‘I cannot think of higher praise’

...Accompanying Vierne's four 'symphonic poems for voice and orchestra' (first recordings) on this release is Chausson's masterpiece of nineteenth-century French mélodie, Poème de l'amour et de la mer, recorded here for the first time by a tenor, the voice for which it was originally written.

Soloist Steve Davislim is among Australia's leading tenors and enjoys a growing reputation in major international opera houses and concert halls. He studied with the likes of Dame Joan Hammond, Luigi Alva and Ileana Cotrubas. Earlier this year I described his account of 'Winterreise' (Melba Recordings MR 301119) as a 'deeply-felt, superbly cogent performance'.

And here within the French repertoire he maintains a stellar vocal quality previously evident in Schubert lieder and several symphonic-lyric releases from the prestige Victoria (Australia) recording company...

For this programme, the eighty-eight member Queensland Orchestra (chief conductor Johannes Fritzsch, born in Germany in 1960) is under the direction of guest conductor Guillaume Tourniaire...

Vierne's unfathomably poignant orchestration is captured to perfection by the Queensland players and again Davislim catches the misanthropic mood with uncannyaccuracy...

Davislim floats his entry with the utmost delicacy while later on the blend of voice and orchestra glow together like radiant embers -- an exquisitely nuanced performance...

 

Davislim's compelling performance combines the interpretative virtues of Canadian baritone, Jean-François Lapointe (with piano) and the legendary gallic sensitivities of Maine-et-Loire baritone Souzay (with orchestra). I cannot think of higher praise...

Howard Smith