Search - Marie-Joseph Canteloube, Maurice Emmanuel, Kent Nagano :: Songs of the Auvergne 2

Let Dawn Upshaw take you by the hand...

02/17/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I live in New Zealand. One winter's night, I'm in the car, seated next to my wife who's driving. We always have New Zealand's only classical station playing on the radio. A soaring vulnerable woman's voice pours out of the speaker, backed by this lush Ravel-late Romantic orchestration. I turn to my wife and say: "I bet that's Dawn Upshaw, the one who sang Gorecki's Third. But who the hell is that composer? It reminds me a bit of Puccini, but Puccini did not compose art songs for solo voice and orchestra." I listened intently until the DJ came on, who enlightened me. Such was my introduction to Cantaloube, whose name I had never encountered until that fateful evening.Dawn Upshaw + Cantaloube = Something to comfort us aging Baby Boomers as we segue into the new century."

Returning to old friends

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Dawn Upshaw and Kent Nagano first collaborated on the CANTELOUBE: Chants d'Auvergne the accompanying songs by Maurice Emmanuel were largely overlooked. Now on returning to this full recording of the Canteloube songs, which are exquisitely performed with a sense of childlike innocence and earthiness, the Burgundian songs form the Beaune Area take on more importance. Fortunate for French folksong literature that there are two composers who captured their flavor and idiosyncrasies as well as Emmanuel (1862 - 1938) and Canteloube . Dawn Upshaw is the right voice and temperament for this literature and hearing her survey the entire cycle is a joy. The songs of Emmanuel are far less well known, but in the context of this loving recording they receive their due.. The tunes are charming and the orchestrations are highly imaginative. This is a CD to keep on top of your stack for it bears frequent listening."