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SONGS OF DEBUSSY AND MOZART
(ECM)
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This release is, to my knowledge, the first collaboration between soprano Banse and pianist Schiff, and it’s superb. Debussy’s songs aren’t nearly as well known as his orchestral works; hearing them, though, you wonder why. Many are suffused with the same sense of mystery and dream that inform the Nocturnes and the opera Pelléas et Mélisande. Which is perfect for the Symbolist poetry of which he’s so fond: his response is to the sound and the atmosphere of the poems rather than to the words themselves. And Banse is just about perfect for these songs, her voice agile and pure as water, almost without vibrato. Schiff for his part is sensitive not only to Debussy’s crystalline harmonies but also to the intricacies of his piano writing, and he maintains an ideal balance with Banse. Mozart’s similarly neglected songs may seem an unlikely pairing, but in the event both composers gain from the juxtaposition. You hear in the Mozart not just the familiar elegance but also unexpected diversions and journeys away from and back to the home key. And Debussy’s phrasing sounds natural and unaffected next to Mozart’s similarly effortless grace. Both recitalists are equally compelling in the Mozart songs. This is wonderfully spontaneous musicmaking. Texts and translations are available at ECM’s Web site, www.ecmrecords.com
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