Benjamin Britten, a British composer, found his lifelong companion in 1937, the tenor Peter Pears, who is not a performer on this album.
Historical Context
Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations, a cycle of 44 prose poems set by Benjamin Britten, reflects the conflicting and charged atmosphere of Paris around 1871.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Claude Debussy, a French composer, was profoundly influenced by literary figures rather than musicians, as noted by his contemporary Paul Dukas.
Composition History
Debussy's first major song cycle, Fêtes galantes (1882), was dedicated to Marie-Blanche Vasnier, his first great love, and set five poems by Paul Verlaine.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Deutschlandfunk Kammermusiksaal in Cologne, Germany, between August 14-18, 2015.
Album & Artwork
The album title, "Being Beauteous," is taken from one of Arthur Rimbaud's (a French poet) prose poems, which is set to music by Benjamin Britten on this album.
Compositional Technique
In his Ariettes oubliées, Debussy, a French composer, enhances the verses by exploiting the piano's full sound spectrum and range, and exploring vast realms of expression.
