Le bal des animaux

"Recommended: This disc is a winner. It works on so many levels: as a thought-provoking survey of the remarkable extent to which French composers in particular have been inspired and stimulated by the animal world; as a carefully planned song recital; as an album into which you can dip easily for ten or fifteen minutes of unalloyed pleasure; and as an approachable anthology of French song which could make many new converts to the genre. I loved it ... Sophie Karthäuser is from French-speaking Belgium, and hence - presumably - has the inestimable advantage of being a native speaker. But she also has the right voice and style for most of these numbers ... Moreover, she is ideally accompanied by Eugene Asti ... This is an absolutely top-notch production".

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"This generous programme of songs and instrumental pieces depicting animals of all kinds and sizes is wholly enthralling. More than 70 minutes of joyful music performed with a twinkle in her eye by the charming Sophie Karthäuser ... She is elegantly backed up by the versatile Eugene Asti, who also gets away on his own in a couple of piano pieces ... But all the pieces are well characterised, the programme is entertaining and ... most of the composers are well-known ... All in all one of the most charming thematic recitals I've come across!".

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