Marie-Nicole Lemieux Sings Berlioz, Wagner, and Mahler

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"As one of the cruel realities of competition, the winners switch from glory to complete oblivion after a few ephemerous mediatic sparks. When Marie-Nicole Lemieux won the Queen Elisabeth Singing Competition in 1998, nobody knew she would become the contralto of her generation, and nobody knew - even if many guessed at it - that she would become one of the most versatile singers imaginable as well as a first-class tragedian. In August 2000 the producers of Cypres were the first to offer her a recital with the pianist Daniel Blumenthal. Programmed was nothing less than Les Nuits d'été, the Wesendonck and the Rückert-lieder - three cycles of lieder counted among the most intense of the repertory. The calm trembling of the contralto in Berlioz, its poignant dignity in Mahler and its heightened expression in Wagner made this record into an undeniable commercial and artistic success. More than ten years have passed since; Marie-Nicole Lemieux today appears on the biggest stages in the world, and this "historic" record reminds us that even at the beginning of her career, the singer from Quebec was already the genius performer we know today." [Source]

Canadian Artists Release Recording of Händel Delights

"The oratorios from which Karina Gauvin and Marie-Nicole Lemieux perform excerpts on Streams of Pleasure were premiered between 1744 and 1750 and are among Handel’s last compositions. Soprano and contralto are joined for this pleasurable collection by internationally acclaimed early music ensemble Il Complesso Barocco under its musical director Alan Curtis. Highly regarded contralto Marie-Nicole Lemieux has recorded for numerous labels, and now enjoys an exclusive contract with Naïve, for which she has recorded the title roles in Vivaldi’s operas Griselda and Orlando furioso, and La Fida Ninfa. In recent times she has released a critically acclaimed programme of Vivaldi arias with the Ensemble Matheus under Jean-Christophe Spinosi. Fellow Canadian soprano Karina Gauvin’s has recorded for labels including ATMA, Astrée, and Dorian, and has appeared on Naïve’s recording of Vivaldi’s Tito Manlio as well Handel’s Ezio, Alcina, and Tolomeo with I’l Complesso Barocco for DG and DG Archiv." [Source] Listen to excerpts from the album here and check out the complete track listing after the jump.

Sandrine Piau Sings Broadway Tunes and Schoenberg

(Photo: Antoine Le Grand/Naïve)

The new release, Songs, from Ensemble Contraste features mezzo-soprano Karine Deshayes singing popular works from Broadway and film. She is joined by several other singers on the Naïve release, including Sandrine Piau who is better known for her high-flying roulades of Vivaldi and Händel. Here she takes on "Memories" from Cats and "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music. The soprano also makes an appearance on another new recording of music for voice and string quartet. She is soloist on Schoenberg's "Quatuor à cordes n°2 en fa dièse mineur, avec soprano, op.10." Sharing the disc is mezzo-soprano Marie-Nicole Lemieux. Click on the links under each disc for listening excerpts.

LISTEN: Songs

LISTEN: Berg, Webern, Schoenberg