Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bal des animaux (2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

With the exception of one sole Rossini piece – and even then, the text isn’t very Italian as it’s the Cats’ Duet whose only lyric is “miaow” – this whole programme is dedicated to French works, mostly vocal, with a couple for solo piano. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti have set off on a wild goose, pig, dromedary, cricket, crow, and fox hunt, keeping an eye out for many other furry, feathered and scaly beasts along the way, with Ravel, Chabrier, Offenbach, Hahn, Bizet, and Poulenc for company – all of whom have written music for creatures great and small, real and fantastical. Alright, on occasion these animals might not be animals, strictly speaking, like Satie’s Statue de bronze (although the statue in question is of a frog), or The Little Shepherd from Children’s Corner by Debussy. Another rarity: there are three melodies from Poulenc’s Bestiaire which have been left out of most recent editions: La Colombe, La Puce and Le Serpent.

Tracklist:
1-01. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – La Chanson de l’alouette (01:31)
1-02. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Histoires Naturelles, M. 50 – Le Paon (04:25)
1-03. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 1. Le Dromadaire (01:11)
1-04. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 2. La Chevre du Tibet (00:34)
1-05. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 3. La Sauterelle (00:23)
1-06. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 4. Le Dauphin (00:26)
1-07. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 5. L’Ecrevisse (00:38)
1-08. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire, ou Le Cortege d’Orphee, FP. 15a – 6. La Carpe (01:01)
1-09. Eugene Asti – Children’s Corner, CD. 119 – The Little Shepherd (02:29)
1-10. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Papillon et la Fleur Op. 1, No. 1 (02:12)
1-11. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Les Hiboux, IDS. 12 (02:55)
1-12. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Villanelle des petits canards, IEC. 40 (01:58)
1-13. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Les Cigales, IEC. 11 (03:29)
1-14. Eugene Asti – Histoires Naturelles, M. 50 – Le Grillon (02:58)
1-15. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Histoires, IJI. 27 – Le Petit Ane blanc (02:29)
1-16. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Trois Melodies, IES. 34 – 1. La Statue de bronze (01:39)
1-17. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Trois Melodies, IES. 34 – 2. Dapheneo (01:10)
1-18. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Trois Melodies, IES. 34 – 3. Le Chapelier (00:51)
1-19. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Duetto Buffo di due Gatti (03:27)
1-20. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Six Fables de La Fontaine – Le Corbeau et le Renard (02:14)
1-21. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Rossignol des lilas, IRH. 83 (01:43)
1-22. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – La Coccinelle, WD. 87 (04:21)
1-23. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Melodies, Op. 2 – Le Colibri (02:38)
1-24. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – L’Oiselet (02:54)
1-25. Eugene Asti – Histoires, IJI. 27 – La Meneuse de tortues d’or (03:30)
1-26. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Histoires Naturelles, M. 50 – Le Cygne (03:16)
1-27. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire (melodies inedites), FP. 15b – La Colombe (00:47)
1-28. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire (melodies inedites), FP. 15b – La Puce (00:53)
1-29. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Melodies, FP. 162 – La Souris (00:46)
1-30. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Le Bestiaire (melodies inedites), FP. 15b – Le Serpent (00:34)
1-31. Eugene Asti – Children’s Corner, CD. 119 – Jimbo’s Lullaby (03:39)
1-32. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Pastorale des cochons roses, IEC. 25 (04:49)
1-33. Sophie Karthäuser and Eugene Asti – Ballade des gros dindons, IEC. 5 (03:13)