{"product_id":"paysages","title":"Paysages","description":"\u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12bi\"\u003ePAYSAGE \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e Susanna Phillips (sop); Myra Huang (pn) \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"BULLET12\"\u003e • \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003e BRIDGE 9356 (54:06 \u003c\/span\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eText and Translation) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan class=\"ARIAL12\"\u003eSongs by \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan class=\"COMPOSER12\"\u003eDebussy, Fauré, Messiaen \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eSusanna Phillips has been singing professionally for at least 5 years now and it is a wonder to me that she hasn’t already been recorded, this being her first recital disc. She has the voice and talent that quite likely will get her to the top of her profession sooner rather than later, all the potential makings of a major artist. So the Bridge label has had the perspicacity and the good fortune to debut her on CD, and they have another winner here.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003ePhillips sings an all-French program, from the 19th-century lyricism of Gabriel Fauré to the more tonally ambiguous (as the booklet puts it) work of Claude Debussy and the modern sounds of Oliver Messiaen, who created his own otherworldly soundscape to express the mystic and religious nature of his own texts. The three composers are not presented in that developmental order; the rather musically complex songs of Debussy’s \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eAriettes oubliées\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e put both singer and pianist to work right away with the composer’s Impressionistic music. Phillips is expertly accompanied on piano by fellow Juilliard grad Myra Huang; \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eOpera News \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eopines that she “bids fair to be among the top accompanists of her generation.” The rather spiky dissonance of Messiaen’s song cycle \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ePoèmes pour Mi \u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003eis presented next, providing an even greater artistic challenge for both artists, and they respond admirably. Four lovely pieces by Fauré finish the program, allowing Phillips to display her fine voice and ability to add colors in more lyrical passages. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan\u003eIf Phillips’s French is not idiomatic, it is still quite good. Three different French styles are heard here and the singer does them all justice, but some of this music is not for the faint of heart. Timing is a bit short at about 54 minutes, but gets excused because of the fine music-making of both Phillips and Huang. A well-written and informative essay on the music by Malcolm MacDonald is included in the booklet, as are texts and translations. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eFANFARE: Bill White \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Bridge Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":49704105050392,"sku":"090404935626","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0687\/4346\/3192\/files\/1408361-2552722.jpg?v=1777824575","url":"https:\/\/hbdirect.com\/products\/paysages","provider":"HBDirect","version":"1.0","type":"link"}