"CHANTS d'AUVERGNE" - "BAÏLÈRO" by Joseph Canteloube

"Chants d"Auvergne" -- "Baïlèro" by Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957)

Marie-Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957), born in Annonay, was a French composer, musicologist and author best known for his collections of orchestrated folksongs from the Auvergne region: "Chants d'Auvergne".
In 1901 he entered the "Schola Cantorum" in Paris and became a student of Vincent d'Indy. He soon became friends with Isaac Albéniz and Albert Roussel. It was his teacher Vincent d'Indy who strongly advised him to study the folklore of his home region.
Canteloube combined his profession as a composer alongside his work as musicologist and in 1925 he founded a group called "La Bourrée" with several so called "Auvergnats", who were eager to publish material concerning the folklore and the beauty of their own homeland. Canteloube believed that peasant songs often rise to the level of purest art in terms of feeling and expression, as well as in form.
For more than thirty years he worked on the completion of his famous collection of songs: "Chants d'Auvergne", in which the landscapes of the Auvergne are reflected in vivid, rich orchestral colours. This way he succeeded in making this French folklore and its rustic melodies better known worldwide.
The songs are written in the language of the historical region in southern Europe, where Occitan was historically the main language spoken: that's why I inserted the text in the video.

Chants d'Auvergne (Songs from the Auvergne) is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France arranged for soprano voice and orchestra or piano by Joseph Canteloube between 1923 and 1930. The songs were published in five Series. The best known of the songs is the "Baïlèro" from the first Series, which has been frequently performed in slight variations of Canteloube's arrangement, for instance the recording we can listen to is an arrangement by Erik Somers for soprano voice, wind ensemble, harp and piano. Erik Somers also plays one of the French horns in the ensemble.

Chants d'Auvergne: 1st Series
"La pastoura als camps (La bergère aux champs)" (No part of this arrangement!)
"Baïlèro (Chant de bergers de Haute-Auvergne)"
"Trois bourrées":
1. "L'aio de rotso (L'eau de source)"
2. "Ound'onoren gorda? (Où irons-nous garder?)"
3. "Obal, din lou limouzi (La-bas dans le limousin)"

"Baïlèro" is a shepherd's song. Canteloube wrote: "I heard a shepherdess singing and a shepherd answering in the twilight of a beautiful (lovely) summer evening".

"Aire Y Donaire"......a breath taking Christmas Music experience!, so it says in the programme guide, and indeed......a very unique concert.

Performers:
Claudia Couwenbergh -- soprano
"Zuiderwind" -- wind ensemble/harp/piano
Hans Heykers -- conductor
Erik Somers -- arrangement

Recording date: Sunday, December 11, 2011
Recording location: Kapel in't Zand
Recording place: Roermond (The Netherlands)
Recording studio: LS Muziekregistratie Live-recording
Recording engineer: Leo Stratermans
Photographs & video-animation: Leo Stratermans
Website: http://www.lsmuziekregistratie.nl
LinkedIn:   / 8b9  

Recording software: ProTools 9.0
Preamp: Digi-002
Preamp: Yamaha MLA-8
Recording techniques
Double MS-system
+ DMS-surround system 5.0
---Front-mid AKG414ULS cardioid
--Front & Rear-sides AKG414ULS figure-8
---Rear-mid AKG 414ULS cardioid 180°graden
+ CHOIR
---L-C-R Neumann TLM103 cardioid
+ ORCHESTRA
---L-R Neumann KM184 cardioid
+ VOCALS
---XY Neumann KM184 cardioid
Mastering:
---Waves 360° Surround Plug-ins
---TC Electronics Finalizer 96K