Marianne Crebassa – Séguedilles (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Mezzo-soprano Marianne Crebassa has taken on sultrier tones, both vocally and visually, since her debut album of “pants”-role arias, Oh, Boy!, in 2016. Here, inspired by her own part-Spanish ancestry, she essays a set of Spanish and Spanish-influenced French orchestral and voice-and-piano songs. Not all of the selections are strictly the séguedilles promised in the title, but they all reflect the rhythms of the seguidilla folk dance or similar ones. Bizet is here, of course, but Crebassa wisely avoids full-on operatic interpretations of Carmen; her intention is to go more deeply into the emotional content of the Spanish style, often quietly melancholy and an over-the-top Carmen would have distracted from that. Some of the other selections are common enough recital pieces, but there are some impressive rarities as well. The song cycle Seis canciones castellanas by the Basque composer Jesús Guridi and the five-part Combat del somni of Mompou are rarely encountered. The Mompou cycle is something of a centerpiece, and Crebassa’s reading may well be a standard. She is in absolutely gorgeous voice here, and the material seems to have fired her to reach new heights. Crebassa gets able support from Ben Glassberg, leading the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, from pianist Alphonse Cemin, from vocal duet partners, and especially from guitarist Thibaut Garcia, but there is one star of the show here, and it is Crebassa herself.

Tracklist:
1. Marianne Crebassa – Carmen, WD 31, Act I: “Carmen, sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous” (Chorus, Carmen) (00:49)
2. Marianne Crebassa – Carmen, WD 31, Act I: “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” (Carmen, Chorus) (04:50)
3. Marianne Crebassa – La vida breve, Act I: “Vivan los que rien!” (Salud, Paco, Chorus) (05:58)
4. Marianne Crebassa – Don Quichotte, Act I: “Dulcinée!” – “Alza! Quand la femme a vingt ans” (Dulcinée, Chorus) (03:32)
5. Marianne Crebassa – 6 canciones castellanas: No. 1, Allá arriba, en aquella montaña (02:18)
6. Marianne Crebassa – 6 canciones castellanas: No. 4, No quiero tus avellanas (03:04)
7. Marianne Crebassa – 6 canciones castellanas: No. 5, Cómo quieres que adivine (02:38)
8. Marianne Crebassa – 6 canciones castellanas: No. 6, Mañanita de San Juan (03:54)
9. Marianne Crebassa – Nuit d’Espagne (Arr. Bianco for Voice and Guitar) (03:35)
10. Marianne Crebassa – Carmen, WD 31, Act I: “Près des remparts de Séville” (Carmen, Don José) (04:44)
11. Marianne Crebassa – El desdichado (03:30)
12. Marianne Crebassa – Combat del somni: No. 1, Damunt de tu només les flors (05:00)
13. Marianne Crebassa – Combat del somni: No. 2, Aquesta nit un mateix vent (02:59)
14. Marianne Crebassa – Combat del somni: No. 3, Jo et pressentia com la mar (02:02)
15. Marianne Crebassa – Combat del somni: No. 4, Fes-me la vida transparent (03:22)
16. Marianne Crebassa – Combat del somni: No. 5, Ara no sé si et veig encar (03:36)
17. Marianne Crebassa – Chants populaires, M. A 17: No. 1, Chanson espagnole (02:17)
18. Marianne Crebassa – 3 Mélodies: No. 3, Séguedille (02:11)
19. Marianne Crebassa – La Périchole, Act I: “Le conquérant dit à la jeune indienne” (La Périchole, Piquillo) (02:37)
20. Marianne Crebassa – La Périchole, Act I: “Vous a-t-on dit souvent” (Piquillo, La Périchole) (02:32)
21. Marianne Crebassa – L’heure espagnole, M. 52: “Oh! la pitoyable aventure!” (Concepción) [Orch. Dumas] (03:08)
22. Marianne Crebassa – Carmen, WD 31, Act II: “Les tringles des sistres tintaient avec un éclat métallique” (Carmen, Frasquita, Mercédès) (04:52)