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01/25/2026
“Songs with Orchestra – II”
Jules Massenet: Noël païen [1] * ^ – Larmes maternelles [2] * ^ – Elégie [3] ** ^ – Sainte Thérèse prie [4] ** ^ – Don César de Bazan: Entr’acte Sevillana *** – Chansons des bois d’amaranthe: 1. “O bon printemps [1, 3, 4] * ^ , 2. “Oiseau des bois” [3, 4] * ^ , 3. “Chères fleurs” [1, 2, 3, 4] * ^ , 4.“O ruisseau” [1, 3, 4] * ^ & 5. “Chantez !” [1, 2, 3, 4] * ^ – Orphelines [2] * ^ – Première danse [1] ** ^ – La Rivière [3] ** ^ – Avril est amoureux [2] ** ^ – Chanson pour elle [1] * ^ – Départ [2] ** ^ – Expressions lyriques [4] ** ^ – Le Petit Jésus [4] ** ^ – La Nuit [2] **** ^
Franz Schubert: Schwanengesang, D.957: 12. “La Mer” (orch. Massenet) [5] * ^
Hélène Guilmette [3] (soprano), Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur [4] (mezzo-soprano), Julien Henric [1] (tenor), Thomas Dolié [2] (baritone), Bertrand Dubos [5] (horn), Orchestre de l’Opéra Normandie Rouen, Naaman Sluchin (concertmaster), Pierre Dumoussaud (conductor)
Recording: Opéra Normandie Rouen, France (April 14‑18, 2025) (^ World Premiere Recording) (* Editions musicales du Palazzetto Bru Zane, ** Editions Heugel, *** Editions Hartmann, **** Editions musicales du Palazzetto Bru Zane: Collection Thierry Bodin) – 68’11
Bru Zane BZ 2008 (Distributed by Naxos of America) – Booklet in English, French and German
One of the genres Jules Massenet excelled within was the art of the mélodie: a treasury of songs accompanied by orchestra. After completing the first release of pieces under the directorship of Hervé Niquet, Bru Zane was destined to complete its mission with the conclusion of the remaining compositions, running roughly between 1872 and 1912. But this time, however, we have a new conductor, accompanied by four new singers representing soprano, mezzo‑soprano, tenor and baritone registers. While Volume I trends more “forward” with “ebullient parlance” with emphasis on weightier grandeur, Volume II coalesces around greater “intimacy”, “pensiveness” and “privacy” in addition to selections incorporating spoken dialogue. In a sense, the latter could be compartmentalized as being snippets taken from true opéra‑comique since each entry has a defined “poetic closure”. These conditions, though grounded by the beautiful contrasting voice types, are also reliably fortified by the delicacies of the Orchestra de l’Opéra Normandie Rouen, under the detailed baton of Pierre Dumoussaud. This collection is bracketed by two illuminating sets: Chansons des bois d’amaranthe (“Songs of the Amaranth Woods”) and the penultimate slice of Expressions lyriques.
Based upon texts by Oskar von Redwitz-Schmölz, the amaranthine is synonymous with an unfading flower of immortality. In turn, it’s exemplified by Massenet’s immeasurable sense of nature and an innocent beauty, compounded inside by five compositional subsects: the optimism of spring, a brilliant contrasting ‘chirping’ of Mlles Guilmette and Bouchard-Lesieur, the madrigal‑like representation of a bouquet of flowers encompassing all voices (including Messrs. Henric and Dolié), the fleeting “echoes” effects inside O ruisseau and the spirited, blossoming conclusive Chantez !.
Turning back the envelope, we hear the politely restrained, though grounded foundations, and lyrical expressions buried inside mezzo voice, Marie-Andrée Bouchard-Lesieur, featuring “poised vignettes” of a poet’s fortitude. In particular, Cécile Roch de Louvencourt’s writings are richly voiced through the chanson with deepening resolve. Massenet’s “verbal overlay” is highly influential, stylized and tempered to the “mode of the moment”.
Bru Zane’s outlay sequence is insightful: after the “immersive” four chansons in the introduction, a divertissement featuring the “Entr’acte Sevillana” from Massenet’s first opéra‑comique, Don César de Bazan is blissfully unveiled. M. Dumoussaud’s “take” is “tightly quaint”, absent of deepened richness, as compared to the full 1888 version, as recorded in 2019. Similarly, ears will turn to a beautiful excerpt of Schubert’s “Am See”, incorporating the investitures of Bertrand Dubos’ benevolent legato horn enclaves, yielding to mollification.
Indubitably, Massenet’s compositions elicit “nano‑second” affections. One of the loveliest compartments inside “Songs with Orchestra – II” is Julien Henric’s equations inside the Chanson pour elle: troubadour‑esque, his crisp delineations are vocally attentive, without acquiescing to ingratiate: piquant with perky spontaneity.
Alexandre Dratwicki’s writings are extremely illustrative and intellectually informative: there is much to absorb in what he writes...this magnifies the beauty of these sparkling pieces. Subliminal value.
Christie Grimstad
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