Graham Johnson & Geraldine McGreevy

Anyone who is familiar with the recordings of the Lieder pianist Graham Johnson on the Hyperion label knows that the CD booklets are invariably quite bulky. In each CD, Johnson writes the introduction himself. The essays are deep and profound and read more like pure prose. Graham Johnson is not only a studied writer but his ability to discuss music is second to none. His recent complete recording of Fauré's songs was reason enough to invite him to elaborate on the rich song oeuvre of this French composer. Spread over two evenings, and together with soprano Geraldine McGreevy, Johnson interprets a selection of songs and discusses them extensively. Fauré's songs using the writings of Belgian poets, the so-called 'Belgian connection', will be a key component. The poems of Charles Van Lerberghe, for instance, inspired Fauré to write two of his most beautiful song cycles: 'La chanson d'Eve' and 'Le jardin clos'. Johnson explains just how Fauré transforms the emotions and the images in the poetry into enchanting sound landscapes. Johnson plays everything with so much nuance that you can smell the fragrance from the roses in the garden of Eden!