SERGEI BABAYAN
Sergei Babayan is a long-standing friend of the Verbier Festival. His latest recital gives voice to songs from all over the world, from his native Armenia to Gershwin and Charles Trenet, via Mompou, Sibelius and Schubert.
Programme
“SONGS”
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)
Arrangement of selected Lieder by F. Liszt:
Der Müller und der Bach S. 565 No. 2
Aufenthalt S. 560 No. 3
Auf dem Wasser zu singen S. 558 No. 2
Die Stadt S. 558 No. 11
Gretchen am Spinnrade S. 558 No. 8
Ständchen „Horch! Horch!“ S. 558 No. 9
Erlkönig S. 558 No. 4
ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)
Liebeslied (Widmung) S. 566 (arr. F. Liszt)
FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886)
Hymne de la nuit S. 173a/1
Romance “O pourquoi donc” in E Minor S. 169
MANUEL MARÍA PONCE (1882-1948)
Intermezzo No. 1
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF (1873-1943)
Where beauty dwells from “Twelve Songs” Op. 21 No. 7 (arr. A. Volodos)
Melody from “Twelve Songs” Op. 21 No. 9 (arr. A. Volodos)
Dream from “Six Songs” Op. 38 No. 5 (arr. E. Wild)
FRITZ KREISLER (1875-1962)
Liebesleid (arr. S. Rachmaninoff)
Interval
PAUL HINDEMITH (1895-1963)
Einleitung und Lied from Klaviermusik Op. 37 Pt. 2 “Reihe kleiner Stücke”
FREDERIC MOMPOU (1893-1987)
Canción No. 1 from “Cançons i Danses”
GEORGY SARADJIAN (1919-1986)
Song without words
KOMITAS (1869-1935)
Chinar es (arr. V. Sargsyan)
JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957)
Kuusi “The Spruce” from Five pieces for piano Op. 75 No. 5
FREDERIC MOMPOU (1893-1987)
Canción No. 6 from “Cançons i Danses”
HAROLD ARLEN (1905-1986)
Over the Rainbow (arr. K. Jarrett)
JESÚS GURIDI (1886-1961)
La carrasquilla from “Danzas viejas”
LEONID DESYATNIKOV (1955-)
Red arrowwood, green leaves from “Songs of Bukovina”
EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Ein Traum from Six Songs Op. 48 No. 6 (arr. S. Babayan)
ISAAC ALBENÍZ (1860-1909)
Malagueña Op. 71 No. 8
KOMITAS (1869-1935)
Semplice No. 1 from “Seven Songs”
STEPHEN REYNOLDS (1947-)
Chanson d’automne from “Two Poems in Homage to Fauré”
FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963)
Improvisation No. 15 in C minor “Hommage à Edith Piaf” FP 176
GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845-1924)
Au bord de l’eau Op. 8 No. 1 (arr. S. Babayan)
FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963)
Les chemins de l’amour
CHARLES TRENET (1913-2001)
En avril à Paris (arr. A. Weissenberg)
GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898-1937)
Oh lady, be good! (arr. M. Whitney)
The works on this programme, almost all adaptations of sung music, shine through the diversity of their characters, their origins and even their arrangements. So when Liszt takes up Schubert, his natural pianism prompts him to orient his arrangement in a certain way, as when he octaves certain lines in the Ständchen, which thus sounds more than ever like a love duet. Other works on the programme are songs that are not songs in a strict way, such as Manuel María Ponce’s Intermezzo, written for piano but deeply inspired in both form and harmonic dialectic by traditional Mexican songs. A word must also be said about Komitas, the Armenian priest and composer who devoted his life to restoring the musical modes of traditional Armenian music, long threatened by the imitation of Western religious music. Like Bartók, the composer also combed the countryside of his country to collect more than 3,000 popular melodies. His music, inspired by oral tradition, has that scansion that makes the musician a storyteller.
The works of French music chosen for tvis concert subtly show the two tendencies of French vocal art: the impressionist refinement of Fauré, and the more popular tradition of chanson, even cabaret, of which Poulenc is the best example. Other heroes of their national musical tradition are not forgotten, such as Sibelius in Finland or Mompou in Spain, right through to the America of Arlen and Gershwin.