Marking the 20th anniversary of the ground-breaking, Grammy Award-winning OXINGALE RECORDS, MON AMI, Mon amour offers music which, even in times of darkness, never loses sight of its joie de vivre. The vibrant musical palette of cellist Matt Haimovitz and the graceful insight of pianist Mari Kodama exquisitely meld in MON AMI, Mon amour. Cello and piano remain in constant, colorful conversation for rarities by sisters Lili and Nadia Boulanger, in Debussy’s neo-Baroque Sonata, and in the effervescent world of Poulenc’s Cello Sonata. Ravel’s poignant Kaddish and Milhaud’s hopeful E´le´gie, composed at the end of World War II, round out the program. Two Fauré gems are included, the virtuosic Papillon and the breathtaking Après un rêve, with its longing for a mysterious night and an elusive, ecstatic love.
REVIEW:
The two major works—the opener, Francis Poulenc’s exquisite violin sonata; and Claude Debussy’s enchanting cello sonata—are played with graceful intimacy, while shorter pieces by Fauré (two of them!), Milhaud, Ravel and the sisters Lili and Nadia Boulanger are given equally committed readings by these perfectly paired artists.
