Chanson D'avril

Chanson d’avril

Nicole Cabell soprano

Craig Terry piano

1 0 13491 345024

Chanson d’avril French chansons and mélodies

Georges Bizet (1838-1875): Maurice Ravel (1875-1937):

1. Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe Shéhérazade (17:51) (4:59) 2. Ouvre ton cœur (2:40) 12. Asie (10:30) 3. Pastorale (3:41) 13. La flûte enchantée (3:38) 4. Chanson d’avril (2:57) 14. L’indifférent (3:43)

Henri Duparc (1848-1933): Cinq mélodies populaires grecques (8:03) 5. L’invitation au voyage (4:26) 6. Chanson triste (3:09) 15. Chanson de la mariée (1:31) 7. Au pays où se fait la guerre 16. Là-bas, vers l’église (1:49) (5:20) 17. Quel galant m’est comparable (0.57) Franz Liszt (1811-1886): 18. Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques (2:57) 8. Enfant, si j’étais roi (3:06) 19. Tout gai! (0.49) 9. Oh! quand je dors (5:03) 10. S’il est un charmant gazon Total time: 65:47 (2:07) 11. Comment, disaient-ils (1:57) Nicole Cabell, soprano Craig Terry, piano 2 he tradition of the chanson is as old ing that they could easily match their as the history of France itself, dat- German rivals in terms of sophistication ing back to the ancient trouvéres and artistic merit. But, of course, they (troubadors) of the dark ages through suffused their songs with distinctive and the Medieval era. These itinerant (and equally attractive Gallic flavors, as well usually illiterate) poet-composers, with as the quintessentially French qualities of their songful tales of mythical heroes and elegance, polished refinement and often rulers, were the primary keepers (and cheeky charm. In this album, we are treat- propagators) of secular oral history in ed to star soprano Nicole Cabell’s ravish- their day. From there, over centuries, the ing voice and compelling interpretations chanson became a generic term that can as she explores a choice selection from the be applied to any kind of song – a percep- most attractive examples of the genre. tion that persists to this day. Our exploration begins with the mu- Thus, in the minds of many, the borderline sic of Georges Bizet (1838-1875), who between the chanson and its direct descen- remains – of course – far better known dant, the mélodie, remains quite indistinct for his supremely tuneful and engaging – such that the two terms are, even now, operas. But his 27 mélodies demonstrate often applied interchangeably. The Melo- much of the same melodic fecundity, har- die – strictly speaking – is the term that’s monic wizardry and overall appeal that usually applied to the more artistically re- distinguish his finest stage works. Henri fined, or “classical,” of the two forms, be- Duparc (1848-1933) was an obsessively ing the French equivalent of the German self-critical genius who stopped compos- Lied – or what the English-speaking world ing at age 37 and destroyed all but around calls the art song. 40 of his works – of which his 17 exquisitely crafted art songs remain his chief Not to be outdone by the rapidly emerg- claim to fame. ing Lied of their Teutonic counterparts, French composers began producing mél- A significant later contributor to the form odies around the mid-1800s, soon prov- was Maurice Ravel (1875-1937), whose

3 contributions transformed the genre and [Text: Victor Hugo] helped bring it into the 20th century. The only maverick of this group was Franz Puisque rien ne t’arrête en Liszt (1811-1886), who was more of a cet heureux pays, “European universalist” whose pioneer- Ni l’ombre du palmier, ni le jaune maïs ing advances foreshadowed several of the Ni le repos, ni l’abondance, musical trends to come in the following Ni de voir à ta voix battre le jeune sein century. His 80 poetic settings with piano De nos soeurs dont, les soirs, encompass five different languages: Ger- le tournoyant essaim man, French, Italian, Russian and En- Couronne un coteau de sa danse; glish – yet his French settings heard here Adieu, beau voyageur! Hélas! Adieu! hardly seem out of place. Oh! que n’es-tu de ceux Qui donnent pour limite à The album’s four Bizet songs begin with leurs pieds paresseux “Adieux de l’hôtesse arabe” (Arabian Leur toît de branches ou de toiles! Hostess’ Farewell), recounting a young Qui, rêveurs, sans en faire, Arab girl’s farewell to her wayfaring lover, écoutent les récits, while flaunting her considerable charms Et souhaitent le soir, devant to entice him to stay with her. Like Car- leur porte assis, men, his most famous operatic heroine, De s’en aller dans les étoiles! the girl’s seductive wiles are expressed in Hélas! Adieu! beau voyageur! the context of her native culture – or at least the then-stereotyped European no- Si tu l’avais voulu, peut-être une de nous, tions of it. Listen for the veiled eroticism Ô jeune homme, eut aimé of the singer’s “come-hither” tones as te servir à genoux they drift over the piano’s evocation of an Dans nos huttes toujours ouvertes exotic and languorous Arab dance. Elle eut fait, en berçant ton sommeil de ses chants, Pour chasser de ton front les moucherons méchants,

