FRANCK: Mélodies [CD de audio] Francesca Scaini, Mattia Ometto and Franck

For César Franck, the concept of poetic meaning went beyond the text of the verse, to the broader themes and theme of the poem. This allowed him to write works of dramatic consequence despite any lack of attention he may have paid to verse structure. This recording consists of 16 songs by Francks, with lyrics taken from a variety of poets, and includes the first recording of A cette terre où lon ploie sa tente, with lyrics taken from Victor Hugo's poem. The elegance and sensitivity of this particular work embody the typical French music of the time. The songs are performed by Italian soprano Francesca Scaini, for whom praise has been abundant on Gramophone for her operatic work. Originally training in Venice, she won numerous awards including the coveted Maria Callas Award, NewVerdi Voices and was a prima donna at the Hannover Staatsoper for five years. Accompanying Scaini is Mattia Ometto, the internationally acclaimed pianist and teacher.