This superb recording by baritone Roderick Williams and accompanist Roger Vignoles had its roots in a live recital, and Williams indicates that its program was intended to "resemble an evening's song recital, in which the first half begins gently, grows into something more voluptuous before finishing with a flourish, a riotous drinking song to lead to the interval; the second begins with the slightly challenging contemporary piece before the reward of some real fun, and the whole evening ends with hilarity, mischief and ...
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This superb recording by baritone Roderick Williams and accompanist Roger Vignoles had its roots in a live recital, and Williams indicates that its program was intended to "resemble an evening's song recital, in which the first half begins gently, grows into something more voluptuous before finishing with a flourish, a riotous drinking song to lead to the interval; the second begins with the slightly challenging contemporary piece before the reward of some real fun, and the whole evening ends with hilarity, mischief and bravura." This enterprise is entirely successful, and it points to the appeal of the whole, which lies in the program's variety. Williams avoids the trip of monotonous melancholy that afflicts many a French song recital, and he brings quite a few pieces that are not often heard outside France. The gentle beginning is a late Fauré song cycle, and it's followed by the much less common André Caplet, whose long, luxuriant melodic lines contrast sharply with the Fauré. Next comes one of two...
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