4 Un éventail de feuilles vertes. Outside the door, listening to stories Si tu ne reviens pas, songe And wishing to go to the stars. un peu quelquefois Alas! Farewell, handsome voyager! Aux filles du désert, soeurs à la douce voix, If you had wished it, perhaps one of us, Qui dansent pieds nus sur la dune, Oh, young man, would have Ô beau jeune homme blanc, liked to serve you bel oiseau passager, Kneeling in our open huts; Souviens-toi; car peut- While rocking you to sleep être, ô rapide étranger, with her songs, Ton souvenir resta à plus d’une! She would have made a Hélas! Adieu! bel étranger! Souviens-toi! fan of green leaves To drive from your brow the nasty gnats. Since nothing can hold you If you do not return, dream to this happy land, from time to time Neither the shady palm, Of the desert girls, sisters nor the yellow corn, of the sweet voice, Nor the repose, nor the abundance, Who dance with bare feet Nor to see how your voice on the sand dunes. makes the hearts Oh handsome pale man, Of our sisters beat, who in beautiful passing bird, a whirling swarm, Remember, oh swift stranger, At evening crown a hillside Your memory remains with with their dancing. more than one of us. Farewell, handsome voyager. Alas! Farewell, handsome Alas, farewell. stranger! Remember! Oh, if only you were one of those Whose lazy feet are bound By a roof of branches or tiles! Bizet reminds us of his fascination for One of those dreamers, who, at evening sit the Spanish musical idiom in “Ouvre ton

5 cœur” (Open your heart), which takes Comme une fleur s’ouvre au soleil! the form of the bolero: a popular Iberian The daisy now hides its corolla, dance form – though this example is fast- Shadows have closed the eyes of day, er than most. This sensual, yet buoyant Oh, beautiful maiden, will you be true to song was adapted from Vasco de Gama, your word? a now-forgotten early “ode-symphony” The daisy now hides its corolla, (written in Rome after the young com- Open your heart to my love, poser won the Prix de Rome) in which Open your heart, a young man journeying far from home O sweet angel, to my desire, sings – in urgently imploring tones – of So that a dream may charm your sleep, his homeland’s attractions – mainly the Open your heart. beautiful girl he sought to woo there. I want to reclaim my soul, Open your heart, [Text: Louis Delâtre, after Camões, rev. O sweet angel, to my desire! Bizet] As a flower opens to the sun, Open your heart, open your heart, La marguerite a fermé sa corolle; As a flower opens to the sun! L’ombre a fermé les yeux du jour, Belle, me tiendras-tu parole? La marguerite a fermé sa corolle. “Pastorale” is a tenderly languorous idyll Ouvre ton cœur à mon amour, – also Spanish-toned – depicting an epi- Ouvre ton cœur. sode of courtship between the archetypal Ô jeune ange, à ma flamme, “shepherd-and-shepherdess” characters Qu’un rêve charme ton sommeil, that abound in the European pastoral Ouvre ton cœur. genres of literature, music and art. Note Je veux reprendre mon âme, the song’s pervasive hints of melancholy, Ouvre ton cœur, despite the lighthearted interaction be- Ô jeune ange, à mon flamme! tween the lovers: even the normally viva- Comme une fleur s’ouvre an soleil cious “tra-la-las” are uncharacteristically Ouvre ton cœur, ouvre ton cœur, subdued, though still quite sensual.

