Isabelle Aboulker Mélodies for Voice and Piano

“Sonatas and quartets aren’t my thing”. Armed with this self-knowledge, composer Isabelle Aboulker placed singing at the heart of her creative activity and garnered huge success in a variety of genres such as oratorio (The Man who Staggered Through War, 1997), comic opera (Monsieur de Balzac fait son théâtre, 1999), children’s tales (Douce et Barbe Bleue, 2002) and the theatrical adaptation of narrative works (Une fille qu’on appelle Boule de suif, 2014).

Isabelle Aboulker also devotes much attention to melody, as can be seen in this collection presenting a few of her most enchanting successes. Her prosodic clarity and focus on the power of words crystallises a musical legacy that stretches from Rameau to Poulenc. This anthology of melodies for voice and piano – most of which are written for all voices – is delightfully eclectic: the melancholy perfume of the Lettre d’amour sits beside the unnerving eeriness of the merchant of souls (Au marché de Saint-Paul), while the limpid music of the La Fontaine’s Fables contrasts with the fever that animates Je t’aime, a passionate vocalise dedicated to Patritica Petibon. A subtle, sensitive art that enchants all who lend an ear.