Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été

1	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
2	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
3	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
4	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
5	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
6	Les Nuits d'été, song cyc
7	Les Troyens, opera, H. 13
8	Cinq mélodies populaires
9	Cinq mélodies populaires
10	Cinq mélodies populaires
11	Cinq mélodies populaires
12	Cinq mélodies populaires
13	Pavane pour une infante d
14	En sourdine, song for voi
15	Mandoline, song for voice
16	Clair de lune, song for v
17	Élégie for cello & piano
Berlioz: Les Nuits d'Été
1.	Les Nuits d'été, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra), H. 81 (Op. 7) 30:41
	Composed by Hector Berlioz
	Performed by David Daniels [countertenor] and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
	Conducted by John Nelson
2.	Les Troyens, opera, H. 133a: Pantomine de l'acte 2 7:32
	Composed by Hector Berlioz
	Performed by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Richard Vieille
	Conducted by John Nelson
3.	Cinq mélodies populaires grecques, song cycle for voice & piano (or orchestra) 7:58
	Composed by Maurice Ravel
	Performed by David Daniels [countertenor] and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
	Conducted by John Nelson
4.	Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano (or orchestra) 6:15
	Composed by Maurice Ravel
	Performed by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Daniel Catalanotti
	Conducted by John Nelson
5.	En sourdine, song for voice & piano (Cinq Mélodies 'de Venise'), Op. 58/2 3:47
	Composed by Gabriel Fauré
	Performed by Daniel Arrignon, David Daniels [countertenor] and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
	Conducted by John Nelson
6.	Mandoline, song for voice & piano (Cinq Mélodies 'de Venise'), Op. 58/1 1:57
	Composed by Gabriel Fauré
	Performed by Daniel Arrignon, David Daniels [countertenor] and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
	Conducted by John Nelson
7.	Clair de lune, song for voice & piano (or orchestra) in B flat minor, Op. 46/2 3:09
	Composed by Gabriel Fauré
	Performed by Daniel Arrignon, David Daniels [countertenor] and Ensemble Orchestral de Paris
	Conducted by John Nelson
8.	Élégie for cello & piano or orchestra in C minor, Op. 24 7:28
	Composed by Gabriel Fauré
	Performed by Ensemble Orchestral de Paris and Guillaume Paoletti
	Conducted by John Nelson

Barnes & Noble

David Daniels is going where no countertenor has gone before. On his previous Virgin Classics release, A Quiet Thing, Daniels ventured as far afield as Broadway on a wide-ranging song recital with guitar. And here, on this all-French disc, Daniels strides purposefully into the heart of the soprano and mezzo-soprano repertory with a deeply felt performance of Berlioz's Les nuits d'été, the composer's atmospheric song cycle. Of course, Daniels cannot match the tonal lushness of, say, Jessye Norman, but he sustains the music's long lines quite beautifully, and he rides the climax of "Sur les lagunes" with relative ease. Best of all, Daniels seems to have a natural feeling for Berlioz's rather peculiar emotional world. He's arguably even more impressive in the hot, sensuous atmosphere of Ravel's Cinq mélodies populares grecques, especially if one considers that countertenors were long accused of sounding sexless -- just listen to the way he whoops it up in "Quel gallant m'est comparable" or to the tender caress he gives to "Chanson des cueilleuses de lentisques." In fact, some may feel his Fauré is a bit too opulent; certainly, it's not the cool approach one normally hears in this composer's songs, but it's difficult to resist such tinglingly compelling singing as this (though the orchestrations are overwrought). The program is filled out with three orchestral selections, freshly played by the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris under American conductor John Nelson. Andrew Farach-Colton

All Music Guide

Known for his offbeat repertory, David Daniels has done more than anyone else to demarginalize the countertenor voice, singing everything from lieder to jazz standards in the process. With his Les nuits d'été, an album of orchestral French songs, he strays farther from traditional territory than ever before. The result, while not a home run, is rewarding and enjoyable, and it validates Daniels' decision to lend his unusually warm and beautiful voice to a wider repertory.

The Fauré and Ravel songs are the best things on the album, showcasing Daniels' knack for knowing what makes each song tick, both musically and interpretively: his "Mandoline" is both stylish and playful, and his "En sourdine" captures the magical intersection of love and the still night perfectly; the "Five Popular Greek Songs" are spirited and full of character. The Berlioz cycle isn't as successful, however, sounding short on orchestral sweep -- the strings especially sound anemic -- and vocal thrust. Not fatally short, but enough to make you reach for your old Janet Baker recordings. John Nelson is an accommodating, if not exciting, partner throughout, keeping the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris from overpowering Daniels' singing. But the three purely orchestral selections are disappointing, sounding foursquare and flat. Only Fauré's "Elégie" reaches any level of passion, thanks to cellist Guillaume Paoletti. Allen Schrott

New York Times

The thoughtfulness of the program almost outweighs the shock value of Mr. Daniels's advancing into this terrain in the first place. There's nothing to stop a countertenor from singing whatever he wants, as Mr. Daniels has shown before. And there's no faulting his artistry. He handles the Berlioz score with care and attention, modifying his sound slightly from one song to another, shaping phrases beautifully with musical echoes of the verbal content. Anne Midgette

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Daniels makes you forget all other vocal types as he wraps his suavely beautiful voice around Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’été, Ravel’s Cinq mélodies popularies grècques and three mélodies by Fauré. Rarely are these songs treated with such tender grace and seductive intensity. Donald Rosenberg

Classic FM Magazine

[July 2004 Disc of the Month] [Daniels'] empathy with the text and the hint of exoticism he brings to the whole work makes this an exceptional and original interpretation. Emma Baker