a fin du siècle grisette. In the during my first international competition. The Britten setting of La vie latter, however, Satie’s uncompromising compositional integrity helps his listener IRimbaud poems has also challenged and sustained me for some est une focus vividly on the “leetle girl” with the years now. I came to the world of song literature through my pas- mocking smile. In the two waltzes, a pre- sion for theater and my fascination with folk music. The Tailleferre dictable lilt never obscures Satie’s erotic intention and appreciation for his poets’ songs use deceptively simple material the way a master baker ability to surprise. For this recording, makes a baguette: the result appears inevitably natural and tastes parade Notes by Erik Eriksson arrangements of La Diva and Je te veux irresistible. Satie’s songs are an amazing collection of dramatic wit were commissioned from composer Easley Blackwood. and warmth that tie the whole program together the way wine and Satie’s art songs have a bracing directness; spices unify a meal. We might well have titled this disc “La vie Erik Satie (1866–1925): Songs they never dissemble. When the text ends, est un repas,” except that the project really was a parade across Perpetually stimulating for artists of all so does the music. Elegie is an unblinking, continents, involving a legion of artists: we began performing and types, France’s blend of fresh thought sad look backward, not without a certain recording with the Czech National Symphony in Prague and ended and strong tradition is exemplified by Erik theatricality. By contrast, Sylvie is a shy, in Chicago, assisted by the extensive vocal/instrumental archives Satie. Throughout his creative life, Satie adoring paean to a beloved, set over a sought to avoid the inauthentic, the falsely modulating accompaniment moving in cir- of Editions Salabert in Paris. It was a sweet surprise to receive emotional, the unobservant glance at the cular patterns. The art songs were arranged among the Tailleferre scores from Salabert four songs that were commonplace. In artistic circles, Satie was by Robert Caby (1905–1992), a composer (to my knowledge) previously unrecorded. These, of course, joined a peripatetic disturber of the peace. He and ardent admirer of Satie’s music. A is owed a great debt by countless others former classmate of Jean-Paul Sartre, Caby the procession along with the newly made Satie arrangements from (including the group of subsequent French knew Satie for little more than a year, Easley Blackwood, all of which were a thrill for me to premiere with composers known as “Les Six”) who emu- but became a close friend who devotedly The Chicago Chamber Musicians. lated and developed his ideas of harmony, visited the elder composer at Paris’s Saint- melodic line, and musical architecture. Joseph Hospital until Satie’s death on July Performing this wealth of literature with so many great musicians has 1, 1925. For the remainder of his own life, Satie’s music does not order itself into one Caby kept fresh his devotion through the been a wonderful sojourn for me. I hope listening to it will prove equally style. The songs presented here include editing and orchestration of Satie’s works rewarding for you. Bon appetit, and enjoy the parade! three parlor tunes alongside several minia- and by contributing numerous articles to ture art songs. Tendrement and the forth- music journals. Caby employed winds and — Patrice Michaels right, heady Je te veux would be perfectly strings (as does Blackwood) to expand at home in a popular music hall, and La 4 5 upon, yet respect, the brisk simplicity of gem stone. According to soprano Patrice born soprano Sophie Wyss recalled that Long Island), finished the work: the date of the original piano accompaniments. A sub- Michaels, “the simple melodies are under- Britten had shared with her his excitement completion was October 25, 1939. On the tle use of accent instruments (such as the scored, overlaid, and reworked with wonder- in having read Rimbaud’s Les Illuminations following January 30th, Sophie Wyss sang clock-like percussion blocks in Daphénéo fully complex harmonies, neatly and sparely for the first time, declaring “I must put the premiere of the entire work in London, and the harp figures in Les Anges) keeps orchestrated with an ensemble that seems them to music.” accompanied by the Boyd Neel Orchestra. the music buoyant. at times transparent and at times surpris- Almost alone among British critics, Edward Wyss was the work’s dedicatee. She did ingly rich.” These songs offer no oppor- Sackville-West recognized the work’s qual- not possess a particularly sensuous voice tunities for technical display, but rather ity, describing each piece as, “perfectly fin- Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983): or extraordinary interpretive skills, but was test the singer’s narrative gifts. Variety of ished and original in character.” Critiques Chansons du Folklore de France nonetheless appreciated by many twenti- vocal color is required in songs such as La from other prominent reviewers betrayed eth-century composers as a resolute advo- Groves Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Pernette se lève, where a dialogue between both mistrust of Britten’s musical aims and cate of their music (Rawsthorne, Milhaud, fifth edition, published in 1954, ques- daughter and mother is in play. In these resentment over his accelerating celebrity. Berkeley, and Frank Martin among them). tioned the efficacy of Germaine Tailleferre’s nine songs, life is often hard; pleasures are Britten admired her singing when he heard gifts, describing her talent as “slender.” simple and to be taken whenever opportuni- Britten’s scoring calls for first and second her in a London performance of Milhaud’s Since then, opinions of her work have ty knocks (L’autre jour en m’y promenant). violins, violas, cellos, and double basses. Pan et Syrinx and got to know her when become more favorable, although her Tailleferre’s knowing way of scoring for Solo passages for violin occur throughout she asked him to accompany her in a 1936 music remains too little heard. For one woodwinds is everywhere evident. Whether the work; viola solos are heard in IV, VII, recital of Mahler, Walton, and Britten’s own thing, the composer, a member of “Les plodding, marching, waltzing, or tripping and VIII and a solo cello passage informs song, “The Birds.” Wyss was impressed with Six” (together with Georges Auric, Louis along in 6/8 meter, the instruments propel VI. In IIIb, Britten specifies the balance he Britten’s instinctive approach to music, his Durey, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, in rhythmic figures as readily as they color wishes, calling for four first violins, three ease in accompanying, and his gift for and Francis Poulenc) completed many the more sustained cadences.

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