Gounod: Melodies

Charles Gounod, the composer with 170 melodies, is best known for his pages after French poets. Yet almost a third of them is composed on English poems! This appeal to the language of Shakespeare arises during the 4 years that the composer spent in London.The mélodie is the major field of the intimate expression of Gounod's talent. He meticulously chooses his poets: Hugo, Musset or Lamartine; but also older authors on whom time has left the charm of his sheen.As a chapel master, Gounod is particularly sensitive to the strength of words. The music serves the poetic texts so that they fully sound. Its flexibility respects the articulation and the natural inflection of the verses. That's why these works require a light diction: the baritone Tassis Christoyannis and the pianist Jeff Cohen possess the mastery that suits this repertoire. Their previous recordings are references in the discography of the French melody and we are delighted to hear the rarer pages of Gounod's catalog performed by two exquisite musicians.