Fauré: Mai Op. 1 No. 2

“…Vidal's setting of "Chant d'exil"… provides the emotional high-point of the recital. This beautiful song, in which the poet regrets his exile from his homeland, is given a heartfelt rendition by Wolff and his accompanist, Trung Sam, who provides sterling support throughout. This is a lovely disc in which Wolff proves himself worthy of comparison with the past great baritone interpreters of the mélodie.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2009

“Victor Hugo notoriously hated it when anyone tried to set his work to music. Opera composers, by and large, ignored his protestations, though others tended to be a bit more circumspect. This exceptional recital by bass-baritone Konstantin Wolff and pianist Trung Sam chronicles the attempts of francophone song composers to grapple with Hugo's poetry both during and after his lifetime. It's a disc of surprises and occasional failures. Hugo clearly inspired most composers to give of their best, as well as to stray, on occasion, into unfamiliar territory: Saint-Saëns is represented by a clutch of unknown songs that should be repertory pieces, and Fauré gets uncharacteristically angry over the political implications of L'Absent. Lalo, as one might expect, turns Hugo into an impishly blatant eroticist, while Reynaldo Hahn is altogether more fin de siècle and discreet. Only Paul Vidal's settings seem inappropriately delicate. The wide vocal range of Liszt's famous Oh! Quand Je Dors, lies a bit awkwardly for Wolff, who otherwise sings with a virile, articulate elegance that is absolutely right both for the music and for Hugo's poetry. As an accompanist, Sam is spectacular, but never intrusive.” The Guardian, 13th February 2009

“There's a high standard of singing throughout and… Geraldine McGreevy offers delicacy, shape and direction, combined with an intelligent variety of tone, and Christopher Maltman's more forthright approach gives impetus to 'Le voyageur' and 'Prison'. Though her tone is a touch mature, Jennifer Smith is able to draw on the warm colours of her voice for the late cycle Le jardin clos (1914), a sombre, understated piece that emphasises the oblique, unpredictable harmony of the composer's final period.” BBC Music Magazine, May 2005 ****

“Volume 2 of Hyperion's superb Fauré song series takes its theme from Clair de lune and an idealised landscape peopled with dreaming birds and sobbing fountains. It follows the composer from youth to old age, from the young charmer to the mature master to the inscrutable sage, imaginatively side-stepping all possible monotony.
Fauré's dream world is a mirror of an occasionally innocent nature that received too many cruel knocks, reflected in music of light and darkness, courage and despair. All the singers involved in this ideally presented and recorded offering perform with a special ardour and commitment; Graham Johnson is, as always, a matchless partner and commentator.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010