Barnes & Noble
Soprano Régine Crespin may have been overshadowed by divas like Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, and Montserrat Caballé, but her exquisite voice and sensitive musicianship demand that she be admitted to the pantheon of great singers. There is perhaps no better memento of Crespin's artistry than this 1963 recording. Throughout this program of French songs, her unaffected phrasing and beauty of tone cast a magic spell. Rarely has "Le Spectre de la rose" from Berlioz's "Les Nuits d'été" been sung with such heartbreaking sincerity and quiet dignity. And has Ravel's exotic trilogy "Schéhérezade" ever sounded more enchantingly sensuous as it does here? Conductor Ernest Ansermet proves his mastery of the French style, eliciting supple, sympathetic playing from his Swiss orchestra. As a bonus, this reissue includes excerpts from a song recital Crespin recorded with pianist John Wustman in 1968. Their performances of Debussy's "Chansons de Bilitis" and seven songs by Poulenc are rapturous and refined -- a model for young singers and a delicacy for those who treasure great singing. Andrew Farach-Colton
Barnes & Noble
The glamorous French soprano Régine Crespin made far fewer recordings than her many admirers would wish. Two of the very best -- her versions of Berlioz's "Les Nuits d'été" and Ravel's "Shéhérazade" with Ernest Ansermet and L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande -- fuel the argument that in terms of understanding of the text and sheer sexiness, Crespin was the equal of Maria Callas and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. There are moments in these legendary recordings -- the deceptive innocence of "Le Spectre de la rose," for instance, or the dripping sensuality of "La Flûte enchantée" -- that reveal her as one of the most resourceful and seductive singers of whom we have an accurate record. And as anyone who knows these classic recordings will attest, the seduction is immediate and incurable. Jim Svejda
All Music Guide
At her peak, French soprano Régine Crespin was universally praised by critics and the public alike. She was praised not only for her elegant technique, nuanced power, and refined but passionate expression, but also for her ability to perform the major roles in nearly every national school with complete confidence and whole-hearted compassion. But, of course, Crespin was at her best in French repertoire, and this disc combining her 1963 recording of orchestral song cycles by Berlioz and Ravel with her 1967 recording of piano accompanied song cycles and chansons by Debussy and Poulenc certainly shows Crespin at her best -- and her most characteristic. Accompanied in 1963 by the skillful Ernest Ansermet leading L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Crespin's "Les Nuits d'été" is lightly languorous in "Le Spectre de la rose" and slightly insouciant in "L'lle inconnue," while her "Shéhérazade" is highly sensuous in "Asie" and deeply indolent in "L'indifferent." Accompanied in 1967 by the sensitive John Wustman, her "Trois chansons de Bilitis" moves from the ineffably mysterious "La Flûte de Pan" to the tangibly obvious "Le Chevelure," while her soupçon of Poulenc's chansons climaxes with the tragically evanescent "C" followed by the ridiculously vulgar but, because this is, after all, Régine Crespin, still supremely refined "Fêtes galantes." Throughout, she is in great voice: floating long pianissimo lines effortlessly, slipping between registers imperceptibly, soaring above the staff with complete control, and climaxing with crescendos frightening in their intensity. Originally recorded by Decca in warm yet detailed stereo sound, this digitally remastered reissue is as good as a clean copy of the LP. Higher praise there cannot be. James Leonard
Daily Telegraph
Régine Crespin's 1963 recording is a classic of the early stereo era.... She revealed a sensitivity to the world of song, and here in the Ravel she demonstrates how that substantial voice could encompass both delicacy and smoothness in her floated lines and shapely phrasing. Matthew Rye
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