MusicWeb Reviews Poldowski

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“her songs… are well crafted, harmonically sure-footed… she is most at home…when she tackles the poetry of Paul Verlaine. On this disc we find thirteen settings of him. Several of the poems have been set by colleagues, for instance L’heur exquise which is one of Reynaldo Hahn’s finest songs. But Poldowski’s version is also a gem, exquisitely sung here. Mandoline, best known in Debussy’s setting, is another spirited composition and, honestly, all the Verlaine songs are truly attractive. I have a special affection for Berceuse d’armorique, a poem by Anatole Le Braz. It is so soft, so inward and so beautiful and it is sung with the utmost care and simplicity. … Angelique Zuluaga, who also is a noted teacher, has an ideal voice for Poldowski’s songs and she makes the most of the texts as well, without never exaggerating and over-interpreting. The experienced Gwendolyn Mok is an ideal partner and the Alexander String Quartet are excellent in Narcisse. The recording is first class and the presentation is a model of its kind with an illuminating essay by David Mooney. Lovers of French melodies will be delighted to hear this disc and I urge readers with even just a tiny bit of interest in musical byways to give the disc a try. You will be richly rewarded.” —Göran Forsling, MusicWeb International