Brel & Barbara: A cappella

Featuring

Mathieu Romano
Ensemble Aedes
Monique Serf (Barbara)
Gérard Jouannest
Jacques Brel
Roland Romanelli

Mitch Leigh

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Recording & Production

This album was recorded in Paris at the Salle Colonne on July 29, 30, and 31, 2016.

Album & Artwork

The album's song selection, chosen by Mathieu Romano from hundreds of existing songs, revolves around the theme of love in its broadest sense, including friendship and human connection.

Performer Biography

Ensemble Aedes is the 2009 laureate of the Bettencourt Prize for Choral Singing and is supported by various cultural institutions and ministries in France.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Ensemble Aedes, typically dedicated to classical music, aimed to explore vocal repertoire by mixing genres and experimenting with new textures, combining chanson with a cappella choral writing.

Interpretation

Mathieu Romano, the director of Ensemble Aedes, commissioned various composers to create 17 new a cappella arrangements of Brel and Barbara's songs for this album.

Album & Artwork

The album features a selection of songs by Jacques Brel and Barbara, arranged for a cappella choir.

Compositional Technique

The arrangements on this album vary in style; some are like orchestrations where sopranos sing flute lines and basses perform pizzicati, while others resemble polyphonic motets.