Debussy: Beau Soir

Measha Brueggergosman and pianist Justus Zeyen interpret well- and little-known songs of Duparc, de Falla, Hahn, Liszt, Schubert, and others chosen for their soulful depth, variety, and beauty.

Measha Brueggergosman about Night and Dreams: “We wanted something that was languid, sexy, romantic, different. Also, it’s repertoire that gives me the chance to really let go.”

She projects drama, passion, comedy, or charm as needed in any of the languages she speaks, essential for a Lieder and chanson singer who must make words come alive with meaning, color, and esprit as well as vocal quality

The fervent response to her “triumphant DG debut recital” (Gramophone) makes this follow-up album a must for fans of this rising star.

Faniard made his debut as a heroic tenor in 1926 in Antwerp and in 1930 made his debut at the Paris Opera. He only made two gramophone recordings of Flemish songs on 78s but some of his radio recordings survive. This CD includes Schumann’s Dichterliebe and songs by Fauré, Duparc and Saint-Saëns.

Arthur Hartmann, an American of Hungarian descent was a brilliant violinist who attracted

rave reviews throughout his life as soloist and leader of the Hartmann Quartet.

Emotionally exuberant and vital, his miniatures are infused with the specific harmonic and

rhythmic intonations of Hungarian folklore and skilfully exploit the colours of the different

violin strings.

His works were performed by artists of the calibre of Heifetz, Menuhin, Kreisler and

Thibaud.

A child prodigy at age 11 he gave recitals in Europe, meeting and charming Sir Charles Hallé, Saint-Saens, Hans Richter, Paderewski, Benjamin Godard and many others.

Hartmann’s sympathetic and subtle transcriptions, particularly of Debussy, won the composer’s approval and are still in circulation today.

A pupil of the legendary virtuoso Eugene Ysaÿe, Hartmann was renowned for his interpretation of Bach’s Chaconne for solo violin.

This is the first recording of any of Hartmann’s Kreisler-like salon miniatures for violin and piano which, like Elgar’s violin miniatures, speak immediately to the listener with their easy tunefulness.

Shannon Lee is a young violinist who is tipped for great things. In the summer of 2005, she made her stunning orchestral debut at the age of 12 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, performing the Chausson “Poeme” and Franz Wexman’s extremely challenging Carmen Fantasy. Later that same year, she was the featured soloist for the Dallas Symphony’s Texas Tour, and in 2006 she made her European debut with the Nuremberg Philharmonic Orchestra.

Introducing Shannon Lee is a wonderful collection of pieces that include the well known and the rare. Each of the works spotlights the versatility and musicianship of this young violinist and her ability to work well with accompanist Pamela Mia Paul. Highlights include Wieniawski’s notoriously difficult “Scherzo-Tarantelle”, Elgar’s much-loved “Salut d’amour” and the most weighty work on the disc, Brahms’ “Sonatensatz”.

This disc is the first opportunity to hear a young violinist poised to become one of the great artists of tomorrow. As Telarc President Robert Woods puts it “There is a dearth of fantastic talent in young artists today, so why does any one person stand out from another? To a great extent, it’s the preference of the listener – the person who discovers someone’s playing for the first time. When that happened for me with Shannon, I had the sense I was listening to a very old soul in a young person’s body. Shannon’s maturity was well beyond what I had heard from other young performers.”

Accompanist Pamela Mia Paul has performed with the world’s great orchestras. She has given concerts throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia, both as soloist and as chamber musician. In the studio, or in the setting of a master class, she is an internationally sought-after pedagogue whose students have participated in and won competitions including the Naumburg International Piano Competition.

Historian Rosalyn M. Story writes, "In the history of American singers, Dorothy Maynor stands out as an artist endowed with the power to exalt, to transport the hearer above the realm of the ordinary and beyond the limits of normal expectation."