What makes a wonderful song? My own view is that a great song is that magical combination of a good poem with good music, resulting in a whole that is greater than the mere sum of its parts. This is a collection of some ... more »wonderful songs of France, both "classical" and pop, dating from about 1800 through the 20th century. There are songs of nostalgia, playfulness, tragedy, loneliness, irony, and mystery, mostly involving love in its myriad guises. It has been an adventure -- exploring the nuances of the language and the music. I hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as we have enjoyed working on and performing them. Eileen Mager.« less
What makes a wonderful song? My own view is that a great song is that magical combination of a good poem with good music, resulting in a whole that is greater than the mere sum of its parts. This is a collection of some wonderful songs of France, both "classical" and pop, dating from about 1800 through the 20th century. There are songs of nostalgia, playfulness, tragedy, loneliness, irony, and mystery, mostly involving love in its myriad guises. It has been an adventure -- exploring the nuances of the language and the music. I hope you enjoy listening to these songs as much as we have enjoyed working on and performing them. Eileen Mager.
"I loved this CD. As a matter of fact, my son and I listened to it seven times the first day. Why?Because it's so interesting, and has such an incredible breadth of repertoire and expression--from the mischievous and boisterous "Paris Canaille" to the sweet, delicate and operatic "Le Bonheur Est Chose Legere"; and from the out-and-out coquettish fun of Satie's "La Diva De 'L'Empire'" to the dreamy joy of Duparc's "L'Invitation Au Voyage" to the anguish of Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." I especially enjoyed hearing, in addition to Joseph Kosma and Jacques Prevert's "Les Feuilles Mortes" ("Autumn Leaves"), another song by the same composer and lyricist that is completely unfamiliar to American listeners, the deeply moving World War II remembrance called "Barbara."Because it's gorgeous. Eileen Mager's voice has great purity and clarity of tone, effortless delivery. Her French diction is so clean that my five-year-old son can (and does) easily pick up and repeat even the French that goes at rapid-fire speed. She uses a broad palette of vocal colors; and her range extends from the lyric coloratura soprano to the bluesy alto. Ms. Mager and her excellent accompanist, Ellen Brown, work together as one; and Ms. Brown, who is also an arranger and who accompanied her on their earlier CD, "Christmas Treausures," adds a special touch of her own to the songs.The accompanying CD booklet contains translations of all the songs (done by the singer herself, with the able help and counsel of French poet/librettist/teacher Michel Sarda), so listeners who don't speak French will be able to enjoy the recording as much as those who do.One parting comment: Many singers dabble in genres other than their home genre, calling it "crossover." Unfortunately, many don't sound right in genres other than their own. But Ms. Mager is so comfortable and "right" in the various genres on this CD that it would be difficult to decide which her "home" genre actually is."
Amateurish
marcyphx | 06/29/2003
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I'm sorry to be negative, but I feel that the two previous reviews are misleading. They implied I'd be hearing some fabulous unknown here--but no, this is a charming program sung by a roundly second-rate artist. Mager's voice has an unpleasant raspy quality which is completely unsuited to classical song and perhaps to high notes altogether. There's also the occasional breathiness and pitch instability. If you're used to hearing Susan Graham sing Hahn and Janet Baker sing Faure, be prepared for a disconcerting experience. There's a reason this CD is not on a major label. Mager is somewhat more credible on the popular songs, however, and perhaps she'll concentrate on those in the future. The one 100% enjoyable and polished song on the CD is "Mister Georgina"--we want more like that!"
No no no no
Ashley D. Foot | Montreal, Canada | 02/07/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"Wonderful selections, but if we are looking for a beautiful voice this is not it. Screechy, forced, at times unlistenable. Sometimes we just have to no when to say no!"
A clever fusion
Willem A. Labuschagne | New Zealand | 01/31/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Imagine modern French chansons like Jacques Brel's Ne Me Quitte Pas or the well known Sous le Ciel de Paris performed in the style of Schubert lieder --- no percussion or elaborate instrumental backing, just a voice, singing in the traditional formal style, with piano accompaniment. That's roughly the idea behind Eileen Mager's recording of Classic French Songs.
It works well. The effect is not what one normally expects from French cafe music, but then, Mager includes songs by Debussy, Faure, and Satie, so it is to hardly surprising that the overall flavour is of a lieder recital. While Mager's voice is not the smoothest and most honeyed soprano around, and she uses falsetto for her upper range, nevertheless she hits the notes spot on, and the rough tones somehow suit the songs. Even as a lieder recital, one wants the hint of tobacco and absinthe when the song is about Mister Giorgina playing the accordion in a bistro with no name."
Track Listings (20) - Disc #1
