Raphaela Gromes - Femmes (2 CD)

"All of the previous albums by the German star cellist Raphaela Gromes have been highly praised and have been bestsellers - not least because they always tell exciting stories through their special program selection. This also applies to her current album "Femmes", which deals with the highly topical subject of "women in music". Raphaela Gromes takes listeners on a fascinating journey of discovery through nine centuries of music history, including four works that represent strong women in music (such as Carmen by Bizet, Mozart's Susanna or Purcell's Dido), but above all there are a large number of works written by female composers. And there is so much to hear on "Femmes" that was previously unknown! ""Inspired by a friend's idea to dedicate an album to female composers, I threw myself into research and was excited and shocked at the same time," says Raphaela Gromes. ""Excited by the incredible number of brilliant female composers, shocked because I had never heard of most of them. With 'Femmes' I can finally make the works and life stories of these wonderful women accessible to a wider audience," says Raphaela Gromes. The first half of the double album, recorded with the Swiss orchestra Festival Strings Lucerne, includes music by Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) - ""O virtus sapientiae"" - by Clara Schumann (1819-1896) as well as three pieces from the work "Six Morceaux" by her musical friend, singer and Liszt student Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821-1910). The album also contains the world premiere recording of Mathilde Capuis' (1913-2017) touching work "Tre Momenti" as well as the meditative ""Aria"" from the "Suite for Cello and Strings" by cellist and composer Victoria Yagling (1946-2011). Also included is "Adoration" by the African-American composer Florence Price (1887-1953), whose numerous works were only rediscovered in 2009. Raphaela Gromes chose three of the pieces on "Femmes" because they show iconic female figures in works of classical music: Carmen from Bizet's famous opera, Susanna from Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" and Purcell's heartbreaking piece Dido from "Dido and Aeneas". CD 2 was created with the pianist Julian Riem. The works for cello and orchestra are by the sisters Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) and Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), by Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944) and Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983). ""Dreaming"" is a work by Amy Beach (1867-1944), who was the first American female composer to publish her own symphony, which was premiered in 1896. Other interesting music from recent times on "Femmes" are pieces such as ""Las Tarantulas"" by Dolores White (*1932), whose music draws on American and European traditions, and Lera Auerbach's (*1972) ""Postludium"". You can also hear music from films, including a ""Chocolat Suite"" rewritten by Rachel Portman from her soundtrack to the successful film ""Chocolat"", the pop hit "Sister" by Quincy Jones from the film ""The Color Purple"" and Billie Eilish's song ""No Time to Die"" from the James Bond film of the same name, in a new version for cello and piano. ""Femmes"" is a highly topical album, with a multitude of discoveries of special music and outstanding performers. "The double album 'Femmes' is an artistically first-class treasure trove. And a decisive step forward for the music world!" (hr2) "'Femmes' is an entertaining album that really offers a lot to discover. Raphaela Gromes grabs the listeners with verve and proudly shows them everything she has found. The Festival Strings Lucerne and Julian Riem are great partners: powerful, agile, humorous... From deep pain to resounding comedy, everything is represented. (The double album) is great for everyone who has always wanted to discover more music by women. And for those who still distrust this concept, 'Femmes' is actually even better." (rbb Kultur, Album of the Week) “It is worth discovering these pieces, they enrich the repertoire and offer variety – and when they are played as multi-layered, virtuosic and internalized as here, it simply puts you in a good mood.” (WDR 3) "Gromes plays the diversity of this unfortunately little-known music with elastic impetus, always paying attention to songfulness and broad perspectives, so that one listens not only with curiosity, but often with excitement and amazement. Clara Schumann's gripping romance, Hensel's elegiac fantasy or Rebecca Clarke's haunting "Epilogue" are great cello pieces, as are the impressionistic pieces by the siblings Nadia and Lili Boulanger. The world premiere recording of the 'Tre momenti' by Matilde Capuis is also as rewarding as the encounter with so much music that is not only different in terms of eras, but always original. This double album convincingly refutes the old-fashioned babble that even great minds like Friedrich Schlegel were not immune to ('Woman gives birth to man, man to the work of art') with a wealth of stimulating and varied music." (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Favorite of the Week) Tracklist: CD1: 1. Hildegard von Bingen: O virtus sapientiae / 2. Maria Antonia Walpurgis of Bavaria: Talestri: “Da me ti dividi” from “Talestri, Regina delle Amazzoni” / 3. Henry Purcell: Dido: “When I am Laid in Earth” (Dido's Lament) from “Dido and Aeneas, Z. 626” / 4. WA Mozart: Susanna: “Deh vieni non tardar” from “Le nozze di Figaro, K.492” / 5. Clara Schumann: III. Passionately fast from “Three Romances Op. 22" / 6. Pauline Viardot Garcia: II. Bohémienne from "Six Morceaux, VWV 3003" / 7. Pauline Viardot Garcia: I. Romance from "Six Morceaux, VWV 3003" / 8. Pauline Viardot Garcia: VI. Tarantelle from “Six Morceaux, VWV 3003” / 9. Matilde Capuis: Tre Momenti for Cello and String Orchestra, I. Speranze / 10. II. Solitudine / 11. III. Allegrezze / 12. Victoria Yagling: II. Aria from “Suite for Cello and String Orchestra” / 13. Georges Bizet / Julian Riem: Carmen Fantasy / 14. Florence Price: Adoration CD 2: 1. Nadia Boulanger: Trois Pièces, I. Modéré / 2. II. Sans vitesse et à l'aise / 3. III. Vite et nerveusement rythmeé / 4. Lili Boulanger: I. Nocturne from “Deux Morceaux” / 5. Cécile Chaminade: Nuit étoilée / 6. Henriette Bosmans: II. Nuit calme from “Impressions” / 7. Germaine Tailleferre: Berceuse / 8. Maria Theresia von Paradis: Sicilienne / 9. Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel: Fantasia in G Minor / 10. Laura Netzel: Danse Hongroise, Op. 51 / 11. Luise Adolpha Le Beau: Romance, Op. 35 / 12. Rebecca Clarke: Epilogue / 13. Grażyna Bacewicz: Mazovian Dance / 14. Amy Beach: III. Dreaming from “4 Sketches, Op. 15” / 15. Dolores White: Las Tarantulas / 16. Lera Auerbach: Postludium / 17. Rachel Portman: Chocolat Suite / 18. Quincy Jones, Rod Temperton, Lionel Ritchie: Miss Celie's Blues, “Sister” from “The Color Lila” / 19. Billie Eilish, Finneas O'Connell: No Time to Die"