Kate Wakeling is enraptured by Katharine Dain and Sam Armstrong’s album of French and Polish works
CHORAL & SONG CHOICE
Forget This Night
Works by Bacewicz, L Boulanger, Szymanowski
Katharine Dain (soprano), Sam Armstrong (piano)
7 Mountain 7MNTN-046 70 mins
This excellent duo’s last album was rightly praised for its thoughtful programming and elegant performances. Forget This Night is every bit as appealing in its repertoire and execution, with Dain and Armstrong bringing a terrific sense of light and shade to an expertly curated collection of French and Polish songs.
At the heart of the album is Clairières dans le ciel (Clearings in the Sky), the only song cycle by Lili Boulanger. Her music shimmers with luscious harmonies, delicate textures and an intense sense of atmosphere, and this cycle, a study of romantic obsession from the ecstatic to the desolate, is among her finest work. The piece receives an exquisite reading from Dain and Armstrong, who offer everything from the ethereal to the earthy in this assured performance.
There is also an unexpected highlight: a previously unrecorded fragment of music for solo voice from Boulanger’s very last notebook. Dain renders this magical snippet of music with extraordinary tenderness and intimacy. It is a rare and special thing to experience. The Polish elements of the album are no less captivating. Among many treasures are Szymanowski’s ‘Pochyl się cicho nad kołyską’ (Lean silently over the cradle), a chilling lullaby that invites us to find peace at the bottom of ‘the black, black pond’, and a setting of Tagore by Bacewicz in ‘Rozstanie’ (Parting), which brims with fiery passion.
This is altogether a remarkable release: beautiful, intelligent and utterly heartfelt.
PERFORMANCE ★★★★★
RECORDING ★★★★★
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