6 [Text: Jean-François Regnard] one of the loveliest of Bizet’s vocal cre- ations, offering a particularly fresh and Un jour de printemps ecstatic melody that evokes the blithe and Tout le long d’un verger happy spirit of springtime: the season of Colin va chantant, love. The vocal line suggests the fairy-tale Pour ses maux soulager: wonder of emerging spring as it wanders «Ma bergère, tra la la la la, up and down in spontaneous, almost im- Laisse-moi prendre un tendre baiser!» provisatory fashion, drifting over delicate La belle, à l’instant, and subtle rustling effects from the piano Répond à son berger: «Tu veux, that speak of nature’s rebirth. En chantant, un baiser dérober? Non, Colin, tra la la la la, [Text: Louis Bouilhet] Je vais te le donner!» Lève-toi! Lève-toi! Le printemps vient One spring day de naître! Alongside an orchard Là-bas, sur les vallons, flotte un réseau Colin goes singing vermeil! To soothe his troubles: Tout frissonne au jardin, tout chante et «My shepherdess, tra la la la, ta fenêtre, Let me steal a tender kiss!” Comme un regard joyeux, est pleine de The beautiful one at that instant soleil! Responds to her shepherd: “You would like, while Du côté des lilas aux touffes violettes, du singing, to steal a kiss? côté des lilas No, Colin, tra la la la la, Mouches et papillons bruissent à la fois; I will give it to you!” Et le muguet sauvage, ébranlant ses clochettes, A réveillé l’amour, l’amour endormi dans “Chanson d’avril” (April song) – another le bois! evocation of ardent wooing – is certainly 7 Puisqu’avril a semé ses marguerites Since April has strewn her white daisies blanches. about, Laisse ta mante lourde et ton manchon Put off your heavy cloak and muff. frileux, Already the birds call you and the Déjà l’oiseau t’appelle, et tes sœurs les periwinkles smile, pervenches Envisioning your blue eyes in the grass. Te souriront dans l’herbe en voyant tes yeux bleus! Come, let us go, in the morning the spring is clearest. Viens, partons! au matin, la source est Wake up! Let’s go! Before the day gets plus limpide; too hot; Lève-toi! viens, partons! I want to moisten my feet with dew, N’attendons pas du jour les brûlantes and speak to you under the flowering chaleurs; pear trees. Je veux mouiller mes pieds dans la rosée humide, Et te parler d’amour sous les poiriers en We must be grateful that Duparc, the com- fleurs. pulsive perfectionist, spared “L’invitation au voyage” (Invitation to a journey) when Wake up! Wake up! Spring is born! he ruthlessly destroyed all but two of the There in the vale, the reeds float vermilion! first five mélodies that he had composed in The whole garden trembles and sings, 1868 as a young man of 20. An unabashed And your window is full of sun; love song, it relates a lover’s invitation to his beloved to come away with him to live Next to the lilacs grow tufts of violets. forever in an imaginary distant land that The honeybees and butterflies chatter all reflects her own charms – a place where together. “…all is order and beauty, luxuriousness, And the wild lily, newly blossomed, calm, and sensuous delight.” The piano Has awakened love from woodland evokes a mood of mysterious wonder. slumber.

8 [Text: Charles Baudelaire] Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté, Luxe, calme et volupté. Mon enfant, ma sœur, Songe à la douceur My child, my sister, D’aller là-bas vivre ensemble! Dream of the sweetness Aimer à loisir, Of going away to live together! Aimer et mourir To love at leisure, Au pays qui te ressemble! To love and to die Les soleils mouillés In a country that resembles you! De ces ciels brouillés The humid suns Pour mon esprit ont les charmes Of these hazy skies Si mystérieux Have for my spirit the charm De tes traîtres yeux, So mysterious Brillant à travers leurs larmes. Of your betraying eyes Shining through their tears. Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté, Luxe, calme et volupté. There, all is order and beauty, Luxuriousness, calm, and sensuous Vois sur ces canaux delight. Dormir ces vaisseaux Dont l’humeur est vagabonde; See on these canals C’est pour assouvir These sleeping ships Ton moindre désir Whose nature is to roam; Qu’ils viennent du bout du monde. It is to fulfill Les soleils couchants Your least desire Revêtent les champs, That they come from the ends of the Les canaux, la ville entière, earth. D’hyacinthe et d’or; The setting suns Le monde s’endort Invest the fields, Dans une chaude lumière. The canals, the whole town,

9 With hyacinth and gold; [Text: Jean Lahor] The world falls asleep In a warm light! Dans ton cœur dort un clair de lune, Un doux clair de lune d’été, There, all is order and beauty, Et pour fuir la vie importune Luxuriousness, calm, and sensuous Je me noierai dans ta clarté. delight. J’oublierai les douleurs passées, Mon amour, quand tu berceras “Chanson triste” (Sorrowful song) was Mon triste cœur et mes pensées, Duparc’s very first song – though he lat- Dans le calme aimant de tes bras. er produced an orchestral arrangement of it. Our singer takes us into a subtly Tu prendras ma tête malade mysterious, yet carefree realm of ideal- Oh! quelquefois sur tes genoux, ized love, expressed in terms of summer Et lui diras une ballade, moonlight shining from the beloved’s Qui semblera parler de nous. heart, and a ballad “that will seem to speak of ourselves.” The piano’s bed of Et dans tes yeux pleins de tristesse, undulating arpeggio-swells helps to lend Dans tes yeux alors je boirai it a dreamy sense of unbroken continuity Tant de baisers et de tendresses as words and music intertwine in a seam- Que, peut-être, je guérirai . . . . less arch of intimately rapturous expres- sion. Listen for Wagnerian echoes, both In your heart moonlight sleeps, in the melodic shaping and chromatic Gentle summer moonlight, harmonies, as well as touches of “orien- And to escape from the stress of life tal” exoticism. Truly delicious music! I will drown myself in your radiance.

I will forget past sorrows, My love, when you cradle My sad heart and my thoughts

10 In the loving peacefulness of your arms. reverts to its sense of endless vigil, ending the song as it began. You will take my aching head Oh! sometimes upon your knee, [Text: Théophile Gauthier] And will relate a ballad That seems to speak of ourselves. Au pays où se fait la guerre Mon bel ami s’en est allé, And in your eyes full of sorrows, Il semble à mon cœur désolé In your eyes then I will drink Qu’il ne reste que moi sur terre. So deeply of kisses and of tenderness En partant au baiser d’adieu, That, perhaps, I shall be healed . . . . Il m’a pris mon âme à ma bouche . . . Qui le tient si longtemps, Mon Dieu? Voici le soleil qui se couche, “Au pays où se fait la guerre” (To the country where war is being waged) treats Et moi toute seule en ma tour, the familiar ancient theme of the noble J’attends encore son retour. damsel waiting miserably in her castle tower for her beloved to return from war. Les pigeons sur le toit roucoulent, The opening passages establish – in both Roucoulent amoureusement, voice and piano – the song’s prevalent Avec un son triste et charmant; feel of depressive tedium. But then the Les eaux sous les grands saules coulent. vocal line rises in ecstatic remembrance Je me sens tout près de pleurer, as our lady recounts the couple’s part- Mon cœur comme un lys plein ing kiss, when “…he took my soul from s’épanche, my lips.” Later, we hear momentary ex- Et je n’ose plus espérer, citement – announced by the suddenly Voici briller la lune blanche. turbulent piano – as she thinks she hears her lover climbing the stairs to her, only Et moi toute seule en ma tour, to find that it is her page. After a sharp J’attends encore son retour. pang of disappointment, the music again

11 Quelqu’un monte à grands pas la My heart unfolds like a full-blown lily, rampe . . . And I dare hope no longer, Serait-ce lui, mon doux amant? Now the pale moon is shining. Ce n’est pas lui, mais seulement Mon petit page avec ma lampe . . . And all alone in my tower, Vents du soir, volez, dites-lui I still await his return. Qu’il est ma pensée et mon rêve Toute ma joie et mon ennui. Someone is climbing the stairs with big Voici que l’aurore se lève. strides . . . Could it be he, my sweet love? Et moi toute seule en ma tour, It is not he, but only J’attends encore son retour. My little page with my lamp . . . . Winds of evening, fly, tell him To the country where war is being waged That he is my thought and my dream My handsome love has gone away, All my joy and my anxiety. It seems to my desolate heart Now the dawn is rising. That no one but me is left on the earth. On parting, with a kiss of farewell, And all alone in my tower, He took my soul from my lips . . . I still await his return. Who keeps him so long, dear God? Now the sun is setting, Before getting into Franz Liszt’s songs, And all alone in my tower, it should be noted that he actually com- I still await his return. posed two versions of each of the four Victor Hugo songs heard here. The initial The doves on the roof coo, versions were written in the 1840s, when Coo amorously, the composer was still a touring pianist – With a sad and charming sound; and their often busy and technically diffi- The waters under the big willows flow. cult accompaniments reflect young Liszt’s I feel near to tears, showy style. But by middle age, he realized

12 that an art song must be led by the singer, Et mes flottes à qui la mer ne peut not the pianist – and accordingly made suffire, them more “singer-friendly” by refining Pour un regard de vous. and simplifying the piano parts – and it is the latter versions that are heard here. Si j’étais Dieu, The revised Hugo songs were published La terre et l’air avec les ondes, in 1858-59, and some musicologists have Les anges, les démons courbés devant concluded that they constitute a unified ma loi, cycle – though it remains uncertain as to Et le profond Chaos aux entrailles whether Liszt intended them as such. fécondes, L’éternité, l’espace et les cieux et les mondes, In “Enfant, si j’étais roi” (My Child, if I Pour un baiser de toi! were king), the singer catalogs the sacri- fices he would make – if he were king, or My child, if I were king, even God – just to gain the title child’s I would surrender empires, attention and (in the second verse), its My scepter, my throne kiss. But it remains unclear as to whether And my subjects; it is actually a “child” being serenaded, I’d give my crown of gold or some sweet young girl. Note the dra- And my palace; matically stormy (and virtuosic) turn the My ships; piano part takes as these imaginary “sac- All to gain one look from you. rifices” take on a more cosmic scope. And if I were God, Enfant, si j’étais roi, I’d forfeit earth, air and ocean; Je donnerais l’empire, Angels and demons; Et mon char, et mon sceptre, The dark chaos of night; Et mon peuple à genoux, Eternity and space; Et ma couronne d’or, To win one kiss from you. Et mes bains de porphyre, 13 “Oh! quand je dors” (Oh! While I sleep) Pose un baiser, et d’ange deviens – one of Liszt’s loveliest songs – unfolds femme... as a misty nocturne over a gently roll- Soudain mon âme ing accompaniment, as the poet’s voice S’éveillera! imagines his beloved coming to him in a dream – in which the touch of her breath Oh, while I sleep, come to my bedside, will make him smile. A momentary ep- As Laura appeared to Petrarch, isode of musical darkness is heard as he And in passing let your breath touch imagines “a dismal dream” – which she me.... then banishes as the voice rises in ecstat- All at once ic relief – and again in the final stanza, I shall smile! ending the song on a sustained high note, floating exquisitely as his soul awakens. On my somber brow where perhaps there is Oh! quand je dors, viens auprès de ma Ending a dismal dream that has lasted couche, too long; Comme à Pétrarque apparaissait Laura, Let your face rise like a star.... Et qu’en passant ton haleine me touche... All at once my dream Soudain ma bouche Will become radiant! S’entr’ouvrira! Then on my lips, where a flame flutters, Sur mon front morne où peut-être A flash of love purified by God himself, s’achève Place a kiss, and be transformed from Un songe noir qui trop longtemps dura, angel into woman.... Que ton regard comme un astre se lève... All at once my soul Et soudain mon rêve Will awaken! Rayonnera!

