Horizons: French Mélodies

Description

French melody flourished at the turn of the 20th century! Mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately and pianist Edwige Herchenroder present a program of French melodies by composers established in Paris at the turn of the 20th century, an exciting and stimulating era when the country experienced a surge of confidence and creativity. The movement toward women's emancipation was developing, with new educational and professional opportunities. The songs included in the album reflect these new horizons: the majority were composed by women and draw inspiration from popular sources such as the Chants de Bilitis and La Flûte de Jade by Franz Toussaint, a French translation of Chinese poems. The album contains four world premieres, the three songs by Hedwige Chrétien and the settings by Marguerite Canal of seven songs from La Flûte de Jade.