Saint-Saëns: La Lyre et la Harpe

 

The nearly 50-minute cantata La Lyre et la Harpe, from French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, is based on words by Victor Hugo, the famed author of Les Misérables. As far as I understand, the texts contrast art as coming from either devotional inspiration or humanistic ones, a unique approach to such a choral/orchestra setting, which would normally be focused on religious subjects.

The devout perspective is indeed musically chaste here, compounded by the presence of a pipe organ in the score, even coming in a monadic musical texture. The humanist view is more lightly pastoral, at least in the first 1/3 of the work. 

It is this first third of the music which is a bit of a slog to get through. The chorus and vocal solo numbers in the beginning are simply too short to really get a sense of what Saint-Saëns is going for, and the music is nearly too understated to hook the listener.

Once you get to track 6 or 7 (of 13) though, the work starts making progress as far as listening inspiration is concerned. The orchestral garb accompanying the many vocal solos becomes more characterful and the chorus is allowed to leap at the music more willfully.

Once the music approaches the end, Saint-Saëns brings back the opening material to bookend the work, which all ends in gentle quietude. Unfortunate, as the progression of piece was really starting to go somewhere, rather than backpedal to the beginning again. As it is, La Lyre et la Harpe is an uneven work, but there is enough, I think, to sustain fans of the French composer.

Two short choral pieces follow, the first of which is a simple, folksy piece for female choir. The second is more involved, utilizing baritone soloist amongst a male choir. The soldiering here is great fun from these French performers.

Three orchestral songs end the program, all set to the writings of Victor Hugo. Rêverie and La Cloche are beautiful, while Le Pas dArmes du Roi Jean is almost manic in its portrayal by French baritone Didier Henry. I love the singing of Henry in both this and Chanson d'ancêtre, whose vocal tone reminds me of Håkan Hagegård, a favorite baritone of mine. To say Henry characterizes the music here is an understatement, almost going too far towards archness. Great fun!

I am not as in love with the Chœur Régional Vittoria d'Île-de-France as I was in the composer's Requiem recording with these same performers, also on RCA (BLOG). I sense the chorus, especially the men's sections, are not as forthright in their contributions, using a lighter, floating tone instead, one which can sound slightly underpitched from time to time. I have no reservations concerning their orchestral brothers in the Orchestre National d'Île-de-France, who play fervently here.

The soloists do fine work as well, led once again by soprano Françoise Pollet, and they work particularly well as a vocal ensemble. I was most curious concerning tenor Daniel Galvez-Vallejo; his sound was almost baritonal in quality, with a vocal timbre akin to that of Jim Henson. Yet, when the tenor is asked to suddenly make his way up to the tippy-top of his range, his voice comes out surprisingly heroically, a moment which stands out for this listener. And of course, let me reiterate my fondness for baritone Didier Henry once more.

So what do we have here? A large-scale cantata/oratorio which is mostly interesting, but lacking in some respects. All of the separate songs are wonderfully portrayed, both by chorus and soloists. On balance then, more is worth hearing here than not. If that isn't the most inspiring of recommendations, consider this a musical exploration mostly geared towards Saint-Saëns lovers and French oratorio fans only.

 

 

 Works
La Lyre et la Harpe, op. 57 (48)
Two Choruses, op. 53 (5.46)
Rêverie (3.25)
Le Pas d'Armes du Roi Jean (4.40)
La Cloche (4.34)

Soloists
Françoise Pollet, soprano
Nathalie Dessay, soprano
Hélène Perraguin, mezzo-soprano
Daniel Galvez-Vallejo, tenor
Didier Henry, baritone

Ensembles
Choeur Régional Vittoria d'Île-de-France
Orchestre National d'Île-de-France
Jacques Mercier, conductor

Label: Adès; RCA
Year: 1994; 1997
Total Timing: 67.25

 

 

 

If Saint-Saëns' music is not all A+ grade material here, consider this listener's interest satisfyingly piqued and quenched nonetheless.

The performances are not 100% percent either, but where else are you going to find this rare choral/vocal/orchestral music from Saint-Saëns?

 

 

Find more Saint-Saëns recordings HERE!