Puis sur ma lèvre où voltige une flamme, As we listen to “S’il est un charmant Éclair d›amour que Dieu même épura, gazon“ (If there is a fair meadow), we

14 explore the common Romantic-era met- If there is a fair meadow, aphor of love, as nurtured in the bosom Wet with pearly dew, of nature as well as within oneself. The Where flowers Poet first rhapsodizes about making a Never fade, pathway for his beloved in an imaginary Where we may pick rose, flower-strewn meadow – then shifts to Jasmine, fleur-de-lys, a “dream of love” that he hopes to make There would I make you a path the home of her heart. The piano’s unob- Where your feet tread. trusive support radiates a sense of warm contentment. If there is a dream of love, Rose-perfumed, S’il est un charmant gazon, Where, daily, one finds Que le ciel arrose, Some sweet thing, Où brille en toute saison A dream blessed by God, Quelque fleur éclose: Where soul joins to soul, Où l’on cueille à pleine main Oh! I want it to be the nest Lys, chèvrefeuille et jasmin, Where you lay your heart! J’en veux faire le chemin Où ton pied se pose. Comment, disaient-ils (How then, mur- S’il est un rêve d’amour, mured he) is a musical study in sudden Parfumé de rose, contrasts and mood-swings, correspond- Où l’on trouve chaque jour ing to the different natures of men and Quelque douce chose, women. Agitated outpourings from the Un rêve que Dieu bénit, piano support distressed queries from Où l’âme à l’âme s’unit, the man as to how he should deal with Oh! J’en veux faire le nid various problems – questions that the Où ton cœur se pose! woman answers with single words, in her serene and alluring siren-song.

15 “Comment,” disaient-ils, In 1903, Ravel composed Shéhérazade, “Avec nos nacelles, fuir les alguazils?” a three-song cycle (in versions for both “Ramez, ramez!” disaient-elles. piano and orchestra) that sets verses se- lected from his friend Tristan Klingsor’s “Comment,” disaient-ils, 100-poem collection of the same name. “Oublier querelles, The “oriental” exoticism of poetry and Misères et périls?” music alike is no surprise, as they reflect “Dormez, dormez!” disaient-elles. the cultural spirit of the Arabic folk-stories that make up the collection known to “Comment,” disaient-ils, us as the One Thousand and One Nights. “Enchanter les Belles sans philtres subtils?» “Aimez, aimez!”, disaient-elles. The language of“As i e” (Asia) seems at first to suggest an exotic, middle-Eastern “How then”, murmured he, travelogue. But the distinctly melanchol- “Can we with our sails, flee the ic, ennui-ridden feel heard in much of alquazils?” the music seems to imply an idle, poetic “Row,” murmured she. daydream on the part of a sad and lonely soul who is trapped in the tedium of ev- “How then”, murmured he, eryday existence. The dreamer longs for “Can we forget our quarrels, a “grass-is-greener” kind of escape from Miseries and perils?” a humdrum life – but the closest he can “Sleep,” answered she. come to that is an imaginary journey via legendary tales and the travel accounts “How then,” whispered he, of others. Note Ravel’s masterly musical “Can we enchant the characterizations of the different regions, Beautiful ones without subtle potions?” as well as of their classic characters and “Love,” murmured she. cultural trappings.

16 Asie, Asie, Asie, En des peaux jaunes comme des oranges. Vieux pays merveilleux des contes de Je voudrais voir des vêtements de velours nourrice, Et des habits à longues franges. Où dort la fantaisie comme une impératrice, Je voudrais voir des calumets, entre des En sa forêt tout emplie de mystère. bouches Tout entourées de barbe blanche. Asie, Je voudrais voir d’âpres marchands aux Je voudrais m’en aller avec la goëlette regards louches, Qui se berce ce soir dans le port, Et des cadis, et des vizirs Mystérieuse et solitaire, Qui du seul mouvement de leur doigt Et qui déploie enfin ses voiles violettes, qui se penche, Comme un immense oiseau de nuit dans Accordent vie ou mort, au gré de leur le ciel d’or. désir.

