CD Review
Debussy: Songs, Christopher Maltman, baritone
- Composer
- Debussy
- Artist
- Christopher Maltman, baritone; Malcolm Martineau, piano
- Label
- Hyperion
- Catalogue
- CDA67357
- Reviewed by
- Kenny Morrison
Debussy has a pivotal role in the history of music. Everything that succeeds him is influenced by him. Similarly his place in this genre is central. “Debussy is French song. If there is one composer who seems to encapsulate both the most delicate and passionate aspects of the mélodie, whose command of literature ranges from the lyrics of the salon to the greatest of French poetry, both new and old, and whose musical mastery is equal to the demands of the greatest texts, it is this mysterious man”, Graham Johnson laying it on with a trowel, but quite justifiably so.
On the other hand, Chabrier, sick of the gloopy caramel of French song, describes, in his only known reference to Debussy, his chosen texts as “blobs of mucus”; in this case unjustifiably strong I think and representative of a level of disenchantment which Debussy never reached. Yes the texts are light, on one level, and “always set in April, May, flowers of the fields and all that tosh” (Chabrier again), but like e.g. Rococo painting, in the correct context reveal a great deal more than is visible on the surface.
There is a danger that these songs, in the wrong hands, can become a sort of parody of themselves (think Dudley Moore, Anna Russell) but on this recording the reading is direct, lyrical and shapely, enough to remove any hint of the absurd. Maltman provides an assured baritone. What he lacks in a little of the playfulness of, say Gérard Souzay, he more than makes up for in his largely impeccable technique. Martineau’s accompaniment provides the ideal sound landscape to complement both the singer and the songs.
I got the Chabrier quotes from the substantial (and I have to say very funny) sleeve notes. Hyperion almost always provide excellent liner notes, and in this case we have a very informative and witty essay by Roger Nichols and translation of the texts.
A note on this page
Originally published by Kenny Morrison, recovered from mmmusic's own archive and reproduced here as the critic wrote it.
Questions about this recording
What's on this Debussy songs recital?
A programme spanning Debussy's mélodies, including the Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire, Trois Mélodies, a second series of Fêtes galantes, and the Trois Ballades de François Villon, sung by baritone Christopher Maltman with pianist Malcolm Martineau.
Why does the review quote Emmanuel Chabrier calling Debussy's song texts 'blobs of mucus'?
It's cited from Roger Nichols's Hyperion liner notes as a deliberately provocative counterpoint to Graham Johnson's more reverent description of Debussy as the essence of French song, the review finds Chabrier's jibe entertaining but ultimately unfair to Debussy's real depth.
How does Maltman's approach compare to other baritones in this repertoire?
The review says he lacks a little of the sheer playfulness of a singer like Gérard Souzay, but more than compensates with largely impeccable technique, delivering a direct, lyrical and shapely reading that avoids the songs tipping into self-parody.
Is this recording still available to buy?
Yes, Hyperion's catalogue number CDA67357 remains findable through the label and classical retailers. We don't run an in-house shop, so we link out to Amazon and Discogs below.
