Ravel
Complete Songs
Lorna Anderson (soprano), Nicky Spence (tenor) et al; Sacconi Quartet; Malcolm Martineau (piano)
Signum Classics SIGCD870 133:12 mins (2CD)
Clip: Ravel – Noel des jouets
With sets devoted to the complete songs of Duparc, Fauré and Poulenc, pianist Malcolm Martineau has established formidable Francophile credentials, so it’s not surprising to find the Ravel anniversary sparking yet another completist mission – a mission enlisting nine singers and a determination to explore the legacy chronologically. Such a vocal plenitude might seem extravagant, but variety is ensured, and an instrumental ensemble anchored by the Sacconi Quartet breaches the piano near-hegemony for the groundbreaking Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé.
The result is a journey through 40 years of song that starts with a bells-infused ‘Ballade’ (sung with poised rapture by the fresh-voiced Sarah Dufresne) which announces an 18-year-old composer already confident in his craft. Assigned to baritone John Chest, journey’s end is Don Quichotte à Dulcinée – the final drinking song dispatched with a roistering élan that caps the knowing insouciance of the opening ‘Chanson Romanesque’.
In between these first and last thoughts some of the less well-known standalone songs have nothing to fear set alongside repertoire landmarks such as such as Chansons madécasse or Shéhérazade – for which mezzo Paula Murrihy is joined in the second song by Lisa Friend’s mellifluous flute. A particular highlight is baritone Simon Keenlyside’s Histoires naturelle. From the peacock’s swagger to a kingfisher-inspired epiphany his suave storytelling rejoices in Renard’s mordant characterisations. But above all, subtly shaded, Martineau’s pellucid pianism holds the project gloriously together. The result is a jewel box of riches that sounds like a labour of love, and of a love requited. Paul Riley