Je voudrais m’en aller vers des îles de Je voudrais voir la Perse, et l’Inde, et puis fleurs, la Chine, En écoutant chanter la mer perverse, Les mandarins ventrus sous les Sur en vieux rythme ensorceleur. ombrelles, Et les princesses aux mains fines, Je voudrais voir Damas et les villes de Et les lettrés qui se querellent Perse, Sur la poésie et sur la beauté. Avec des minarets légers dans l’air. Je voudrais voir de beaux turbans de Je voudrais m’attarder au palais soie, enchanté, Sur des visages noirs aux dents claires. Et comme un voyageur étranger Contempler à loisir des paysages peints Je voudrais voir des yeux sombres Sur des étoffes en des cadres de sapin, d’amour, Avec un personnage au milieu d’un Et des prunelles brillantes de joie, verger.

17 Je voudrais voir des assassins souriant I would like to go away to the islands of Du bourreau qui coupe un cou flowers, d’innocent, While listening to the song of the Avec son grand sabre courbé d’Orient. wayward sea, Je voudrais voir des pauvres et des With its old, bewitching rhythm. reines, Je voudrais voir des roses et du sang, I would like to see Damascus and the Je voudrais voir mourir d’amour ou bien cities of Persia, de haine. With airy minarets in the sky. I would like to see beautiful silken turbans Et puis m’en revenir plus tard Above black faces with shining teeth. Narrer mon aventure aux curieux de rêves, En élevant comme Sindbad ma vieille I would like to see eyes dark with love tasse arabe And pupils sparkling with joy, De temps en temps jusqu’à mes lèvres, In skins yellow as oranges. Pour interrompre le conte avec art… I would like to see garments of velvet And robes with long fringes. Asia, Asia, Asia, Ancient, marvelous country of fairy I would like to see calumets, held tales, between lips Where fantasy sleeps like an empress Fringed with white beards. In her forest full of mystery. I would like to see avaricious Merchants with shifty glances, Asia, And cadis, and viziers I would like to go with the schooner Who, with a single movement of their Which is rocking this evening in the port bending finger, Mysterious and solitary, Decree life or death, just as they wish. And which finally spreads its violet sails Like a huge bird of night in the golden I would like to see Persia, and India, and sky. then China,

18 The portly mandarins beneath their “La flûte enchantée” simply depicts a sunshades, lover’s romantic longing in the face of And the princesses with their delicate separation from his beloved within the hands, same master’s household, according to And the scholars who dispute their different duties as servants. But the Over poetry and beauty; lover hears music – by turns happy and sad – from the beloved’s flute outside I would like to linger in the enchanted his window: music that bonds them and palace, confirms their love, with each note seem- And like a foreign traveler ing to fly from her flute to his cheek “… Gaze at leisure upon countrysides painted like a mysterious kiss.” On fabrics in pinewood frames, With a figure in the midst of an orchard. L’ombre est douce et mon maître dort Coiffé d’un bonnet conique de soie, I would like to see assassins smiling Et son long nez jaune en sa barbe blanche. At the executioner who cuts off an Mais moi, je suis éveillée encore innocent head Et j’écoute au dehors With his grand curved oriental saber. Une chanson de flûte où s’épanche I would like to see beggars and queens, Tour à tour la tristesse ou la joie. I would like to see roses and blood, Un air tour à tour langoureux ou frivole I would like to see dying in the name of Que mon amoureux chéri joue. love- or hate. Et quand je m’approche de la croisée, Il me semble que chaque note s’envole And then returning later, De la flûte vers ma joue, To narrate my adventure to those Comme un mystérieux baiser. interested in dreams, While raising like Sinbad my old The shade is soft and my master is sleeping Arabian cup With his conical silken cap on his head, From time to time to my lips, And his long yellow nose in his white To interrupt the tale with artistry… beard,

19 But I, I am still awake De ton beau visage de duvet ombragé, And I hear outside Est plus séduisante encore de ligne. The melody of a flute pouring forth Ta lèvre chante sur le pas de ma porte Sadness and joy in turn. Une langue inconnue et charmante, An air now languorous, now gay, Comme une musique fausse. That my darling lover plays, Entre! Et que mon vin te réconforte… And when I draw near the casement, Mais non, tu passes, It seems as though each note flies Et de mon seuil je te vois t’éloigner, From the flute toward my cheek Me faisant un dernier geste avec grâce, Like a mysterious kiss. Et la hanche légèrement ployée Par ta démarche féminine et lasse…

