Search - Jules Cressonnois, Leo Delibes, Henri Duparc :: L'Invitation au Voyage: Mélodies from La belle époque

I want some more

M. J. Gray | New Zealand | 08/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A John Mark Ainsley recital of French song, built around four different settings, by four different composers, of Baudelaire's poem, L'invitation au voyage has to be a treat. It is. (Take your pick which setting supplies the title to the disc.) Mr Ainsley's French is superb, and his singing elegant and beautifully nuanced. Unfortunately, sound engineers seem to have difficulty getting the settings right for his voice, and the first track echoes as if he is singing into a tin bucket. It makes the piano sound like some dreadful old church hall hack, too. Hence four stars. The rest of the disc is much, much better.

Graham Johnson's accompaniment is not his best work - he sounds a little tired these days.

Nonetheless, this is a beautiful disc of some gems of songs, and a well-planned programme. Just as you think you've got the measure of it, the atmosphere changes. Another disc like it would be very, very welcome."