Page 100 - FULL BOOK Isata Kanneh-Mason Childhood Tales

English composer setting the extraordinary prose poetry of Frenchman Arthur Rimbaud. Like
most Britten, the association with Peter Pears colours other interpretations – and in fact Les
Illuminations was premiered by a soprano. It has a very different impact with a female voice.
Peter Pears takes a heroic approach, noble even in moments of uncertainty. Bevan is more
straightforwardly alluring, unafraid of sheer beauty of sound, but also a bit fragile, sometimes
overwhelmed by the perfumed emotions of the texts. She finds a perfect stillness in “Phrase”,
while the longest song, “Being beauteous”, builds from chromatic ambiguity into a rich dialogue
between voice and the solo strings that emerge from the ensemble. The final movement,
“Départ” is very moving in its drifting harmonies and wearily regretful vocal: “Enough seen…
Enough had… Enough known.” This album is worth hearing for Les Illuminations alone.
Which is not to say the rest is by any means filler. There is exquisite Ravel and Debussy in
arrangements by Robin Holloway, plus Duparc, Chabrier and Chausson. The most interesting
discovery is Augusta Holmès (1847-1903), student of Franck and disciple of Wagner, who was
new to me. Her Sérénades, to her own texts, have a melodic charm and restrained expressivity.
Bevan’s singing is sensitive and beguiling throughout, pure when she needs to be, but rich and
sensuous in the fruitier moments (like Ravel’s “Un gran sommeil noir”). She is accompanied by
the conductorless 12 Ensemble, supplemented by Joseph Middleton on the piano and the Ruisi
Quartet, who shine in the Holmès. Bernard Hughes