It has been widely speculated that “L’ in- Your eyes are gentle like those of a girl, différent” goes much deeper than the Young stranger, and the delicate curve narrator’s languorous – and clearly homo- Of your handsome face, shaded with erotic – vision. The sensual, yet somewhat down, bleak music describes a beautiful youth as Is still more attractive in its contour. he passes by, while conveying a sense of On my doorstep your lips chant stoic loneliness and unfulfilled longing … An unknown, charming tongue, a palpable feeling of helpless inability to Like false music. realize the desired physical or emotional Enter! And let my wine refresh you… yearnings. After all, Ravel – believed by But no—you pass by, many music historians to have been a re- And I see you departing from my pressed homosexual (though it has never threshold, been proven) – is reported to have once Gracefully waving farewell to me, remarked to the effect that the secret key Your hips lightly swaying to his own psyche lay hidden in this piece. With your languid, feminine gait…

20 Composed from 1904 to 1906, Ravel’s character, over a subtly bustling, yet har- Cinq mélodies populaires grecques (Five monically spare accompaniment. Greek Folksongs) are widely favored by singers and pianists alike. Setting French Réveille-toi, perdrix mignonne, texts translated from the original Greek Ouvre au matin tes ailes. folk-verses by Michel Dimitri Calvocor- essi, these five beautifully crafted little Trois grains de beauté gems are quite compact, yet supremely ef- Mon coeur en est brûlé! fective. Despite our usual categorization of Ravel as an impressionist, these highly Vois le ruban d’or que je t’apporte, expressive, often Mediterranean-flavored Pour le nouer autour de tes cheveux. songs demonstrate a distinct clarity of musical line and economy of overall son- Si tu veux, ma belle, viens nous marier! ic texture that often belie the impression- Dans nos deux familles tous sont alliés! ist label, even as they effectively “paint” musical pictures and moods. Ravel later Wake up, dear little partridge. orchestrated two of them. Their often -re Open your wings to the morning. petitive, folk-flavored tunes often make them seem more like chansons than mél- Three beauty spots odies. Set my heart aflame!

See the golden ribbon I bring you In the lively and upbeat “Chanson de la To tie around your hair. mariée” (Song of the bride), a man awakens his fiancé (his “dear little partridge”), If you wish, my beauty, come let us be and bids her to rise and savor the beauties married! of the morning with him – finally sug- In our two families everyone is related! gesting that they be married. The rather simple and repetitive melody (covering only a minor sixth) retains a folk-like

21 Contrast comes with a much more sub- Assembled in infinite numbers, dued number: “Là-bas, vers l’église” The world’s, O Blessed Virgin, (Yonder near the Church). Outward- All the world’s best people! ly, this serenely somber piece seems to breathe mournful melancholy – but re- peated hearings with attention to the text The macho swagger of “Quel galant suggest that Ravel instead sought to ex- m’est comparable” (What dandy can be press the solemnity of sacred ritual and a compared with me) comes across like sense of quiet pride in the deep religious some strutting bird’s mating dance. But faith that binds the “world’s best people” even as the young showoff calls attention of the narrator’s community together. to his masculine virtues (and accessories) This time, the simple melody is support- in front of his beloved, his tender side ed by equally simple underpinnings from prevails in the end, as he declares his love the piano that often sounds as if it’s imi- to her. Note the piano’s arrogant figura- tating some local instrument. tions and how they trail off at the end.

Là-bas, vers l’église, Quel galant m’est comparable Vers l’église, Ayio Sidéro, D’entre ceux qu’on voit passer? L’église, ô Vierge Sainte, Dis, dame Vassiliki? L’église, Ayio Constanndino, Vois, pendus à ma ceinture Se sont réunis, Pistolets et sabre aigu . . . Rassemblés en nombre infini, Et c’est toi que j’aime! Du monde, ô Vierge Sainte, Du monde tous les plus braves! What dandy can be compared with me, Among those who are seen passing by? Yonder, near the church, Tell me, lady Vassiliki? Near the church Ayio Sidero, Look, hanging on my belt The church, O Blessed Virgin, Pistols and a sharp sword . . . The church Ayio Constanndino, And it is you whom I love. Are gathered together,

22 The distinctly dreamy “Chanson des The merry little tune of “Tout gai!” (All cueilleuses de lentisques” (Song of the gay!) ends the cycle – and the album – girls collecting mastic) presents a gentle, with a brief and exuberant celebration of serenely feminine approach to love, long- the happy side of life. Still, the dancelike ing and the praise of male beauty. Spare rhythms and the singer’s carefree “tra-la- chords from the piano support the sing- la’s” are slightly restrained by the accom- er’s lyrical, modally inflected line. paniment – which, though quite lively, remains fairly subdued, getting no louder Ô joie de mon âme, joie de mon coeur, than the piano dynamic. Trésor qui m’est si cher; Joie de l’âme et du cœur, Tout gai! gai, Ha, tout gai! Toi que j’aime ardemment, Belle jambe, tireli, qui danse; Tu es plus beau qu’un ange. Belle jambe, la vaisselle danse, Ô lorsque tu parais, ange si doux, Tra la la la la . . . Devant nos yeux, Comme un bel ange blond, All gay! gay, ha, all gay! Sous le clair soleil, Beautiful legs, tra la, dancing; Hélas! tous nos pauvres cœurs soupirent! Beautiful legs, the dishes are dancing too, O joy of my soul, joy of my heart, Tra la la la la . . . Treasure so precious to me; Joy of the soul, and of the heart, - Lindsay Koob You whom I love ardently, You are more beautiful than an angel. O when you appear, angel so sweet, Before our eyes, Like a lovely, blond angel Under the bright sun, Alas! All our poor hearts sigh!

