This album includes both studio recordings from June 2010 and live recordings from a Rosenblatt Recital in March 2012.
Performer Biography
Soprano Ailyn Pérez is widely recognized as a leading interpreter of Mimì in Puccini's 'La bohème' and Violetta in Verdi's 'La traviata', having performed these roles at major opera companies worldwide.
Historical Context
The album features music from both French and Spanish traditions, reflecting the musical interchange between these two adjacent countries.
Performer Biography
Ailyn Pérez, the soprano on this album, was named 'one of opera's next wave' by Opera News and won the 2012 Richard Tucker Award and 2012 Plácido Domingo Award.
Compositional Technique
Manuel de Falla's 'Siete canciones populares españolas' (Seven popular Spanish songs), though composed in Paris, constantly references the guitar in its piano accompaniments.
Composition History
Reynaldo Hahn became famous at 14 with his setting of Victor Hugo's 'Si mes vers avaient des ailes', though he had already begun his 'Chansons grises' cycle.
Composer Biography
Reynaldo Hahn, a composer featured on this album, was born in Venezuela but moved to Paris at age three, adopting his 'clearly predestined Parisian environment'.
