Koechlin reviews
Belle Époque – French Music for Wind
Orsino Ensemble; Pavel Kolesnikov (piano) (Chandos)
Belle Epoque
Daniel Hope (violin), Simon Crawford-Phillips, Lise de la Salle (piano), Stefan Dohr (horn), Yibai Chen (cello); Zurich Chamber Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon)
'Mirages' - Arias & songs sung by Sabine Devieilhe and friends
The concept of cultural appropriation was mercifully unknown to the composers of 19th-century France. We can therefore sit back and enjoy their daydreams in Mirages, compiled around visions of faraway or imaginary lands and people, dominated by Oriental exoticism. Sabine Devieilhe’s voice is shown off to stunning effect as she and her colleagues bring together the (sometimes) kitschier side of eastern longings and the lingering influence of such sounds on more intriguing music.