Various Artists - Charmes (CD)

Soprano Olena Tokar and pianist Igor Gryshyn present an exquisite recital of songs by Alma Mahler-Werfel, Clara Schumann, Pauline Viardot-García and Vítezslava Kaprálová. Alma Mahler-Werfel wrote over 50 songs relatively early in her life, and the selection performed on this album reveals her talent for expressive word-setting in a rich, atmospheric style. Clara Schumann was recognized as a child prodigy for her abilities both as a pianist and as a composer, and her songs, including the Op. 12 songs heard here, were co-published alongside those of her husband, Robert. Pauline Viardot-García was a polymath whose three-octave singing range inspired many composers. She wrote over 100 songs of her own in an array of styles; those chosen for this recital demonstrate the quality and variety of her output. Vítezslava Kaprálová produced a remarkable amount of music, much of it published during her short life, including songs that exude a perfumed impressionism. Olena Tokar has a growing reputation for her stunning performances in opera, in the concert hall and in recitals, while Igor Gryshyn shows similar versatility in his roles as a concerto soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. Five SongsDie stille Stadt \ The silent town
2. Five SongsIn meines Vaters Garten \ In my father’s garden
3. Five SongsLaue Sommernacht: Am Himmel \ Mild summer night in the sky
4. Five SongsBei dir ist es traut \ I am at ease with you
5. Five SongsIch wandle unter Blumen \ I wander among the flowers
6. Liebst du um Schönheit \ If you love for beauty
7. Er ist gekommen \ He came in storm and rain (Op.12 No.2)
8. Warum willst du and’re fragen \ Why will you question others (Op.12 No.11)
9. O Lust, o Lust, vom Berg ein Lied \ Oh joy, oh joy (Op.23 No.6)
10. Geheimes Flüstern hier und dort \ Soft, secret whispers here and there (Op.23 No.3)
11. Nixe Binsefuß \ The mermaid Rushfoot
12. Hai luli \ I am sad, I am troubled
13. Gärtner \ The gardener
14. Poems of PushkinOn Georgian hills
15. Two roses
16. Golden glow of the mountain peaks
17. Do not sing, my beauty, to me
18. Op. 12No. 1 Navždy \ Forever
19. Potkali se vcera lidé dva \ Two people met yesterday
20. Až jednoho dne se budeš ptát \ One day you will ask
21. Op. 12No. 3 Ruce\ Hands