Chopin – Seventeen Polish Songs, op. 74,

Schumann - Frauenliebe und –leben, op.42

Buy CD

The collection of Seventeen Polish Songs by Frederic Chopin is rarely recorded and shows a facet of the composer which doesn’t turn up in his other better known works. The recorded version presented here is of special interest because the French translations of by Amédée Boutarel were chosen, which suit the songs wonderfully.

 

Frauenliebe und –lebenby Robert Schumannon the other hand is a very well known and much recorded song cycle, chosen to contrast Chopin’s work on this cd. The cycle is notable for the fact that the piano has a remarkable independence from the voice. Breaking away from the Schubertian model, the emotional kernel of each song is in the piano part.

 

The performances by Katerina Mina and Elena Mouzalas are the result of their many years of experience as soloists

 and their long standing collaboration as a duo. The two artists had performed the program on this recording live all over the world on a number of occasions before going into the studio and this reflects in the natural and spontaneous performances captured in the recording.

 

The recording was completed in December 2010 at Irida Recording Studio.

 

FRÉDÉRICCHOPIN (1810-1849)

Seventeen Polish Songs, op. 74

(Adaptation in French: Amédée Boutarel)

 

1) Vœu de jeune fille, ~ 1829

2) Le Printemps, 1838

3) Flots débordés, 1831

4) Bacchanale, 1830

5) Ce qu'une jeune fille aime, ~ 1829

6) Hors de ma vue, 1827

7) La messagère, 1830

8) Mon amour, 1841

9) Élégie, 1847

10) Le cavalier avant la bataille, 1830

11) Deux Destinées, 1845

12) Mes Joies, 1837

13) Mélancolie, 1845

14) La petite bague, 1836

15) Le retour à la maison, 1831

16) Chant Lithuanien, 1831

17) Chant funèbre de la Pologne, 1836

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)

Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42

 

1) Seit ich ihn gesehen

2) Er, der Herrlichste von allen

3) Ich kann’s nicht fassen, nicht glauben

4) Du Ring an meinem Finger

5) Helft mir, ihr Schwestern

6) Süsser Freund, du blickest mich verwundert an

7) An meinem Herzen, an meiner Brust

8) Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan