Songs by Louis Durey

Performer:	Graham Johnson, Francois LeRoux	Click Image To See Full Size Pic
CD Title:	Songs by Louis Durey
Composer:	Louis Durey
CD INFO:	Hyperion CDA67257
Reviewer:	Ward Botsford

Listen to A Soundtrack From This CD Excerpt used: Images a Crosoe - Attende

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What's On This CD:
Homage à Erik Satie
Chansons basques
Le Bestaire
Deux Lieder Romantiques
Epigrammes de Théocrite
Trois Poèmes de Pétrone
Inscriptions sur un Oranger
Images à Crusoé

Review:
Only Hyperion would have taken a chance on this record. I would like to think it would sell but don't actually believe it.

Durey is at the tail end of 'Les Six". Any of the others - Poulenc, Milhaud, Honegger, Auric and Tailleferre are better known. They were all typically French of the post Debussy/Ravel era. I have not too accidentally listed them in order of their notoriety. Any way you want to look at it Durey is at the end.

Les Six were of course a sort of counterpoint to the Russian "Mighty Handful" but unlike Mussorgsky and company they were 'formed' by a well-meaning journalist on a Monday and disappeared from sight by Tuesday as a organizedl group. Typically of Parisians they couldn't stop fighting long enough to think cohesively.

Of the group Poulenc - whose specialty was omnipotence - was easily the most talented. His songs alone are the best that France ever produced. Yes, better than Debussy, Ravel and Fauré.

And now we have quite a lengthy record of Durey songs to consider.

The poets range from Apollinaire to Théocrite to Heine to Cocteau and many others. The first that will catch your eye and ear is of course Le Bestiaire because Poulenc set the same poems of Apollinaire. Durey set the entire oeuvre while Poulenc was satisfied with but six.

How do they compare? Although there is a similarity it is mostly on the surface only. Both composers looking at the same verse came to entirely different conclusions. It is interesting that Poulenc and Durey - although they had several falling outs (they were as I say, French) - remained friendly if not exactly friends. Johnson's splendid notes go into this is detail.

How do they compare? Please! I have had but two listenings to the Durey. Both treated the astounding text with care and concentration. This is no Carnival of the Animals of course and is scarcely poetry for little children.

In truth I cannot agree with Johnson that Durey was right up there with Poulenc but this is a record I am glad to own and will be happy to hear many times again.

Who knows? I may change my mind.

Le Roux had made a number of very fine recordings including a first class/first class Debussy song bag. His voice of course reminds me of Pierre Bernac, Poulenc's great advocate and recording artist. Purely speaking it is not a grand voice and neither was the voice of Bernac. But it is an understanding voice, an intelligent voice from a thinking man's singer.

As to Johnson: I am bereft of adjectives. And that goes for the piano playing and the forty odd pages of notes.

Exceedingly nice sound too.