Sandrine

La prison n'avait pas réussi à le briser.
Ces deux vieillards retirés du monde vont-ils y parvenir ? …

In the 19th century, France and Spain traded music and literature, with Bizet’s Carmen perhaps the most famous example. Here French-Israeli guitarist Liat Cohen joins Sandrine Piau, Rolando Villazón, and Charles Castronovo for an exploration of music by composers who lived between France and Spain, writing music of both Gallic charm and Spanish fire. French composer Gabriel Dupont’s “Mandoline” gains extra Iberian spice in a new arrangement for guitar, as does the beautiful 7 Canciónes populares españolas by Manuel de Falla, who studied in Paris. Songs and solos by Granados, Massenet, and Rodrigo (including a beautiful arrangement for voices of the Concierto de Aranjuez’s slow movement) complete this intimate musical and historical journey.

When Naïve offered me the chance to record a Mozart recital in 2001, it was something I hadn't even dared to dream of, because he seemed to me to be the composer most emblematic of every kind of perfection. I made the disc with a feeling almost of transgression and a tremendous fear of not being worthy of him. Now, thirteen years later, I come back to Mozart with the experience of the roles I've tackled on stage in the meantime.