A sumptuous recording of French romantic music at its most ecstatic, led by the brilliant young French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire featuring tenor Steve Davislim and The Queensland Orchestra. Renowned as organist of the Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris, the tragedies of Vierne’s personal life are shot through these extraordinary unpublished pieces. The four ‘symphonic poems for voice and orchestra’ by Vierne are all world premiere recordings. Accompanying Vierne’s Poems on this release is Chausson’s masterpiece of 19th century French mélodie, Poème de l’amour et de la mer, recorded here for the first time by a tenor, the voice for which it was originally written.
Steve Davislim is one of Australia’s leading tenors and enjoys a stellar international career in the leading opera houses and concert halls of the world. “Steve Davislim is worth being spoken of in the same breath as his notable predecessors of similar voice - Peter Anders and Fritz Wunderlich - and praise can hardly be higher than that.” (Gramophone Magazine). The brilliant young French conductor Guillaume Tourniaire is currently enjoying a meteoric rise onto the international conducting stage. He continues his exciting groundbreaking work as a champion of world premières and rare music performances, including committing to disc the first recordings of Saint-Saëns’ Hélène and Nuit persane for Melba Recordings. He has also recorded the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with Paul Dean on Melba’s Sublime Mozart.
December 2009
“Here is a side of Louis Vierne few of us will have encountered before: angry, bitter, vengeful and simply bursting with passion and high emotion. These are four brilliantly crafted songs with almost Wagnerian orchestral accompaniments which are dazzlingly reflected in performances of breathtaking intensity. ...the impressive French conductor, Guillaume Tourniaire, chooses Chausson's Poème de l'amour et de la mer as a companion piece. Certainly Australian tenor Steve Davislim is every bit as impressive here as in the Vierne - and this is highly distinguished singing by any reckoning - while the Queensland Orchestra, on absolutely cracking form... On every count, this is a magnificent release.”
Michael Quinn
15th January 2010
“Poème de l’amour et de la mer boasts a majestic sweep and grandeur all of its own and out of which Davislim, Tourniaire and a Queensland Orchestra firing on all cylinders squeeze every ounce of emotion and drama. Inspired performances all round, then, in textbook perfect sound and lavish packaging”
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