Christine Lohmeier, Thomas Wiedemann

Un héritage littéraire, philosophique et humaniste au Petit Prince.
Si le Petit Prince était toujours vivant ou s’il débarquait sur notre planète aujourd’hui, qu’aurait-il à nous dire ? Quelles questions poserait-il ? En quête de sens, il nous demanderait sans doute : Qu’est-ce qui nous donne envie de vivre ? de nous unir ? d’aimer ? Qu’est-ce qu’une vie heureuse ? Sommes-nous suffisamment solidaires les uns des autres ? Sommes-nous capables de voir ce qui est beau autour de nous et de nous en émerveiller ? …

The Masque of Alfred - apart of course from its finale "Rule Britannia" - has in the 1990s reached CD. Just two years ago a version was issued with the BBC Music Magazine and now we have this more complete account (though there were several variants in Arne's own day) from Nicholas McGegan, an experienced exponent of 18th Century music, recorded in America and using mainly American performers. And very welcome is it. If offers 76 minutes of music, 25 minutes more than the BBC CD and if the OAE's playing on the latter under Nicholas Kraemer often seems rather superior, the Philharmonic Baroque Orchestra are fully equal to Arne's demands which include often atmospheric parts for oboes, horns and flute as well as the basic strings. McGegan uses only four solo singers against the BBC's six.

During her years with Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie only recorded one album. It was released in 1984, after Mirage had run its course and the band was taking an extended break. Given its release date, it's not surprising that Christine McVie sounds like it could have been recorded during the Mirage sessions – it's a collection of soft rock/pop and ballads that are pleasantly melodic and ingratiating…

During her years with Fleetwood Mac, Christine McVie only recorded one album. It was released in 1984, after Mirage had run its course and the band was taking an extended break. Given its release date, it's not surprising that Christine McVie sounds like it could have been recorded during the Mirage sessions – it's a collection of soft rock/pop and ballads that are pleasantly melodic and ingratiating. Only a handful of cuts, such as the wonderfully catchy, lightly bouncy hit single "Got a Hold on Me," work their way into the memory, but nothing on Christine McVie is anything less than agreeable. The record simply suffers from a rather predictable fate – it's a little too sweet and laid-back to be consumed in one sitting, and its best songs would have sounded even better if they were balanced by Lindsey Buckingham's insular, paranoid pop genius and Stevie Nicks' hippie-folk mysticism.

Swiss violinist Renato Wiedemann has chosen a very personal theme for his debut album. As a dual Swiss-Brazilian citizen, he also wanted to reflect on his roots musically, and so the choice fell on a recording of 20th century violin sonatas from Switzerland and Brazil. The result is a special and unusual programme with works by Bloch, Schoeck, Villa-Lobos, Widmer and Camargo Guarnieri, in which he is wonderfully supported by his chamber music partner and friend, the pianist Marija Bokor.