23 24 Nicole Cabell, the 2005 Winner of the In concert, Nicole Cabell has sung a va- BBC Singer of the World Competition riety of concert pieces from the Mozart in Cardiff is one of the most sought-af- Requiem to Barber’s Knoxville, Summer ter lyric sopranos of today. Her repertoire of 1915 with orchestras in the USA such spans four centuries of music from Bach as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago and Mozart to today’s composers and she Symphony, Boston Symphony, Phila- has appeared in the opera houses of New delphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra York, Chicago, San Francisco, London, and abroad with the Orchestre National Berlin, Barcelona, Cologne, Buenos Aires de France, the BBC Symphony Orches- in leading roles. tra, the Royal Philharmonic Orches- tra, Orchestre de Lyon, Bavarian Radio Ms. Cabell has appeared on the stages Orchestra, Accademia di Santa Cecilia of the Metropolitan Opera (Carmen, with conductors such as Sir Andrew La Bohème, The Magic Flute, l’Elisir Davis, James Conlon, Antonio Pappano, d’Amore), Lyric Opera of Chicago (Die Charles Dutoit, Donald Runnicles and Zauberflöte, Carmen, L’Elisir d’Amore, Andre Previn, etc… La Bohème, Les Pêcheur de Perles), San Francisco Opera (I Capuleti e i Mon- A noted recitalist, Nicole Cabell has sung tecchi), Royal Opera House, Covent Gar- in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, At- den (Les Pêcheurs de Perles, La Bohème, lanta, London, Toronto. Her recordings La Juive), Deutsche Oper Berlin (Don include a solo album on Decca, “Sopra- Giovanni, Carmen, Idomeneo, Die Zau- no”, a collection of songs by Ricky Ian berflöte, Romeo et Juliette), Liceo in Bar- Gordon on texts by Langston Hughes, celona (L’Elisir d’Amore), Teatro Colon “Silver Rain”, Clara in “Porgy and Bess”, in Buenos Aires (La Bohème), New Na- Musetta in “La Bohème” (the soundtrack tional Theatre in Tokyo of which was also used for the Richard (Don Giovanni, L’Elisir d’Amore), to Dornhelm film in which Ms. Cabell name a few. starred) and the title-role in Donizetti’s “Imelda de’ Lambertazzi”.

25 A native of Tullahoma, Tennessee, pianist Craig Terry has launched an inter- national career performing with some of the world’s leading singers and instru- mentalists. Currently Mr. Terry is in his ninth season as Assistant Conductor at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has recently been named Music Director of the Pat- rick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Cen- ter at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Previously, he served as Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera after joining its Lin- demann Young Artist Development Pro- gram. Mr. Terry has performed with such esteemed vocalists as Sir Thomas Allen, Stephanie Blythe, Christine Brewer, Ni- cole Cabell, Sasha Cooke, Eric Cutler, Joseph Kaiser, Kate Lindsey, Danielle De Niese, Susanna Phillips, Patricia Racette, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Hugh Russell, Garrett Sorenson, and Amber Wagner. He has collaborated as a chamber mu- sician with members of the Metropol- itan Opera Orchestra, the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, the Gewandhaus Brewer, Nicole Cabell, Joyce DiDonato, Orchester, the Berlin Philharmonic, Denyce Graves, Kate Lindsey, Ana Maria the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Pro Martinez, Patricia Racette, Hugh Russell, Arte String Quartet. Mr. Terry’s 2013- and Heidi Stober as well as chamber mu- 2014 performance schedule includes sic concerts with members of the Lyric recitals with Stephanie Blythe, Christine Opera of Chicago Orchestra. 26 Ms. Cabell wishes to extend special thanks to Constantine Orbelian, John Primavera and the entire production team (listed below) for their valuable contributions to this album.

Recorded January 2 – 6, 2013 at Allegro Recordings, Burbank, CA

Executive Producer: Carol Rosenberger Producer: Matthew Snyder Co-producer: Michael Benchetrit Recording engineer/mastering: Matthew Snyder Photos of Nicole Cabell: Deneb Catalan Art design/layout: Lonnie Kunkel Program notes and booklet editing: Lindsay Koob

Text translations used by permission of CAMI Vocal; translations for the three Shéhérazade song texts by Winifred Radford