It's possible that this program wouldn't have come out as well if done by anyone other than Véronique Gens, who hardly shows any diminution in her considerable powers after 25 years on the road. She attempts a kind of double progression, with the songs and instrumental pieces on the album embodying the moods of the titular nights: evening, pleasant dreams, nightmares, and awakening. Beyond that, the program goes from the core mélodie repertory forward to the popular flavor of La vie en rose and the semi-popular Reynaldo ...
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It's possible that this program wouldn't have come out as well if done by anyone other than Véronique Gens, who hardly shows any diminution in her considerable powers after 25 years on the road. She attempts a kind of double progression, with the songs and instrumental pieces on the album embodying the moods of the titular nights: evening, pleasant dreams, nightmares, and awakening. Beyond that, the program goes from the core mélodie repertory forward to the popular flavor of La vie en rose and the semi-popular Reynaldo Hahn, and back to Berlioz and Liszt. Along the way are several lovely items that even devotees of French song may not have heard, and Gens, who has increasingly specialized in this music, sings them with exquisite sensitivity. As if to emphasize the diversity of the program, the material, except for the instrumental interludes (which are an entirely authentic aspect), is all arranged for (or was originally for) the combination of voice and the piano quintet I Giardini. With most...
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